Northwestern University Athletics
Men's Basketball Travels to Purdue This Weekend
1/19/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 19, 2001
Game 18
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL (7-10, 0-5)
vs. Purdue University (11-5, 3-2)
DATE/TIME: January 20, 2001/5 p.m. EST
SITE: Mackey Arena (West Lafayette, Ind.)
capacity: 14,123
TV: ESPN+ (WYIN-TV in Chicago)
RADIO: WGN (720 AM)
People are taking notice of the improvements going on in Evanston. Check out the January 15 issue of The Sporting News, which lists Bill Carmody as its midseason best coach in the conference, or the January 8 Sports Illustrated which gave ink to the Wildcats following their upset of then-No. 16 USC.
The positive publicity has not translated into any Big Ten wins in the 2000-01 season so far, though, and that is really all that matters to Carmody and his players. However, evidence is mounting that the Wildcats' longstanding conference losing streak may be coming to an end soon.
Take last Saturday, for instance. The Wildcats went to State College and jumped all over Penn State. With 13 minutes left in the game, Northwestern was up 51-37 and looked in pretty good shape. But then Winston Blake, who was having a stellar game, got in foul trouble, the Nittany Lions began coming back and charged up the Bryce Jordan Center. PSU finally gained the lead with three minutes to play and won, 73-66.
On Wednesday night, in front of a sold-out Welsh-Ryan Arena crowd, the Wildcats again proved pesky against a national power. The 11th-ranked Illini took a seven-point halftime lead, before NU cut it to just one with 10 minutes to play. However, Illinois's size and experience kicked into gear, as they went on a methodical 13-2 run at that point and ended up winning, 63-49.
Two impressive outings, no doubt. But please, don't compliment Carmody and his team until they finally get that first Big Ten win. To them, there is no such thing as a moral victory.
THE FUN FACT
Last Saturday's loss at Penn State was the first time this season Northwestern lost a game when leading at halftime (the Wildcats are now 6-1 in such games this season). It also marked the first game NU lost this season when shooting better than 50 percent from the field. The 'Cats were 27-of-53 (50.9) against the Nittany Lions.
HEAD COACH BILL CARMODY
Bill Carmody is going for his 100th win as a head coach tonight. With a Wildcat win he will get it in his 135th game, a mark only 33 coaches in NCAA Division 1 history have beaten.
Carmody is in his first season at Northwestern after spending 18 years at Princeton University, the last four as head coach of the Tigers. While at the helm, Carmody guided the Tigers to an overall record of 92-25 (.786), an Ivy League mark of 50-6 (.893) and four postseason appearances. During his first season as head coach (1996-97), Carmody led the Tigers to a 24-4 record, the third-best first year mark for a Division I head coach in 30 years. Carmody followed that up with an even better sophomore campaign, when he directed Princeton to a 27-2 record, a Top 10 national ranking and the second round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament.
Carmody graduated from Union College (Schenectady, N.Y.) in 1975. A basketball standout, he led Union to a 59-11 record in three seasons as a starter. During his senior year, he captained his team and was named first-team All-ECAC as well as the school's Most Outstanding Athlete. Upon graduation, Carmody served as the head coach of Fulton-Montgomery Community College in New York, leading the team to a 17-10 record and a conference title. He returned to Union the following year as an assistant coach before heading to Princeton to be an assistant under the legendary Pete Carril in 1982.
THE SERIES WITH PURDUE
Today's game marks the 146th meeting between the Wildcats and the Boilermakers, and the second this season. Purdue took the first matchup, 69-61, on January 6 in Evanston.
The Boilers now lead the series, 110-35, with three in a row, 12 of the last 13 and 31 of the last 33. In addition, Northwestern has won just once in their last 27 trips to West Lafayette, dating back to 1972.
THE LAST MEETING
GAME 14 - Purdue 69, Northwestern 61
EVANSTON, Ill. (1/6) -- The Northwestern men's basketball team fell to Purdue, 69-61, at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The 'Cats could not overcome a 16-2 Purdue run to start the game. NU closed to within six with 4:28 left in the contest, but that was as close as they would get.
