Northwestern University Athletics
Purple Reigns At Welsh-Ryan Today
11/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 29, 2003
NU-Northwestern State Game Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
EVANSTON, Ill. - As the Northwestern men's basketball team hits the exact midpoint of a brutal opening stretch in its schedule, you cannot blame them for looking at today's opponent and feeling like they are looking in a mirror.
Let's put it this way; no one will be able to fault a player who throws a pass to the wrong team this afternoon.
The Wildcats face off with Northwestern State this afternoon. Yes, Northwestern State. From Natchitoches, La. Primary color? Purple. Of course.
Beyond that, the teams meet at Welsh-Ryan Arena today boasting the same records, 1-2. However, while the Wildcats may still be licking their wounds from Tuesday's 12-point loss to DePaul at Allstate Arena, the Demons have enjoyed a holiday weekend in Chicago off a win against LSU-Shreveport.
For the Evanston men, Tuesday's game fell short of expectations. Coming off a superb shooting night against Chicago State, the Wildcats were unable to sustain that momentum against a bigger, more physical and more athletic DePaul team.
"It seemed like DePaul had a 10-point lead the entire game," said NU head coach Bill Carmody after the game. "They jumped out on us and we were never really able to threaten; we never got them to a point where they had to worry about anything."
Jitim Young had another fine game. The senior has been every bit the leader Carmody hoped he would be on the court so far this season, averaging more than 20 points per game and also averaging two or more rebounds per game than any of his teammates. In addition to his 23 points Tuesday-the second straight game he reached that number-Young also had five steals to match a career high against the Blue Demons.
Another player who stood out Tuesday was Vedran Vukusic; he had 16 points. Vukusic was forced to sit out last year due to shoulder problems for the second straight season, and Carmody felt his absence held NU back. So far in 2003-04, Vukusic' production would bare Carmody out. The sophomore is averaging 13.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, second behind Young in both categories.
With little depth, NU will need more from the other five regulars in the lineup. Carmody knows that.
"Depth will be a concern for us in every game this season," he said.
Today, Northwestern plays a team that also boasts a bevy of young talent. All five projected starters for the Demons are sophomores; last year, NSU fielded the nation's youngest team nationally, with 12 freshmen.
Still, the Wildcats cannot afford to be careless or look past this team. The Demons will not be intimidated about rolling into a Big Ten gym, not after already traveling to Oklahoma State and Tulsa this season.
Following today's game-the fourth in eight days for the 'Cats-NU is on the road again, taking on Florida State Monday in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
The Series With NSU
Today's game represents the first meeting between Northwestern and Northwestern State in men's basketball.
Northwestern vs. the Southland
The Wildcats enter today's game with a 2-1 all-time mark against the schools that currently make up the Southland Conference. NU is 1-0 against both Nicholls State and Sam Houston State, and 0-1 vs. Lamar. The 'Cats have not played a Southland Conference team under Bill Carmody.
Northwestern vs. Louisiana
NU is 8-4 all-time against teams from Louisiana. The 'Cats are 4-3 against Tulane, 2-1 vs. Louisiana State, and 1-0 against both Nicholls State and Louisiana-Lafayette (that win came in 2001 at the azcentral/ASU Holiday Classic in Tempe, Ariz.).
Some notes following the DePaul game...
* NU had 15 assists on its 17 baskets, its best ratio in a game since the 'Cats had 17 assists on 19 baskets against Purdue on 2/20/02.
* Jitim Young had 23 points to move into a tie for 21st place on NU's all-time scoring list with Don Adams (1967-70). Young needs six points to move into the Top 20.
* Young's back-to-back 23-point efforts mark the third time in his career he has reached the 20-point plateau in consecutive; he pulled off the feat twice last year.
* Young has now scored double figures in 12 straight November games dating back to his freshman season, averaging 16.6 in those contests.
* Young went 10-of-15 from the foul line. The 10 makes were the most by an NU player since Young had 11 vs. Wisconsin last February 8, and the 15 attempts were the most by an NU player since Tavaras Hardy attempted 15 vs. Virginia Commonwealth in the season opener of the 2001-02 season (11/14/01).
* Young also matched a career best with five steals against the Blue Demons; he had done it three other times in his career before Tuesday. He also fell one assist shy of matching a career high.
* Vedran Vukusic had 16 points, his third-straight double-figure scoring game. Vukusic redshirted last year due to shoulder problems that also hampered him his freshman season.
* Davor Duvancic established a career high for assists in a game, with five; he has established that career high twice this season already.
