Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats to Face Interstate-Rivals
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
January 7, 1999
Northwestern Wildcats (8-3, 1-1 Big Ten)
at Illinois Fighting Illini (8-5, 0-1 Big Ten)
Sat., Jan. 9, 1999 -- 1:30 p.m. CST
Radio: WGN AM 720
TV: ESPN Regional (WJYS-Ch. 56 in Chicagoland)
The Wildcats look to continue their winning ways as they face intrastate-rival Illinois on Saturday afternoon. NU knocked off 16th-ranked Minnesota in Williams Arena on Wednesday, 58-55. It marked the first Wildcat win over a ranked team since defeating No. 7 Michigan in 1994 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. It also was NU's first win at Minnesota since the 1985-86 season.
NU owned an early 11-8 lead with 11:33 remaining in the first half, including two three-pointers from Sean Wink and a trey by David Newman. Evan Eschmeyer scored NU's next eight points, and the Wildcats took a 25-20 advantage into the locker room. Midway through the second half, NU went on a 13-2 run to take a 45-32 lead with 11:33 left. UM slowly chipped away, pulling to within one point at 56-55 with 1:14 remaining. On NU's ensuing possession, Eschmeyer was fouled and connected on both free throws for a 58-55 lead. A couple of Gopher desperation threes fell short, and NU came home with the win.
Eschmeyer notched his Big Ten-leading sixth double-double of the season and shot 12-of-14 from the line. NU hit nine three-pointers, led by Wink with four (12 points) and Steve Lepore with three (nine points). Tavaras Hardy added seven rebounds and two blocks in the win.
Wildcat Probable Starters
Pos. No. Name (height, weight, class, hometown) ppg rpg F #33 Tavaras Hardy (6-8, 210, Fr., Joliet, Ill.) 8.5 4.9 C #42 Evan Eschmeyer (6-11, 255, Sr.-6, New Knoxville, Ohio) 20.1 9.5 G #4 Julian Bonner (6-1, 198, Sr., Detroit, Mich.) 3.5 2.3 G #22 Sean Wink (6-2, 176, So., Brea, Calif.) 10.2 2.3 G #24 David Newman (5-11, 165, Fr., Des Moines, Iowa) 9.2 2.5Off the bench
F #5 Joe Harmsen (6-9, 248, Sr., Fond du Lac, Wis.) 1.0 1.9 G #10 Matt Kammrath (6-0, 185, Jr., Boca Raton, Fla.) 0.0 0.0 F #11 Danny Allouche (6-5, 200, Sr., Omer, Israel) 3.1 2.4 F #14 Steve Lepore (6-5, 200, Fr., North Olmstead, Ohio) 4.1 4.3 G #31 Nate Pomeday (6-2, 201, Sr., Cedar Grove, Wis.) 1.8 0.6 G #32 Collier Drayton (6-1, 175, Fr., Lyons, N.Y.) 0.0 3.0 C #35 Aron Molnar (6-11, 242, Jr., Mississauga, Ontario) 1.3 2.1 G #44 Jeff Eschmeyer (6-2, 192, So., New Knoxville, Ohio) 0.0 0.5Northwestern-Illinois, The Series
This marks the 141st meeting in the all-time series between Illinois and Northwestern, with the Fighting Illini holding a 108-32 series lead.
Head Coach Kevin O'Neill
Kevin O'Neill (McGill, 1979) is in his second season at the helm of the Wildcat basketball program. This is his 11th season as head coach at the Division I level and 13th overall as a collegiate head coach. He also has served as head coach at North Country CC (1980-82), Marycrest (1982-83), Marquette (1989-94) and Tennessee (1994-97).
O'Neill owns an 18-20 record at NU and a 158-140 record as a Division I head coach. Known as one of the best recruiters in the nation, O'Neill resurrected the Marquette and Tennessee programs, taking two teams which had not enjoyed recent success to postseason play.
Big Ten's Top-Ranked Defense
The biggest reason for Northwestern's good start has been the team's work on the defensive end of the floor. The Wildcats have adopted a "blue collar" approach to defense, diving after loose balls and making the hustle plays necessary to win games.
The Wildcats lead the Big Ten and are ranked third in the country in scoring defense (54.3). NU also has taken over the Big Ten lead and is ranked third nationally in field goal percentage defense (.348). Here's what NU has done to some of the nation's top offensive teams:
* Held Maine and St. Francis, currently ranked 25th and 26th in the NCAA in scoring, to 69 points, 11 below their average.
