Northwestern University Athletics
The 2000-01 Men's Basketball Season in Review
3/21/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 21, 2001
EVANSTON, Ill. - A new era was heralded in the men's basketball program following Labor Day weekend, when Bill Carmody was introduced as the men's basketball coach.
And after one season, all indications point toward a change for the better. Carmody's intricate motion offense, which brought him so much success at Princeton, is taking hold here -- a successful final month and 11 overall wins gave the NU players evidence that they can compete in the Big Ten. Add in the fact that all but one player on the roster returns for next season, and the program boasts a sense of stability for the first time in years.
Some familiar names led the way in 2000-01. Ben Johnson, the team's leading scorer in 1999-2000 as a freshman, averaged 10.7 ppg as a sophomore. Tavaras Hardy, a three-year starter, also averaged 10.7 ppg and led the way with 5.7 rebounds per game despite playing out of position at center all year in the Big Ten. Junior Collier Drayton had 101 assists, the most by an NU player since 1997-98, and led the team with 48 steals.
Sophomore Winston Blake, who contributed off the bench as a freshman, stepped into the starting lineup this season and led the way with 11.9 ppg. He also drilled 83 three-pointers, good for second on the school's single-season list. And freshman Jitim Young lived up to his preseason hype, averaging 8.8 points per game and finishing among the Big Ten leaders with 47 steals. Sophomores Aaron Jennings (5.4 ppg), Jason Burke (3.0 ppg) had some stellar efforts off the bench, while freshman Ed McCants (4.1 ppg) proved to be another outside threat.
Northwestern went 8-5 in the nonconference portion of the schedule, highlighted by a three-game stretch at the end of December. At the San Juan (P.R.) Shootout from December 20-22, NU lost to eventual Mid-American Conference champion Kent State in the first round (67-58) but came back to defeat eventual MAAC champion Iona (69-67). The 'Cats then avenged a loss to Evansville from a season ago by downing the Purple Aces, 68-52. In that game, the Wildcats tied a school record by hitting 14 three-point shots and committed just seven turnovers.
Following the Shootout, Northwestern came home and pulled off its first win over a ranked team in nearly two years on December 27, defeating 16th-ranked USC, 63-61.
Riding that wave of momentum, Northwestern rolled into Big Ten play. The Wildcats faced a tough first month, meeting eventual co-champions Michigan State and Illinois twice each and third-place Ohio State in Columbus. Some nice efforts were sprinkled among those games, though -- an eight-point loss to a highly-regarded Purdue team at Welsh-Ryan, and a seven-point loss at NCAA Sweet 16 participant Penn State where the Wildcats led much of the way. Northwestern also gave Michigan a battle before losing, 72-65, and were down just one point (44-43) to the Illini with 10 minutes left in the game.
The breakout victory finally came February 10 against nationally-ranked Iowa, as the 'Cats seized control early in the second half and garnered a 69-61 win to snap a 32-game regular season losing streak in the Big Ten. Eleven days later, NU held on for a 62-61 win against Penn State, this time at home. And in the season finale, the Wildcats knocked off Michigan at Crisler Arena, 75-70, their first win in Ann Arbor since 1981 and NU's first road win of any kind in more than two years.
NU's season came to a close in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, 72-55, by eventual tournament champion Iowa. But as the program looks ahead to 2001-02, the message is obvious: these 'Cats are starting to grow their claws.
