Northwestern University is the biggest story in college basketball right now, and that was before the Wildcats gave fans their first ever win in the NCAA tournament. On Thursday, Northwestern snuck past Vanderbilt in the final seconds of the game to earn a 68–66 victory over the No. 9 seed. It all came down to an unnecessary foul by Vanderbilt guard Matthew Fisher-Davis, which gave the Wildcats two free throws, down by 1 with 15 seconds left to play. Northwestern guard Bryant McIntosh hit both shots, giving his team the go-ahead point and extending NU's storybook season by at least one more game.
Perhaps the most incredible part of the Wildcats' story is the amount of coverage they've received. Even before news broke that Northwestern earned its first-ever NCAA tournament bid on Sunday, goodwill from fans, alumni and commentators was at a fever pitch. Stephen Colbert, host of the Late Show and NU alum, even recorded a hype video for his alma mater, which aired on CBS Sports before the tournament brackets were revealed.
On #SelectionSunday Northwestern alum @StephenAtHome weighs in on @NUMensBball’s momentous season pic.twitter.com/CAbcwC7FFn
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 12, 2017
But, things didn't end there. The Wildcats not only showed up for their first game, they won; something few (save for the most diehard fans) were expecting. And with that victory dawned a new era in Northwestern basketball. The selection, win and expected loss to No. 1 seed Gonzaga on Saturday have received around the clock coverage from sports news outlets this week (though we should acknowledge that many of those sports news outlets are heavily staffed with Medill alums), and one would think that could only mean good things for recruitment.
The Wildcats gambled this season, but now they have nothing left to lose. They went all in, doubled up and, from here on out, are playing with house money. Most in the world of college basketball are predicting a loss to Gonzaga, but not NU or its fans. They've defied the odds up to this point, so what's one more miracle? Regardless of Saturday's outcome, Northwestern already won this season and that will pay dividends for years to come.
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