Northwestern went into the locker room at halftime down by 14 points, 40-26, due in part to 7-of-21 shooting, only 2-of-6 from behind the arc.
In the second half, the `Cats slowly chipped away at Purdue's lead behind sophomore Aaron Jennings' 12 second-half points. Jennings led NU with 15 for the day, and added eight rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots. Winston Blake added 12 points, while Tavaras Hardy chipped in 11 and Jitim Young knocked down 10.
Purdue was led by Rodney Smith with 21 points and seven rebounds. John Allison recorded a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Carson Cunningham finished with 14 points and six assists.
THE PROBABLE NU LINEUP vs. PURDUE
STARTERS
G -- Collier Drayton (#32) - 5.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 34.4 mpg, 14 assists/5 TO's last 4 games
G -- Jitim Young (#25) - 8.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 27.0 mpg, 10 points vs. Illinois on 1/17
F -- Ben Johnson (#5) - 10.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 31.8 mpg, 16 points at Penn State on 1/13
F -- Winston Blake (#3) - 12.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 32.6 mpg, 14.6 ppg & 18 treys in Big Ten
C -- Tavaras Hardy (#33) - 9.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 28.5 mpg, 10.4 ppg in Big Ten games
OFF THE BENCH
Jason Burke (#30) - 1.9 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 11.1 mpg, 11 assists, 4 steals
Aaron Jennings (#55) - 5.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 15.6 mpg, 9.2 ppg in Big Ten games
Ed McCants (#44) - 5.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 17.5 mpg, 21 treys 2nd on team
THE TRIVIA TRIFECTA
* The other coaches to reach 100 wins in their 135th game: Ben Carnevale at Navy (1950) and John Wooden at UCLA (1951).
* Winston Blake is ninth on NU's single-season 3-point list (51).
* Winston Blake is eighth on NU's all-time 3-point list as a sophomore (68).
YOUTH SHALL BE SERVED
For the second year in a row, Northwestern boasts a roster with nary a senior to be found. In fact, the 12-player roster has just two juniors -- Collier Drayton and Tavaras Hardy -- to go with five sophomores and five freshmen. According to Stats, Inc., the Wildcats entered the week leading the nation in minutes played by freshmen and sophomores at 85.9 percent. Do not assume it is an inexperienced group, though. Last year, the Wildcats led the nation in minutes played by freshmen and sophomores at a staggering 99.9 percent. Another Stats, Inc., gem: NU is seventh youngest in terms of experience based on eligibility and minutes played (1.000 for freshmen, 4.000 for seniors). NU's average is 1.902.
GOTTA SHOOT 'EM TO MAKE 'EM
In the win against Evansville at the San Juan Shootout, NU tied a school record by making 14 three-point baskets. The Wildcats also broke the school mark with 31 attempts -- the previous mark of 30 was done twice, including in the season-opening loss to Arkansas-Little Rock.
According to Stats, Inc., the Wildcats entered the week 12th in the nation with 337 of its 812 field-goal attempts this season coming from beyond the arc (41.5 percent). In addition, NU is tied for second in the Big Ten's overall stats with Minnesota averaging 7.00 treys made per game.
DEE-FENSE!
Only three teams -- Ohio State (73), Michigan State (84), and Penn State (73) -- have reached the 70-point mark against Northwestern this season. Currently, the Wildcats are third in the Big Ten allowing 60.5 points per game, behind Wisconsin (57.3) and Ohio State (60.1).
TAKING MORE THAN THEY GIVE
Against Evansville on December 22, the Wildcats committed just seven turnovers, the lowest by an NU team since 11/26/97, when they had six in a 71-51 win over Sam Houston State. In Big Ten action, Northwestern had just 10 turnovers against both Ohio State and Michigan State, the fewest in a Big Ten game since the 'Cats had eight against Penn State on 3/4/99.
