In November, I wrote about Northwestern’s non-conference opponents: Creighton, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Georgia Tech. All were unranked. Northwestern, meanwhile, was ranked No. 20. The Wildcats, for once, had expectations. The consensus among basketball aficionados nationwide was that Northwestern basketball was here to stay.
This past summer, a few Wildcats attended the ESPYs. They walked the red carpet with tailored suits and snazzy sunglasses, fitting right in with some of sports biggest stars. They shook hands, shared laughs and took pictures with Michael Phelps, Aaron Rodgers and Stephen Curry.
And this year was supposed to be the apex.