* Held #21 Iowa (76 ppg entering the game) to just 52 points.
* Held #16 Minnesota (74 ppg entering game) to 55 points. Also held UM to .311 shooting (.486 entering game).
Quick Hits
* Of the 22 halves of basketball played this season by NU, the 'Cats have held an opponent to 30 points or less on 18 occasions. Only Maine, St. Francis, Seton Hall and Minnesota posted more than 30 points in a period.
* NU has led at halftime every game this season.
* Evan Eschmeyer has scored 864 career points against Big Ten Conference competition. He is looking to become just the second Wildcat ever to record 1,000 Big Ten points. Billy McKinney is the only NU player to accomplish the feat.
Eschmeyer Among Big Ten Leaders
Sixth-year center Evan Eschmeyer currently ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounds (9.5 rpg) and fourth in scoring (20.1 ppg). He also entered the week ranked fifth in the NCAA in field goal percentage. Eschmeyer currently leads the Big Ten Conference in double-doubles with six. He enters the Illinois game with 35 career double-doubles and has scored in double figures 52-straight games.
Lately, Eschmeyer has found a comfortable groove at the free throw line. In the past four contests, Eschmeyer is 38-for-44 (.864) from the charity stripe.
On December 28, he was named Big Ten Conference Co-Player of the Week after recording double-doubles in NU's games against Boston College (23p, 10r) and Long Beach State (16p, 13r). In the two games, "Esch" went 21-for-25 (.840) from the free throw line.
On December 29, he was named to the mid-season top 30 team for the John Wooden Award, which is presented by the Los Angeles Athletic Club to the national player of the year. Eschmeyer was one of only two true centers to earn a spot on the list (Washington's Todd MacCulloch).
Watching Esch in the Record Books
With his 15 rebounds against Minnesota, Evan Eschmeyer surpassed Jim Pitts for third on NU's all-time rebounding chart. Here's where Eschmeyer currently ranks among NU's all-time career leaders:
Category Eschmeyer Next Up FG Pct. 1st - .603 --- FT Attempts 1st - 691 --- FT Made 3rd - 430 Kevin Rankin (458) Blocked Shots 3rd - 101 Jim Pitts (123) Rebounds 3rd - 807 Joe Ruklick (868) Scoring 5th - 1,458 Cedric Neloms (1,533) Reb. Avg. 7th - 8.6 Ron Kozlicki (8.6) Scoring Avg. 9th - 15.5 Sibley/Ragelis (15.7)Eschmeyer Preseason Honors
The following are some of the preseason honors gained by Wildcat center Evan Eschmeyer:
* Top candidate for the Wooden Award (L.A. Athletic Club)
* Top candidate for the Naismith Award (Atlanta Tipoff Club)
* Candidate for the Oscar Robertson Award (U.S.B.W.A)
* Preseason All-American, CNN/SI
* Preseason All-American, Street and Smith's
* Preseason All-American, Athlon
* Preseason All-American, Basketball News
* Preseason All-American, Playboy
* Preseason All-American, Blue Ribbon College Yearbook
* Named the second-best center in the country by
Street & Smith's, The Sporting News and CNN/SI
* "The most underrated big man in the college ranks" by
Preview Sports Publications (PSP)
* Best rebounder in the Big Ten, The Sporting News
* "All-Windex Team" (best rebounders in the country),
Dick Vitale's College Basketball
Wink Among the Big Ten Three-Point Leaders
Sophomore guard Sean Wink ranks third in the Big Ten in three pointers made, averaging 2.7 per game. In his last eight contests, Wink has hit 22-of-49 (.449) from three-point range. Wink has hit 116 three pointers in his 37 career games, the third-most threes in school history. For his career, Wink is shooting .430 (116-270) from three-point range.
Against Boston College, Wink hit 6-of-12 from three-point range, marking the fifth time in his brief NU career that he has hit six three-pointers. All five of those have come at home, the most recent being last season vs. Ohio State. Wink also hit five three-pointers against Long Beach State and four at Minnesota.
Newman Coming Through in the Clutch
Freshman point guard David Newman currently ranks seventh in the Big Ten in assists (3.3 apg). He has made several clutch plays this season down the stretch. Against St. Francis, Newman hit three pointers with 56 and 48 seconds left to tie the game at 66-66. He then followed his own missed shot on the game's final possession, tipping the ball to Julian Bonner who hit the game-winning three pointer with 0.4 seconds left.
