‘People better take notice’: With 4 straight wins, Chicago State is showing its historic upset of Northwestern was no fluke

Something is brewing on the South Side.

At least that’s what Chicago State men’s basketball coach Gerald Gillion told me. Wearing both a gray sweatshirt with “Cougars” across the front and a big smile, he shared his excitement about the last two weeks and his plans for the team’s future.

I was one of a few journalists Gillion was scheduled to meet with that day. He and the Cougars got the attention of the college basketball world when they traveled to Evanston on Dec. 13 and upset then-No. 25 Northwestern 75-73.

It was a win nobody expected.

Chicago State came in 0-15 all time against Northwestern and was a 24-point underdog. The Cougars were 0-64 versus current Big Ten members, according to NCAA.com, and 0-39 against ranked teams, per ESPN Stats & Info.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, had beaten No. 1 Purdue at Welsh-Ryan Arena 12 days earlier and were hoping to win their first home game as a ranked team since 1959.

Led by guards Wesley Cardet Jr. and Jahsean Corbett, Chicago State trailed by just one at halftime and jumped out to a seven-point lead to start the second half. But Northwestern took advantage of a six-minute drought without a field goal by the Cougars to retake the lead.

“It was a lot of excitement,” Corbett told the Tribune. “This is what we’re here to do. This is a thing we’ve all wanted — to play at one of the highest levels.

“We all tell each other that we’re here together, so let’s just finish this together and push through. We’ve had a lot of close games this year and we wanted to make sure we capitalize.”

After trailing by as many as eight, an 11-0 run put the Cougars in front 65-61 with 4:35 remaining. The Wildcats retook a 67-65 lead at the 2:30 mark, prompting Gillion to call a timeout. Cardet made a layup coming out of the break and then a 3-pointer, and the Cougars never trailed again.

“You have to keep in mind Northwestern is one of those teams that’s at the top of the hill,” Gillion said. “I’ve always admired what Coach (Chris) Collins has done with that program. So to be able to get a win against those guys lets not only ourselves but the rest of the world know people better take notice a lot sooner than later.”

Both Gillion and Corbett saw the historic win in Evanston as a sign of what could be. The often-overlooked Cougars finally were getting some shine.

And they haven’t slowed down since, winning their next three games to improve to 7-9. They’ll try to make it five straight wins — and topple another ranked Big Ten team — on Friday at No. 24 Wisconsin (7 p.m., BTN).

When Gillion, who was previously an assistant coach at Samford, took over the struggling program in July 2021, Chicago State hadn’t won a conference game since 2018 and had gone 0-9 in 2020-21 before its season was suspended due to COVID-19. The Cougars have had just three winning seasons since moving up to Division I in 1984, with the last one in 2008-09.

“When I first received the job at Chicago State, I told everyone my goal was to build a foundation of excellence and we’re going to build a powerhouse brick by brick,” Gillion said. “I don’t know how long that’s going to take, but at some point we’re going to be a household name.”

His energy reminded me of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders and Chicago Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon. Gillion believes in all the things you expect to hear from a coach — faith, family, and hard work — while speaking with the intonation of a motivational speaker.

“You have to win the day, write things down and stay focused on the focus,” he said. “I’m a big believer that if you continue to work hard, success finds hard workers — point blank period.

“I’m not trying to build one of those one- or two-bedroom houses. I’m trying to build one of those 10-bedroom mansions where your in-laws and cousins can come over. We’re trying to build something that will be legendary.”

After going 7-25 in Gillion’s first season, Chicago State improved to 11-20 last season — as many victories as the previous three seasons combined.

Known as a skilled recruiter, the South Florida native said the key to his recruiting success is relationships. In April he signed 6-foot-9 twins Matt and Ryan Bewley, former five-star recruits.

The Bewleys last played high school basketball in 2020-21 as sophomores at West Oaks Academy in Orlando, Fla., before signing two-year contracts to compete in the Overtime Elite developmental league. The NCAA has denied their eligibility, and they haven’t been able to play for the Cougars while the case plays out in court.

Without the Bewley brothers, Gillion said it took some time for the Cougars to adapt to their new formula. They were frequently in games but unable to win, losing four by single digits. Three days before the win at Northwestern, Chicago State lost 66-50 to St. Thomas, dropping to 3-9.

“I called three people into the room,” Gillion said, “and I said: ‘We’re going to be as good as you guys can take us. We’re a good basketball team that hasn’t been playing good basketball.’

“I look at it in thirds. The first third of the season we struggled. The second third, I said we’re going to lock in on Jahsean, Brent Davis and Wesley Cardet.”

Gillion and the Cougars took their momentum from the Northwestern upset and beat Valparaiso on the road three days later, erasing a nine-point deficit in the final 4:21 to win 63-62. Gillion was named ESPN’s Coach of the Week for Dec. 11-17 after the two unlikely victories.

The Cougars extended their winning streak to four with home victories Monday over UT Rio Grande Valley and Wednesday over Bethune-Cookman. Next up are the 8-3 Badgers at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.

But Gillion said they aren’t thinking ahead to opponents, only day-to-day wins and long-term program success.

“We’re going to be successful not only on the court but off the court because we have guys — and I’m looking for guys — that can win the day,” Gillion said at the end of our conversation. “We’re going to put student-athletes in a great situation to pursue their dreams.

“A lot of people look at Chicago State not on the same level as these big-time programs. And I’m just telling you, we’re coming. Not from a win-loss standpoint but in terms of development. We’re coming.”