John Shurna News

Northwestern men's basketball is for real. I have no doubt about that. Everyone wrote them off after both Kevin Coble and Jeff Ryan were declared out for the year due to injury.

Michael Thompson watched his Northwestern teammates scrimmage while he stood beside the scorer's table during a recent morning practice at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Seventy years of futility loomed over Northwestern as the team took the court against Minnesota.

When I visited with Bill Carmody a few days before official practice began on Oct.

It is a time unlike any other in college basketball. Where each conference views another as an equal counterpart, the ACC certainly has had the Big Ten's number lately.

It was a strange sight; Northwestern standing at half-court of the UICA PavilionA holding a giant tournament trophy.

Michael Thompson scored 22 points and Northwestern beat North Carolina State 65-53 on Tuesday night in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Iowa State shot 28 percent from the field in the second half in a 67-65 loss to Northwestern in the championship game of the Chicago Invitational Saturday night.

C.J. Williams has discovered that the best way to help the North Carolina State men's basketball team is to help himself.

John Shurna lugged the Chicago Invitational Challenge MVP trophy out of Northwesterna s locker room on Saturday night -- and did it while wearing a look that defined the word sheepish.

John Shurna scored 23 points and Michael Thompson added 16 as Northwestern defeated Iowa State 67-65 Saturday night in the championship game of Chicago Invitational Tournament.

Eds: APNewsNow. Northwestern 72, No. 23 Notre Dame 58. AP Photo ILNH513, ILNH512, ILNH514 By RICK GANO AP Sports Writer CHICAGO John Shurna scored a career-high 25 points and freshman Alex Marcotullio made a pair of key 3-pointers in the second half Friday night as Northwestern beat No.

Northwestern UIC Pavilion Chicago, Ill. * 7:30 p.m. TV: Big Ten Network Audio: WGN-AM 720 and wgnradio.com Satellite Radio: Sirius 159 and XM 117 Gametracker: NUsports.com In-game Twitter updates: @NU_SportsLIVE Northwestern Game Notes EVANSTON, Ill.

Notre Dame has blown out its first five opponents this season, but it should get a tougher test Friday night.

Bridgewater College shot 51 percent from the floor Tuesday night, but the Eagles were no match for hot-shooting Southern Virginia University as the Knights pulled away for a 91-65 nonconference victory.

Freshman Drew Crawford scored 22 points, nearly double his output from the first three games combined, to lead Northwestern to a 69-53 victory over Liberty on Tuesday night.

GAME NOTES: The Northwestern Wildcats continue a four-game homestand to start the 2009-10 season, as they welcome the Tennessee State Tigers to Evanston this afternoon as part of the Chicago Invitational.

On Friday afternoon, University President Morton O. Schapiro told The Daily he knew the importance of the nonconference season.

Last season, Northwestern finished 10th in the country in Assist to Turnover Ratio.

Gordon Hayward finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and four assists to help 11th-ranked Butler take a 67-54 victory over Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena.