Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats, Nittany Lions to Battle Saturday
2/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 13, 2004
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EVANSTON, Ill. - The Northwestern men's basketball team looks like it might be set up for something good in the final month of the 2003-04 season.
The Wildcats enter today's nationally televised contest with Penn State boasting a 5-5 Big Ten record, their loftiest mark at this stage of the conference campaign since the 1999 team was 6-4. A win, obviously, pushes the 'Cats above .500 -- someplace they have not been this late in the season since the 2002 team was 7-6.
The goal, though, is for history NOT to repeat itself this winter. From that 6-4 start, the 1999 team lost its last six games to finish 6-10 and settled for an NIT bid; in 2002, the 'Cats dropped their final three regular-season games and a Big Ten Tournament first-round contest before being snubbed by the NIT despite their 16-13 overall mark.
This year's team is coming off a pair of important victories. Last Saturday, NU thoroughly defeated then-No. 14/11 Wisconsin, 69-51; three days ago, the 'Cats gutted out a 40-39 victory at Purdue, its first win in West Lafayette in 11 years. Northwestern's defense defined both wins -- the Badgers were held to a season low in points, and the Boilermakers were held to their lowest total at home since 1950.
Having played all of the Big Ten schools once, Northwestern today begins the final portion of the schedule during which the 'Cats play six teams for a second time -- four of them at home.
"Our schedule sets up well; if you asked me whether I wanted to play four home games out of six or four road games, I would take home games every time," said NU head coach Bill Carmody. "Since we are .500 after 10 games, it shows our guys that we can do some good things in this conference."
The Wildcats are still young -- captain Jitim Young is the only senior playing, and 61 percent of the scoring has come from the freshman and sophomore classes. However, they have carved a niche at home; the 'Cats are 13-11 vs. Big Ten opponents in the last three years, and 15-12 since they defeated nationally ranked Iowa on Feb. 10, 2001 -- during Carmody's first season -- to snap a 15-game home conference losing streak.
"I think the home atmosphere really helps us," said Carmody. "Our guys get energized from the crowd, and we get easier baskets by pushing the ball and creating points with our defense. It seems like someone always steps up to make plays."
Young has invariably been that guy. Though only 6-2, he leads the team in scoring (17.7) and rebounding (6.3) and is among the Big Ten leaders in both categories. Despite his size, Young flourishes in the paint and seems to step up and will the 'Cats to big games when he needs to.
"We told our guys that Young was the toughest player in the league, and he just out-toughed us," Purdue coach Gene Keady said after Young scored eight points, snared nine rebounds and had two big steals in the final seven seconds to snuff out the Boilermakers' attempts to win. "He wanted the ball, and he wanted to win more than we did."
GAME 22
Northwestern (10-11, 5-5 Big Ten) vs. Penn State (9-11, 3-6 Big Ten)
Saturday, Feb. 14, 2004 * 1 p.m. CST
Welsh-Ryan Arena (8,117) * Evanston, Ill.
The Coaches
Northwestern: Bill Carmody, 4th season at NU (49-60); 8th season overall (141-85)
Penn State: Ed DeChellis, 1st season at PSU (9-11); 8th season overall (114-104)
TV: ESPN2 (Dave Strader, play-by-play; Bucky Waters, analyst)
RADIO: WGN Radio 720 AM (Dave Eanet, play-by-play; Bob Hildebrand, analyst)
The Fun Fact
Where is the love? Northwestern has not felt it a lot on previous Valentine's Day games; the Wildcats are a combined 3-20 when playing on Feb. 14. The last time it happened was 2001, when the 'Cats lost at Indiana 78-54. Northwestern's last Valentine's Day win came in 1980, a 54-50 victory over Purdue.
Northwestern vs. Penn State
* The Wildcats and the Nittany Lions are meeting for the 24th time, with Penn State leading the series 15-8. PSU won the first meeting this season, 63-61 in overtime, Jan. 28 in University Park.
* The last time these teams met in Evanston was last year, when Northwestern downed the Nittany Lions in double overtime, 85-79.
* Four of the last 11 games between these two teams have gone to overtime, including each of the last two; the only overtime games played by NU in the Carmody era (2) have come against Penn State.
* NU head coach Bill Carmody is 3-2 vs. Penn State, his best mark against any Big Ten opponent; Carmody also lost to the Nittany Lions in the first round of the 2000 NIT as head coach at Princeton.