In the win against Furman, Newman hit a three pointer with 2:27 left to give NU a 56-50 lead. He also made 3-of-4 free throws in the final 48 seconds to help the Wildcats secure the victory. Against Dayton, Newman scored eight of his 11 points in the second half, all of which came in the final 10 minutes after the Flyers had cut the NU lead to three points. Against BC, he hit 6-of-8 free throws in the final 38 seconds to seal the win.
Big Ten Stat Leaders
Here's where the 'Cats rank among the Big Ten and NCAA stat leaders (Big Ten as of Jan. 7, NCAA as of Jan. 4):
Individual - All Games
Scoring: Evan Eschmeyer - 4th Big Ten, 40th NCAA (20.1 ppg)
Rebounds: Evan Eschmeyer - 2nd (9.5 rpg)
FG Pct.: Evan Eschmeyer - 4th Big Ten, 5th NCAA (.629)
Assists: David Newman - 7th (3.3 apg)
FT Pct.: David Newman - 9th (.780)
3pt Made: Sean Wink - 3rd (2.7 tpg)
Blocks: Evan Eschmeyer - 6th (1.6 bpg)
Offensive Rebs: Evan Eschmeyer - 2nd (3.1 orpg)
Defensive Rebs: Evan Eschmeyer - 2nd (6.4 drpg)
Team - All Games
Scoring Defense: 1st Big Ten, 3rd NCAA (54.3 ppg)
FG Pct. Defense: 1st Big Ten, 3rd NCAA (.348)
3pt FG Made: 3rd (6.6 tpg)
3pt Pct. Defense: 3rd (.292)
Rebound Margin: 4th (+4.7 rpg)
Assists: 5th (15.7 apg)
Home Court Advantage
In Kevin O'Neill's two seasons as head coach, the Wildcats have made Welsh-Ryan Arena a tough place to play. NU has a 17-8 home court record under O'Neill, which is a marked improvement considering that, in the three seasons prior to O'Neill's arrival in Evanston, NU won just 14 home games.
Last year, the 'Cats went 10-6 at home, the first time in a decade that NU had won 10 games in their own arena. That mark included a seven-game home winning streak.
In Memoriam
The Wildcats will wear a patch on the left corner of their shorts for the remainder of the season bearing the initials "D.P." The patch is in memory of Don Pomeday, father of senior guard Nate Pomeday, who passed away on December 9.
Letter-of-Intent Signees
During the November early signing period, the Wildcats signed five players to National Letters of Intent to begin playing basketball at NU next season:
Winston Blake (F, 6-5, 180, Plano, Texas/Plano Senior)
Brody Deren (F, 6-7, 223, Harlan, Iowa/Harlan Comm.)
Aaron Jennings (C, 6-11, 200, Atkins, Iowa/Benton Comm.)
Ben Johnson (G, 6-3, 180, Minneapolis, Minn./De La Salle)
Adam Robinson (F, 6-10, 210, Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls)
Johnson (No. 60) and Blake (No. 95) are each ranked among the top 100 players in the country by Bob Gibbons. Deren was "Southwest Iowa Player of the Year" as a junior, while Jennings and Robinson were both named All-Americans this season by various publications.
NCAA Recognizes Wildcat Greats
In its recently-released book "Men's Basketball Finest," the NCAA recognized three former Wildcat players and two former NU coaches. Wildcat All-Americans Otto Graham, Max Morris and Joe Reiff were among the 396 players chosen while Dutch Lonborg and Harold Olsen were among the 119 coaches to earn a place among the best in NCAA history.
Coaches vs. Cancer
Head coach Kevin O'Neill is one of several coaches across the country who have joined together to help the fight against cancer. Fans are asked to pledge a certain amount of money for each assist the Wildcats make throughout the 1998-99 season. O'Neill will personally donate $5 for every assist this season to Coaches vs. Cancer. Fans can pick up pledge forms and brochures in the Welsh-Ryan Arena lobby during all home games.
Wildcats on the Air
Once again this season, WGN-AM 720 will be the radio home of Wildcat basketball. Dave Eanet handles the play-by-play chores while Joey Meyer will handle the color analysis. Every Wildcat game this season will be aired by WGN.
