Northwestern University Athletics
Men's Basketball Meets Ohio State Tonight
2/23/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 23, 2000
NORTHWESTERN MEN'S BASKETBALL (5-20, 0-12)
vs. #6 Ohio State (18-5, 9-3)
DATE/TIME: Feb. 23, 2000/7 p.m. CT
SITE (Cap.): Value-City Arena (19,100)
TV: ESPN Regional (WJYS Ch. 62)
RADIO: WGN-AM 720
THE MATCHUP
The Wildcats travel to Columbus to take on the sixth-ranked Buckeyes of Ohio State. OSU is coming off an impressive road win at Indiana on Saturday. Junior forward Michael Redd was named Co-Big Ten Athlete of the Week for his 28-point, 10-rebound effort vs. the Hoosiers.
THE SERIES: Ohio State leads 96-44
OFFICIALS: Phil Bova, Art McDonald, Zelton Steed
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State continues its chase for the Big Ten title. With two weeks remaining, the Buckeyes play four games against teams below them in the Big Ten standings. OSU has a lethal one-two punch in senior guard Scoonie Penn and junior forward Michael Redd. Redd leads the team in scoring (16.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 rpg), while Penn is second in scoring at 16.3 ppg. Senior center Ken Johnson dominates in the paint averaging 7.9 ppg and has recorded a Big Ten record 126 blocks ( 5.5 blocks per game) this season. Forward George Reese is instant offense off the bench for OSU, averaging 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest.
NU PROBABLE STARTERS
(Big Ten statistics are in parentheses)
F - 14 - Steve Lepore (6-5, 200, So., North Olmstead, Ohio) 9.6 (8.0) ppg, 3.8 (3.3) rpg
F - 33 - Tavaras Hardy (6-8, 223, So., Joliet, Ill.) 7.6 (5.9) ppg, 5.3 (4.3) rpg
C - 55 - Aaron Jennings (6-11, 210, Fr., Atkins, Iowa) 5.6 (6.6) ppg, 3.3 (3.3) rpg
G - 5 - Ben Johnson (6-2, 180, Fr., Minneapolis, Minn.) 11.8 (11.7) ppg, 3.0 (1.7) rpg
G - 32 - Collier Drayton (6-2, 189, So., Lyons, N.Y.) 3.3 (3.3) ppg, 3.3 (2.8) rpg
OFF THE BENCH
G - 3 - Winston Blake (6-5, 191, Fr., Plano Texas) 4.3 (3.8) ppg, 1.2 (0.8) rpg
F - 41 - Adam Robinson (6-10, 210, Fr., Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1.2 (1.5) ppg, 1.2 (1.6) rpg
C - 43 - Brody Deren (6-7, 242, Fr., Harlan, Iowa) 3.7 (4.5) ppg, 2.6 (2.4) rpg
G - 30 - Jason Burke (6-6, 190, Fr., Plano, Texas) 2.6 (3.9) ppg, 1.3 (1.7) rpg
G - 24 - David Newman (5-11, 170, So., Des Moines, Iowa) 4.9 (3.8) ppg, 1.3 (0.9) rpg
G - 44 - Jeff Eschmeyer (6-2, 192, Jr., New Knoxville, Ohio) 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
G - 10 - Langston Hughes (5-11, 186, Fr., Waukegan, Ill.) 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
ILLINOIS RECAP
Illinois used a stifling defense to fuel a game-opening 23-0 run as the Fighting Illini defeated Northwestern, 63-30, at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Northwestern struggled offensively in the first half. The 'Cats were held scoreless until freshman Aaron Jennings converted a three-point play with 4:47 left in the half. Jennings scored 10 points to lead the 'Cats. Classmate Brody Deren added seven. Sophomore Tavaras Hardy grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds for Northwestern, which outrebounded the Illini, 35-32.
HEAD COACH KEVIN O'NEILL
Now in his third season at the helm of the Northwestern basketball program, Kevin O'Neill has brought his own brand of intensity, excitement and basketball talent to Evanston. In just two seasons, O'Neill has turned the Wildcats into postseason contenders. Northwestern made postseason play for the third time in the school's history last season when they were selected to play in the National Invitation Tournament. O'Neill's work was nothing short of miraculous considering the 'Cats started three freshmen and played in a conference that had seven teams ranked in the top 25 for most of last season. O'Neill owns a career record of 190-192 (.497) and is 30-51 in his tenure at NU. O'Neill's intensity translates to the court as pressure defense, and the Wildcats proved last season to be one of the best in the country on that side of the floor. NU finished ranked third in the NCAA in field goal defense (.373) and sixth in the NCAA in scoring defense (57.1 ppg). O'Neill, 43, knows what it takes to turn around a program. In 1994, he inherited a Tennessee program which won only five games the previous campaign, and took them to the NIT two seasons later. At Marquette, the two-time Great Midwest Conference Coach of the Year took over a program which, like Tennessee, hadn't enjoyed a winning season in many years. In 1990-91, his first season, he guided the Golden Eagles to a 15-14 record and an appearance in the NIT. Three seasons later (1993-94), he directed Marquette to a 20-8 mark and a spot in the NCAA tournament. The next season, he coached the Golden Eagles back to their glory days by advancing to the Sweet 16 and finishing with a 24-9 record. He left Milwaukee with an impressive mark of four winning campaigns in five years and a Great Midwest Conference championship in 1994. Tabbed as one of the nation's top recruiters, O'Neill has already overhauled the Northwestern program in just two recruiting classes.
