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Break up the Wildcats! In Northwestern's last three games, Northwestern has two upsets, beating Illinois 49-43 on the 12th and then Indiana 54-47 on Saturday. The best part? IU came back - and Northwestern pushed back and won anyway.
This did not go over well in Hoosierville, but it's a different story in Evanston, where Chris Collins & co. are understandably thrilled.
Offensively challenged, Collins has turned his team towards defense, and told the Sun-Times that "[t]he guys kind of liked the [defensive]formula, and they kind of liked being this spunky team, this scrappy team. And it’s becoming our identity. It just makes me so proud that that’s my team doing that."
Don't get carried away. Northwestern is 9-10 and things don't get any easier. But what we are seeing is that, yes, Chris Collins can coach, and perhaps most strikingly of all, a guy who is the son of one legend and who played and worked for another has very quickly made his own identity as a head coach. That's pretty good work for a few months in.