The Kevin O'Neill Show
Once again this season, Fox Sports Chicago will air "The Kevin O'Neill Show." Dave Eanet, play-by-play announcer for NU football and basketball on WGN radio, hosts the half-hour show. The next show will air Tue., Jan. 12, at 3:30 p.m. and replayed that night at 7 p.m. CST.
Wildcats on the Web
Complete statistics and releases on Wildcat basketball will be available throughout the season on Northwestern's official internet site. The web address is WWW.NUSPORTS.COM. Information on the Big Ten Conference is available on the conference web site at www.bigten.org.
Wildcat Season Bests
#4 Julian Bonner
Points: 8 vs. St. Francis (11/25/98) and
vs. Iowa (1/3/99)
Rebounds: 4 at Seton Hall (12/19/98)
Assists: 6 at Minnesota (1/6/99)
#5 Joe Harmsen
Points: 2 five times,
last vs. Iowa (1/3/99)
Rebounds: 4 three times,
last at Seton Hall (12/19/98)
#10 Matt Kammrath
Points: none
Rebounds: none
#11 Danny Allouche
Points: 7 vs. UW-Milwaukee (12/14/98)
Rebounds: 5 vs. Long Beach State (12/27/98)
#14 Steve Lepore
Points: 13 vs. Oakland (11/21/98)
Rebounds: 12 vs. St. Francis (11/25/98)
Assists: 5 vs. St. Francis (11/25/98) and
Furman (11/28/98)
Steals: 3 vs. Maine (11/17/98)
#22 Sean Wink
Points: 20 vs. Boston College (12/23/98)
Rebounds: 5 vs. Furman (11/28/98)
Assists: 4 at Seton Hall (12/19/98)
3pt. FG: 6 vs. Boston College (12/23/98)
#24 David Newman
Points: 22 vs. Furman (11/28/98)
Rebounds: 5 vs. Furman (11/28/98)
Assists: 8 vs. Maine (11/17/98)
3pt. FG: 5 vs. Furman (11/28/98)
#31 Nate Pomeday
Points: 6 vs. UW-Milwaukee (12/14/98)
Rebounds: 2 three times,
last vs. UW-Milwaukee (12/14/98)
3pt. FG: 2 vs. UW-Milwaukee (12/14/98)
#32 Collier Drayton
Points: none
Rebounds: 3 vs. Oakland (11/21/98)
#33 Tavaras Hardy
Points: 18 vs. Oakland (11/21/98)
Rebounds: 10 vs. Oakland (11/21/98)
Assists: 5 vs. Boston College (12/23/98)
#35 Aron Molnar
Points: 4 vs. Long Beach State (12/27/98)
Rebounds: 5 vs. Oakland (11/21/98) and
vs. Boston College (12/23/98)
#42 Evan Eschmeyer
Points: 28 vs. St. Francis (11/25/98) and
vs. Dayton (12/5/98)
Rebounds: 15 at Minnesota (1/6/99)
Assists: 4 vs. Dayton (12/5/98)
Blocks: 3 vs. Maine (11/17/98) and
vs. Dayton (12/5/98)
#44 Jeff Eschmeyer
Points: none
Rebounds: 1 vs. UW-Milwaukee (12/14/98)
#4 Julian Bonner - Has started the past four games after coming off the bench in the first seven ... Started every game last season at point guard ... Hit the game-winning three pointer against St. Francis with 0.4 seconds remaining on the clock ... Ranks ninth in NU history with 236 career assists ... Ranks fifth in NU history with 89 career three pointers.
#5 Joe Harmsen - Reserve power forward/center ... Grabbed season-high four rebounds against Oakland, Dayton and Seton Hall.
#10 Matt Kammrath - Walk-on ... Saw game action vs. Oakland and UW-Milwaukee this season.
#11 Danny Allouche - Tallied season-bests of seven points vs. UWM and five rebounds against Long Beach State ... Reserve forward ... Sat out last season after transferring from Missouri.
#14 Steve Lepore - Started the first seven games ... Crashes the boards hard ... Excellent all-around game ... Hit three three-pointers in the win at Minnesota.
#22 Sean Wink - NU's top three-point threat ... Has hit 116 career three pointers ... Hit six three-pointers against Boston College, tying his career best ... Also nailed five three-pointers against Long Beach State and four treys against Oakland and Minnesota ... Set the NU single-season three-point mark (86) as a freshman.
