Northwestern University Athletics
Men's Basketball Set to Host Purdue
1/5/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 5, 2001
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Game 14
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (7-6, 0-1)
vs. Purdue University (9-3, 1-0)
DATE/TIME: January 6, 2001/1 p.m.
SITE: Welsh-Ryan Arena (Evanston)
capacity: 8,117
TV: ESPN Regional (WCIU-TV in Chicago)
RADIO: WGN (720 AM)
Welcome to the Big Ten, Bill Carmody.
The Northwestern men's basketball team entered Ohio State with three straight wins, including a 63-61 decision over then-No. 16 USC on December 27. All that went by the boards on Wednesday night, though, as the Buckeyes used a strong inside-outside combination to defeat the Wildcats, 73-56.
It was the first time NU had allowed a team to reach the 70-point plateau for the season, as Ohio State shot 52.7 percent from the field (29-55). Northwestern struggled at the other end, hitting just 21-of-62 attempts for 33.9 percent.
Winston Blake was a positive light at Value City Arena, as he went for a career-high 22 points to lead all scorers. In the process, he hit four 3-pointers for the fifth time this season. Currently, he is third in the Big Ten in treys made per game at 2.85. Another bright spot was the play of Aaron Jennings off the bench. The sophomore center had 12 points, all in the second half, and displayed an array of moves on the post in addition to hitting a 3-pointer.
Tavaras Hardy, who has played well of late in gaining Big Ten honors and all-tournament at the San Juan (P.R.) Shootout, struggled in his matchup with OSU's Ken Johnson, but still managed 11 points and six rebounds. In the last five games, Hardy is averaging 14.6 ppg.
Northwestern is looking to add to a five-game home winning streak today, the Wildcats' longest since the 1998-99 season when they won seven in a row.
THE FUN FACT
A win today will give head coach Bill Carmody his 100th victory as a head coach. Now in his fifth season overall, Carmody would tie Harry Fisher, Joe Lapchick and Nolan Richardson by getting it in his 131st game. Only 24 coaches have reached the 100-win mark faster than that in NCAA Division 1 history.
HEAD COACH BILL CARMODY
Bill Carmody is going for his 100th win as a head coach today. With a Wildcat win he will get it in his 131st game, a mark only 24 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 145th meeting between the Wildcats and the Boilermakers, with Purdue leading the series 109-35. Last year, Purdue earned a pair of 19-point victories, taking a 70-51 decision in West Lafayette and a 77-58 win in Evanston.
These teams will meet again in West Lafayette in two weeks, on January 20. Please note the time of that game has changed, due to the inauguration of George W. Bush as President. Tipoff will now be at 4 p.m. central, not 3:30 as originally scheduled.
HARDY IS BIG TEN CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior center Tavaras Hardy was named the Big Ten's Co-Player of the Week on Sunday, sharing the honors with Michigan State's Charlie Bell. Hardy had 20 points, four rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and two steals as NU defeated No. 16 USC, 63-61, on December 27. It was Northwestern's first win over a ranked opponent since a 54-50 win over No. 14 Purdue on January 27, 1999.
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 86.5 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 nationally in terms of experience based on eligibility and minutes played (1.000 for freshmen, 4.000 for seniors). NU's average is 1.885.
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 the season-opening loss to Arkansas-Little Rock.
According to Stats, Inc., the Wildcats entered the week ninth in the nation with 262 of its 602 field-goal attempts this season coming from beyond the arc (43.5 percent). In addition, NU is second in the Big Ten behind Penn State with an average of 7.31 treys made per game.
DEE-FENSE!
Ohio State's 73-point effort Wednesday marked the first time this season a team has reached the 70-point mark against Northwestern. Currently, the Wildcats are third in the Big Ten allowing 56.9 points per game, behind Ohio State (56.0) and Wisconsin (56.3).
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. On Wednesday, NU had just 10 against Ohio State, the fewest in a Big Ten game since the 'Cats had eight against Penn State on 3/4/99. For the season, the Wildcats have a +1.08 turnover-per-game margin over their opponents.
SHARE THE WEALTH
Another staple among Coach Carmody's teams is how many baskets come directly off a pass. Against Vermont, for example, the Wildcats had 19 assists on 21 field goals, while against Mississippi Valley State they had 25 assists on 28 field goals. In the win against USC last week, NU recorded 23 assists on their 28 buckets. According to Stats, Inc., the Wildcats entered the week 25th nationally in assist/FG ratio (65.3 percent).
A PAIR OF THIEVES
Northwestern has two players among the Big Ten Conference steal leaders. Collier Drayton (6th) has 19 steals in 12 games, a 1.58 average. Jitim Young (14th) has 16, a 1.33 average.
BOMBS AWAY
Sophomore guard Winston Blake has hit 37 three-pointers already this season, more than double 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 (40). Blake had five in back-to-back games against Mississippi Valley State and La Salle, and knocked down four in games against St. Peter's, Evansville, and Ohio State.
`T' -- AS IN TOURNAMENT ALL-STAR
Junior center Tavaras Hardy was named to the all-tournament team at the San Juan (P.R.) Shootout, scoring 42 points and snaring 16 boards as the Wildcats went 2-1 and took fifth place. He led all scorers with 18 points -- all in the first half -- against Kent State, and followed that up with a 16-point performance against Iona. He went 8-of-9 from the field in the KSU game, then 8-of-9 from the foul line vs. the Gaels.