O'NEILL WIN TOTAL
Head coach Kevin O'Neill is coaching his third season in Evanston. His 25 wins through his first two seasons at NU is second only to William Rohr, who won 28 from 1957-59.
NU SECOND IN BIG TEN IN 3s
In conference play, NU's 76 threes rank second in the Big Ten to Penn State's 82 threes. The Wildcats are averaging 6.33 threes per contest is also second in the Big Ten. Entering the Ohio State game, the Wildcats have made 142-of-432 (.329) three-point field goals. The NU record for three-pointers made in a season is 201, done last year. The 142 threes made is the fourth-best mark in NU history. Eight more threes will tie the 1996 team for third-best in school history.
AGE BEFORE BEAUTY - 'Cats Are Youngest In The Nation
According to statistics compiled by Stats Inc., Northwestern is the youngest basketball team in Division I basketball. NU has 99.96 percent of its minutes played by freshmen and sophomores. Walk-on Jeff Eschmeyer's two minutes are the only minutes played by an upperclassman. Only three other Big Ten teams are in the top 125 -- Michigan is 16th at 76.79 percent, Illinois is 38th at 66.38 percent and Minnesota is 60th at 57.59. NU's freshmen have played the most percentage of a team's minutes in the conference at 60.13%, second in the country only to Texas A&M at 60.15%.
NU is also the least experienced team in America. Stats Inc. rated all 319 Division I basketball teams experience based on eligibility of the athletes and the percentage of minutes played by each class. NU grades out at 1.399 (1.00 = freshmen have played 100% of minutes, 4.00 = seniors have played 100% of minutes). Michigan is fifth at 1.738, while Minnesota is 34th at 2.122.
JOHNSON SHINES IN FIRST YEAR
Freshman guard Ben Johnson has lived up to his advance billing coming out of De La Salle High School in Minneapolis, Minn. Johnson, NU's leading scorer, has started every game as a true freshman. On Feb. 12 vs. Purdue, Johnson led all scorers and set a career high with 26 points. In his Big Ten debut, he led the 'Cats in scoring with 17 points at Iowa on Jan. 5. On Jan. 15 against Ohio State, the freshman led all scorers with 19 points. Johnson has led the 'Cats in scoring 11 times this season. At the Hoop and Quill Classic over Thanksgiving weekend, Johnson registered nine points against Evansville, 18 vs. Nebraska, and 17 against Mississippi State. On Dec. 14 vs. Jacksonville, he scored 18 against the Dolphins. Johnson is leading the team in scoring at 11.8 ppg and free throw percentage (60-of-72 from the line, .833). In addition, he leads the team in minutes played averaging 32.8 per game.
JOHNSON RANKS AMONG BIG TEN LEADERS
According to the Big Ten stats of Feb. 20, Ben Johnson is second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage at .438 (21-of-48) and ranks 17th in the conference in scoring at 11.7 ppg. He ranks second among Big Ten freshmen behind Lavelle Blanchard of Michigan (10th at 15.4 ppg.) and is 12th in threes made with 21.
MATURING IN THE MIDDLE
In the last five games, freshman center Aaron Jennings has averaged 12.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in 26.4 minutes. Compare that with his first three Big Ten outings (1.7 pts, 1.3 rebs, 7.7 min.) and it's obvious A.J. is maturing in the middle for the 'Cats. At Penn State on Feb. 16, Jennings scored 12 points and recorded a career-high nine boards. Against Rice on Feb. 9, Jennings tallied 18 points (6-of-12 shooting), and went 6-of-6 from the free-throw line in 31 minutes (also a career-high). It was the second straight game that A.J. set a career high in points and led the Wildcats in scoring. In 24 minutes against Indiana on Feb. 5, he scored 14 points and grabbed a career-high seven boards. All of his points and six of those boards were recorded in the second half. He and Steve Lepore led the team with 14 points.