#24 David Newman - Starting point guard as a true freshman ... Tallied a season-best 22 points and five rebounds against Furman ... Dished eight assists in his collegiate debut against Maine ... Has come through in several clutch situations this season.
#31 Nate Pomeday - Reserve shooting guard ... Plays with a lot of heart and emotion ... One of the team's most vocal leaders ... Has hit at least one three pointer in four of the last six games, all coming off the bench.
#32 Collier Drayton - Extremely quick athlete ... Is a stronger defensive player than offensive ... Grabbed three rebounds in seven minutes against Oakland.
#33 Tavaras Hardy - Scored in double figures three of his first five collegiate games ... Tallied first career double-double (18p, 10r) vs. Oakland ... Has been able to take advantage of the opponents' constant double teaming of Evan Eschmeyer.
#35 Aron Molnar - Backup center ... Pulled down five rebounds in 15 minutes against Oakland and five boards in 10 minutes against Boston College ... Also had three boards in nine minutes against Dayton.
#42 Evan Eschmeyer - National Player of the Year candidate ... One of only two true centers on the mid-season top candidate list for the Wooden Award ... Leads the Big Ten with six double-doubles this season ... Averaging 20.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game despite playing against defenses designed specifically to stop him ... Has scored in double figures 52-straight games, a school record ... Gained approximately 20 pounds of muscle during the offseason.
#44 Jeff Eschmeyer - Younger brother of Evan Eschmeyer ... Walked onto the squad last season ... Saw action against Oakland and UWM ... Lone rebound came vs. UWM.
Wildcat Career Bests
#4 Julian Bonner
Points: 23 vs. Siena (11/22/97)
Rebounds: 7 vs. DePaul (12/6/97)
Assists: 9 three times,
last vs. Michigan State (1/31/98)
Steals: 3 seven times,
last at Penn State (1/22/98)
#5 Joe Harmsen
Points: 21 at Wisconsin (1/29/97)
Rebounds: 10 vs. Chicago State (1/27/98) and
vs. Penn State (2/8/98)
#10 Matt Kammrath
Points: 4 vs. Central Michigan (11/26/96)
and Penn State (1/25/97)
Rebounds: 1 four times,
last vs. Illinois (1/10/98)
#11 Danny Allouche
Points: 20 vs. Kansas State (2/1/97)
Rebounds: 7 vs. Nebraska (1/22/97)
Assists: 4 vs. Oklahoma State (2/13/96)
#14 Steve Lepore
Points: 13 vs. Oakland (11/21/98)
Rebounds: 12 vs. St. Francis (11/25/98)
Assists: 5 vs. St. Francis (11/25/98) and
Furman (11/28/98)
Steals: 3 vs. Maine (11/17/98)
#22 Sean Wink
Points: 24 vs. Ohio State (2/21/98)
Rebounds: 7 at Illinois (2/18/98)
Assists: 4 three times,
last at Seton Hall (12/19/98)
3pt. FG: 6 five times,
last vs. Boston College (12/23/98)
#24 David Newman
Points: 22 vs. Furman (11/28/98)
Rebounds: 5 vs. Furman (11/28/98)
Assists: 8 vs. Maine (11/17/98)
3pt. FG: 5 vs. Furman (11/28/98)
#31 Nate Pomeday
Points: 18 vs. Michigan State (2/19/97)
Rebounds: 6 vs. Md.-Eastern Shore (11/29/97)
3pt. FG: 4 five times,
last vs. Iowa (2/25/98)
#32 Collier Drayton
Points: none
Rebounds: 3 vs. Oakland (11/21/98)
#33 Tavaras Hardy
Points: 18 vs. Oakland (11/21/98)
Rebounds: 10 vs. Oakland (11/21/98)
Assists: 5 vs. Boston College (12/23/98)
#35 Aron Molnar
Points: 12 at Illinois (1/10/98)
Rebounds: 7 vs. Sam Houston State (11/26/97)
#42 Evan Eschmeyer
Points: 37 vs. Penn State (2/8/98)
Rebounds: 18 vs. Seton Hall (12/13/97)
Assists: 8 vs. Troy State (12/2/97)
Blocks: 5 at Indiana (2/22/97) and
at Seton Hall (12/9/95)
#44 Jeff Eschmeyer
Points: 2 vs. Minnesota (1/7/98)
Rebounds: 4 at Iowa (1/3/98)
