Stanford good model for NU
Bill Carmody briefly transformed from Northwestern basketball coach into Stanford basketball historian before Monday's practice.
Asked if Stanford is the blueprint for Northwestern's NCAA Tournament-less program, Carmody chronicled the Cardinal climb over time.
• He mentioned former Stanford great Hank Luisetti, a two-time college player of the year who revolutionized the game with the running one-handed shot.
• He mentioned the dark ages, when Stanford endured losing records in all but one season from 1967-82. "They wanted to kick 'em out of the Pac-10 or Pac-8."
• He mentioned breakthrough recruits such as Todd Lichti and Brevin Knight, who led a renaissance under Mike Montgomery. "All of a sudden, you could be a good player and go to Stanford."
"So," Carmody concluded, "the answer might be yes."
NU will get a close look at the program it aspires to become when the Wildcats open the season tonight against Stanford at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The 20th-ranked Cardinal makes its first trip to Evanston after hosting NU three times, most recently last season.
The track records of the two programs couldn't be more different.
Stanford has made 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 11 straight from 1994-2005. It won an NCAA title in 1942, reached the Final Four in 1998 and the Elite Eight in 2001.
NU is the only major conference team never to reach the NCAAs.
Despite the divergent on-court performances, the programs have similar profiles, namely a need to recruit players who can satisfy lofty academic requirements.
"It's a school that didn't dip academically," Carmody said of Stanford. "There are a lot of really good schools, but that's one that has sort of stayed true. They should be the envy of a lot of places."
Carmody recruited several players on Stanford's roster, namely senior Taj Finger, who visited NU, and sophomore Landry Fields. NU had interest in forwards Josh Owens and Lawrence Hill but "didn't get very far."
Wildcats freshman forward Mike Capocci of Glenbard East talked to Stanford before committing to Carmody.
"They have a great program," Capocci said. "Hopefully we're on the verge of becoming a great program."
Another similarity is the schools' success in non-revenue sports. Stanford has won 13 consecutive Directors' Cups; NU has had three consecutive top-30 finishes.
"They've always been good in everything -- tennis, golf, volleyball -- just like Northwestern is," Carmody said.
But the gap between the basketball programs is undeniable, as Carmody illustrated when asked about Stanford already having played three games. Last week the Cardinal hosted the Basketball Travelers Classic, a round-robin tournament.
"That's what happens when you have locker rooms," Carmody quipped. "We've got locker rooms now (Welsh-Ryan has undergone a locker-room expansion). Maybe we can get a tournament."
Getting a win tonight is a more pressing concern. An upset would do wonders for NU players, who often hear the comparisons.
"Duke and Stanford are the examples of schools that have high academic standards and also have success," junior guard Sterling Williams said. "We're judged against them."
Stanford (3-0) at Northwestern (0-0)
When: 8 p.m. at Welsh-Ryan Arena
TV: Big Ten Network Radio: WGN 720-AM
The skinny: Northwestern players hope their ceiling for this season will be higher than most believe it to be. Here's their chance to prove themselves. The Wildcats face a Stanford team that returns 12 letter-winners and all five starters. NU sophomore guard Jeremy Nash has yet to practice because of back problems that kept him out the entire preseason. Stanford sophomore forward Brook Lopez is academically ineligible for the fall quarter, but his twin brother Robin, also a 7-footer, will play. Forward Lawrence Hill scored 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting last year against NU.
-- Adam Rittenberg