Northwest opened the first round of Big Ten Tournament with a 72-64 earn Minnesota in Indianapolis on Wednesday. After the victory, Northwestern head coach Chris Collins said that “a lot has happened to this team on and off the field”, which apparently included a problem in the team hotel.
“We are used to being treated like this in this league,” Collins said via The Athletic. “The rooms were a thousand degrees. There was no air conditioning in the hotel, and our guys’ rooms were 85 degrees — and that’s where the (Big Ten) league puts you. Everywhere they turn, they’re trying to get us. … You hate it for the guys. I have seniors, and they’re playing for their lives, and they come down and say, ‘Coach, I have to have an ice bucket next to my bed. It’s really hot.’
“Even this morning, after our visit, our guys had to sit in the lobby or in our team room. They couldn’t even go to their room.”
The lack of air conditioning in the hotel was reportedly a problem “for 10 days”.
In a very controversial matter, Nick Martinelli had a game-high 28 points and seven rebounds for the Wildcats, while Ty Berry had 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists and Matthew Nicholson recorded three blocks.
Northwestern, the No. 13 seed in the Big Ten tournament, is 17-15 overall and 7-13 in the Big Ten this season. He now faces the fifth seed Wisconsin Thursday at 2:30 p.m. ET. Among the 12 remaining teams, Northwestern has the 10th best odds of winning the Big Ten Tournament (+20000).
Wild cats should not participate in the NCAA tournamentaccording to FOX Sports support forecaster Mike DeCourcy. They have appeared in each of the last two tournaments and have a total of three tournament appearances under Collins (2016-17 being the other season), who is in his 12th season as Northwestern’s head coach. The program is a combined 194-189 under Collins since the 2014-15 season. college basketball season.
“They’ll put us in a hotter club if we leave it to the league,” Collins said of the Big Ten.
Tell us how you really feel, coach.
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