SHARE THE WEALTH
Another staple among Coach Carmody's teams is how many baskets come directly off a pass. On Wednesday against Illinois, for example, 13 of Northwestern's 15 field goals came directly off a pass. According to Stats, Inc., Northwestern entered the week 21st nationally with 65 percent of its field goals (221 of 340) coming off an assist. Among the highlights: 19 assists on 21 field goals against Vermont, and 25 assists on 28 field goals against Mississippi Valley State.
A PAIR OF THIEVES
Northwestern has two players among the Big Ten Conference's overall steal leaders. Collier Drayton averages 1.47 steals per game and is sixth, while Jitim Young averages 1.24 per game which ties him for 14th.
BOMBS AWAY
Sophomore guard Winston Blake has hit 51 three-pointers already this season, triple what he had for all of last year (17). That puts him second among Big Ten players in total treys this season, behind only Penn State's Joe Crispin (57). Blake had five at Penn State last Saturday, as well as in back-to-back games against Mississippi Valley State and La Salle earlier this season. He has also knocked down four against St. Peter's, Evansville, Ohio State and Michigan State.
`T' -- AS IN TREMENDOUS
Junior center Tavaras Hardy was named to the all-tournament team at the San Juan (P.R.) Shootout from December 20-22, scoring 42 points and snaring 16 boards as the Wildcats went 2-1 and took fifth place. He led all scorers with 18 points against Kent State, and followed that up with a 16-point performance in NU's win over Iona. He went 8-of-9 from the field in the KSU game, then 8-of-9 from the foul line vs. the Gaels.
One week later, Hardy was Big Ten Co-Player of the Week. He had 20 points, four rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and two steals as NU defeated No. 16 USC, 63-61. It was Northwestern's first win over a ranked opponent since a 54-50 win over No. 14 Purdue on January 27, 1999.
PLAYER BIOS ON THE EIGHT NORTHWESTERN REGULARS
#3 -- WINSTON BLAKE
Soph., F/G, Plano, Texas/Plano Senior
Starter in all 17 games ... Leads team with 12.7 points per game (14.6 in Big Ten), and has led team in scoring in seven games ... Double-figure scorer in 12 of 17 games so far ... Second in the Big Ten in overall 3-point field goals made (51) and 3-pointers per game (3.00) ... Had five 3-pointers on six attempts en route to team-high 17 points vs. Penn State (1/13) ... Also had five 3-pointers in back-to-back games vs. Mississippi Valley State (12/2) and La Salle (12/10) ... Had four 3-pointers against St. Peter's (12/13), Evansville (12/22), Ohio State (1/3) and Michigan State (1/10) ... Has three or more 3-pointers in 10 games this season ... Tied for second on the team averaging 32.2 minutes per game ... Third on the team with 18 steals ... Led team with 13 points and had four 3-pointers vs. Michigan State (1/10) ... Had 22 points to lead all scorers at Ohio State (1/3) ... Led team with 16 points and had four 3-pointers vs. Evansville (12/22) ... Led team with 15 points, all on treys, at La Salle (12/10) ... Also led team in scoring with 15 points against both Maryland-Eastern Shore (11/22) and Vermont (11/25).
#5 -- BEN JOHNSON
Soph., G/F, Minneapolis, Minn./De La Salle
Starter in all 17 games ... Second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.4 ppg, and has led team in scoring in four games ... Double-figure scorer in nine games ... Second on the team with 37 assists ... Second on the team with 4.0 rebounds per game ... Had team-high 11 points, tied for team lead with four rebounds vs. Illinois (1/17) ... Had 16 points and team-high eight rebounds at Penn State (1/13) ... Led team with eight rebounds against Vermont (11/25) and Evansville (12/22), and with seven against La Salle (12/10) ... Third on the team in minutes played, averaging 31.3 ... Led team in scoring with 16 points in season opener against Arkansas-Little Rock (11/18) ... Led team with 14 points at Clemson in ACC/Big Ten Challenge (11/28) ... Led team with 22 points against St. Peter's ... Had 13 points and established career high with eight assists and committed just one turnover in win over No. 16 USC, playing all 40 minutes.
