Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Ready To Rise Up Against Phoenix
12/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2002
Elon Game Notes in PDF Format
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EVANSTON, Ill. - There are any number of ways to look at Northwestern's schedule in the last two weeks. Due to exams, the Wildcats have been off since December 7 -- an 11-day stretch. However, tonight they host Elon in the first of a three-games-in-five-days run. The next of those games occurs exactly 24 hours later, against Illinois-Chicago.
Head Coach Bill Carmody chose to take a two-pronged approach to the recent layoff. "We have had a long layoff, but that can work both ways," he said. "There is a definite concern about being rusty, especially since we are playing two games in two days after an 11-day break. On the other hand, we had some guys who were banged up in our first six games, and this gave them a chance to heal a little bit."
Northwestern certainly ended the first part of its season on a high note, when T.J. Parker scored a game-winning layup in the dying seconds of a 62-60 win over Bowling Green. However, Carmody was realistic when he looked at the first six games of this season and where the Wildcats have to go in order to have success the rest of the way.
"To be honest, we did not play that well the last few games -- I am hopeful the guys have had a chance to re-focus," he said. "This next stretch is critical as we get closer to Big Ten play, because everything I have seen indicates the conference is pretty good, as usual."
After tomorrow's game with UIC, the Wildcats play Fordham on Sunday in their last game before Christmas.
GAME 7 -- Northwestern (4-2) vs. Elon (4-1)
Date/Time: Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2002/7 p.m. CST
Site: Welsh-Ryan Arena (Evanston)
Capacity: 8,117
Television: none
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Dave Eanet, PBP; Bob Hildebrand, analyst)
(also on wgnradio.com)