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN
According to the Big Ten stats as of Feb. 20, Steve Lepore is fourth in the conference with 57 overall three-point field goals made. He is averaging 2.28 per game, which is also fourth in the Big Ten. His .365 three point percentage ranks fifth. In conference games, Lepore is seventh with 24 three pointers and a 2.00 average per game. Lepore set a career high with six three-pointers against Florida State. His six threes are the second most in a single game in NU history. He is tied with six other players. Todd Leslie holds the record with seven. Lepore's 13 three-point attempts against FSU is also third most in a single game in NU history. In his career, Lepore has hit 106 threes placing him fourth on the all-time list. Jeff Grose is third on the all-time list with 125. Lepore has led the team in scoring in 10 games this year.
BRODY IS BACK
In his first game back after a broken elbow, freshman forward Brody Deren scored a career-high 12 points and equalled a career-high seven rebounds against Penn State on Jan. 13. Deren started the first seven games of the season before suffering a broken left elbow against Nicholls State on Dec. 11. Deren was back in the starting lineup against Ohio State on Jan. 15.
A BOY NAMED `T'
Sophomore forward Tavaras Hardy recorded the fourth double-double of his career on Feb. 16 at Penn State. Hardy scored a team-high 16 points and pulled down 10 rebounds against the Nittany Lions. Hardy has also excelled defensively against the best power forwards in the conference, holding Purdue's Brian Cardinal to seven points on 2-of-11 shooting and Penn State's Jarrett Stephens to six points, also on 2-of-11 shooting from the floor. Against Illinois on Feb. 19, Hardy set a career-high with 11 boards against the Illini. Earlier this season, he scored 13 points and grabbed 10 boards against Jacksonville on Dec. 13, and scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the loss to Nebraska on Nov. 27. The next day against Mississippi State, he came within one rebound of his second straight double-double when he registered 16 points and nine rebounds.
TRAVELIN' MAN
Sophomore Steve Lepore spent the summer traveling the globe playing basketball. Lepore was a member of the United States team at the World Junior Championships in Portugal. The Americans won a silver medal and Lepore finished second on the team in scoring with a 10.5 ppg average. He started all eight games and was tops in the team in three pointers, shooting 18-36 for the tournament. Lepore also traveled to Austria with a Big Ten All-Star team in August. The Big Ten team finished 3-3, as Lepore averaged 6.5 ppg and shot 47% from the field.
OLD SOPHOMORES
David Newman and Tavaras Hardy started all 29 games as freshmen a year ago and have played in every game in their college careers. In just his second season, Newman ranks seventh on the career three-pointers made list with 77. Hardy is third on the team in scoring at 7.6 ppg., and leads the team in blocked shots (24).
NU SIGNS YOUNG
Northwestern signed Jitim Young (guard, 6-2, 185, Chicago, Ill./Gordon Tech) to a National Letter of Intent to play basketball beginning in the fall of 2000. Young was the only player NU signed in the early signing period, the Wildcats have one scholarship remaining for this season. "Jitim is a great get for our program," said O'Neill. "He will have a great senior year and come and make an immediate impact at Northwestern. We hope we can fill our other scholarship with as good a player as Jitim." Young led Gordon Tech to a 22-8 record along with Catholic North and regional championships last season. He averaged 18.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, three assists and two steals per game. Young was named all-state by the IBCA and all-area by both the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times. This past summer, Young was named the Most Valuable Player of the 5-Star Camp All-Star Game and was given the 5-Star Sportsmanship and Defensive Awards. He is invited to play in the Reebok Capital Classic in April. Young is a four-year honor roll student and a member of the National Honor Society. Young chose Northwestern over Notre Dame, Michigan State, Penn State and Marquette.
ON THE AIR
All Northwestern regular-season games can be heard on WGN-AM Radio 720. Once again this season, Dave Eanet will handle the play-by-play duties while former DePaul head coach Joey Meyer handles the color analysis. Coach O'Neill can be heard after every game on his postgame show. At home, fans can stay and listen to the show live over the Welsh-Ryan Arena sound system.
THE KEVIN O'NEILL SHOW
Fox Sports Chicago is the home of the Kevin O'Neill Show. The half-hour show will appear 11 times during Northwestern's 1999-2000 season. Each week, the Kevin O'Neill Show will air on each Tuesday at 5 or 5:30 p.m. and rerun at 2 a.m. and 3 p.m. each Wednesday until the Big Ten Tournament. Hosting the Kevin O'Neill show will be Dave Eanet. Eanet, sports director at WGN, has handled the play-by-play duties for WGN radio the past two seasons. Again for the 1999-2000 season, fans can submit questions to Coach O'Neill via NUSPORTS.COM, the official internet site of Northwestern athletics. Three questions will be chosen weekly and answered on "The Kevin O'Neill Show." Every fan who has their question read on-air will receive a special gift pack courtesy of Ameritech.