#25 -- JITIM YOUNG
Fr., G, Chicago, Ill./Gordon Tech
Starter in all 17 games ... Fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 8.2 ppg ... Third on the team with 3.6 rebounds per game ... Second on the team, tied for 14th in the Big Ten with 21 steals (1.24 spg) ... Had 10-point games against Illinois (1/17) and Purdue (1/6) ... Led team with 21 points, going 7-of-10 from the field, and added seven rebounds, five assists and three steals vs. Mississippi Valley State (12/2) ... Had 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals vs. St. Peter's (12/13) ... Led team in rebounding with seven vs. Arkansas-Little Rock (11/18), seven vs. Mississippi Valley State (12/2), six vs. St. Peter's (12/13) and six vs. Iona (12/21).
#30 -- JASON BURKE
Soph., F, Plano, Texas/Plano East
Played in 15 of 17 games ... Scored seven points (3-3 FG) in 13 minutes vs. Mississippi Valley State (12/2) ... Scored six points, all from the free-throw line, and added three assists vs. St. Peter's (12/13) ... Had back-to-back five-point games against Pepperdine (12/16) and Kent State (12/20) ... Led team with five rebounds and added three assists in win over No. 16 USC (12/27).
#32 -- COLLIER DRAYTON
Jr., G, Lyons, N.Y./Lyons
Played in all 17 games, starting all but the season opener ... Leads team with 59 assists and 25 steals ... Leads team with 34.4 minutes played per game ... Sixth in the Big Ten in steals per game (1.47) and 13th in assists per game (3.47) ... Had four assists and four steals at Penn State (1/13) ... Scored nine points, added four rebounds and three assists on a severely sprained ankle vs. Purdue (1/6) ... Established new career highs with 13 points and four 3-pointers at Pepperdine (12/16) ... Matched those totals against Evansville (12/22) ... Scored nine points in wins over Iona (12/21) and USC (12/27) ... Had career-high eight assists against three turnovers vs. Mississippi Valley State (12/2).
#33 - TAVARAS HARDY
Jr., C, Joliet, Ill./Providence
Starter in all 17 games ... Third on the team in scoring with 9.5 ppg (10.4 in Big Ten) ... Leads team in rebounding with 5.7 boards per game, and also leads team with 46 FT made ... Had 13 points, six rebounds, two blocks at Penn State (1/13) ... Had 11 points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks against Purdue (1/6) ... Named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week after 20-point outing vs. USC (12/27) ... Named to San Juan (P.R.) Shootout All-Tournament Team ... Began tournament with 18 first-half points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field vs. Kent State (12/20), then scored 16 and went 8-of-9 from the foul line in a win over Iona (12/21) before adding eight more in a win over Evansville (12/22) ... Also totaled 16 rebounds in the three games and had four blocked shots against Kent State ... Had only Wildcat double-double to date with 10 points and a career-high 14 rebounds at Pepperdine (12/16) ... Has led team in rebounding five times this season.
#44 -- ED McCANTS
Fr., G, Marion, Ohio/Marion Catholic
Played in all 17 games ... Averaging 5.4 points and 17.5 minutes per game off the bench ... Second on the team with 21 three-point FG made ... Had eight points and five rebounds at Penn State (1/13) ... Had 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point land and added five rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes vs. Vermont (11/25) ... Had 11 points, three rebounds and three steals vs. Kent State (12/20) ... Followed that up with 11 points and five boards vs. Iona (12/21) and 10 points and three boards vs. Evansville (12/22) ... Snared season-high seven rebounds in homecoming game at Ohio State (1/3).
#55 -- AARON JENNINGS
Soph., C, Atkins, Iowa/Benton Community
Played in all 17 games, starting the season opener against Arkansas-Little Rock ... Averaging 9.2 ppg in five Big Ten games ... Led NU with 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots vs. Purdue (1/6) ... Scored 12 points, all in the second half, and added three rebounds and three steals vs. Ohio State (1/3) ... Had nine points, including two 3-pointers, along with three rebounds and two blocked shots at Michigan State (1/10) ... Had nine points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals against St. Peter's (12/13) ... Had nine points, five boards and two blocked shots vs. Vermont (11/25).
