Wildcats Tip Off Season Experienced, Hungry
11/2/2016 12:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball
By Amit Mallik, Northwestern Athletics
Head coach Joe McKeown can barely contain his enthusiasm about this year's team.
"We're a fun team to watch," McKeown said. "Starting with our seniors, it is extremely exciting to see just how hungry they are."
The women's basketball team enters the 2016-17 season primed for success with an eye on reaching the NCAA Tournament again after doing so in the spring of 2015. McKeown believes the quest starts with his extraordinary trio of senior captains: Nia Coffey, Ashley Deary, and Christen Inman.
Coffey starts the season off on the All-Big Ten preseason team for the third year in a row, and was named Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention at the end of last season. Coffey was the only Big Ten player to rank among the league's top five in points (20.3 ppg), rebounds (9.8 ppg) and blocks (2.0 bpg).
Deary was named to the Nancy Lieberman Watch List for the upcoming season, which recognizes the top point guards in the sport. She led the country last year with 4.34 steals per game, set the program record for career steals (363) and the Big Ten record for single-season steals with 125.
Inman averaged 14.5 points per game last season and also belongs in Northwestern's 1,000-point club alongside Coffey. She has averaged over ten points per game throughout 96 games and McKeown calls her one of the most underrated players in college basketball despite her incredible career.
"Most coaches do not have the luxury of having three players who have been through it all," McKeown said. "They have fought on every battleground possible including a national scale, and their on-court achievements are incredible."
The Wildcats are bolstered by the addition of four new freshmen who give the team valuable depth, especially in the frontcourt. In addition to first-year student-athletes Bry Hopkins, Abbie Wolf, Byrdy Galernik and Abi Scheid, two more 'Cats will see the court again in redshirt-senior Lauren Douglas and transfer Oceana Hamilton.
"We are bigger, stronger, and more physical this year, and that is going to fix a lot," McKeown said.
McKeown believes that the trip the team took in the summer to France helped build the foundation for strong team chemistry, especially for the underclassmen. He saw that chemistry continue to develop during the pre-season practices and is eager to test his team.
The strong slate of non-conference matchups includes No. 21 DePaul, No. 20 Florida, Virginia, and a road trip to Gonzaga and Santa Clara. McKeown wants the schedule to be a springboard for the rest of the year.
"I want our non-conference schedule to really set us up for the Big Ten season," McKeown said. "The Big Ten is a grind, and we are going to get ready so our experience will propel us.
McKeown wants the underdog mentality and previous adversities to fuel the Wildcats this season. He said that no amount of hashtags or motivational messages could drive the team unless it came from within the players themselves.
"We are a blue collar team, and we are going to play like underdogs with a chip on our shoulder all year," McKeown said. "That desire for more is going to take us places."
The other key additions for Northwestern have been assistant coaches Tiffany Coppage and Christie Sides. Coppage comes from Northern Iowa where she helped the Panthers win a regular season title in the Missouri Vally Conference and reach the third round of the WNIT. Sides joins the staff after serving as the assistant coach at the Chicago Sky for the last six seasons, where she reached the WNBA finals in 2014. Sides also helped lead LSU to three Final Fours as an assistant from 2004-07.
The championship pedigree and experience of the coaches brings an edge to the team that McKeown hopes will prove valuable for its mental toughness. The two coaches add to the special blend of a team that McKeown is brewing this season.
"The ultimate prize is getting back to the NCAA tournament," McKeown concluded. "We have been there before and we have all the tools this season to make it a reality."
The Wildcats hit the hardwood for the first time at Welsh-Ryan Arena for an exhibition game against Illinois-Springfield on Nov. 6 at noon. The regular-season opener is set for Friday, Nov. 11, when the 'Cats host Hampton at 3:30 p.m. to tip off a three-game homestand.
Head coach Joe McKeown can barely contain his enthusiasm about this year's team.
"We're a fun team to watch," McKeown said. "Starting with our seniors, it is extremely exciting to see just how hungry they are."
The women's basketball team enters the 2016-17 season primed for success with an eye on reaching the NCAA Tournament again after doing so in the spring of 2015. McKeown believes the quest starts with his extraordinary trio of senior captains: Nia Coffey, Ashley Deary, and Christen Inman.
Coffey starts the season off on the All-Big Ten preseason team for the third year in a row, and was named Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention at the end of last season. Coffey was the only Big Ten player to rank among the league's top five in points (20.3 ppg), rebounds (9.8 ppg) and blocks (2.0 bpg).
Deary was named to the Nancy Lieberman Watch List for the upcoming season, which recognizes the top point guards in the sport. She led the country last year with 4.34 steals per game, set the program record for career steals (363) and the Big Ten record for single-season steals with 125.
Inman averaged 14.5 points per game last season and also belongs in Northwestern's 1,000-point club alongside Coffey. She has averaged over ten points per game throughout 96 games and McKeown calls her one of the most underrated players in college basketball despite her incredible career.
"Most coaches do not have the luxury of having three players who have been through it all," McKeown said. "They have fought on every battleground possible including a national scale, and their on-court achievements are incredible."
The Wildcats are bolstered by the addition of four new freshmen who give the team valuable depth, especially in the frontcourt. In addition to first-year student-athletes Bry Hopkins, Abbie Wolf, Byrdy Galernik and Abi Scheid, two more 'Cats will see the court again in redshirt-senior Lauren Douglas and transfer Oceana Hamilton.
"We are bigger, stronger, and more physical this year, and that is going to fix a lot," McKeown said.
McKeown believes that the trip the team took in the summer to France helped build the foundation for strong team chemistry, especially for the underclassmen. He saw that chemistry continue to develop during the pre-season practices and is eager to test his team.
The strong slate of non-conference matchups includes No. 21 DePaul, No. 20 Florida, Virginia, and a road trip to Gonzaga and Santa Clara. McKeown wants the schedule to be a springboard for the rest of the year.
"I want our non-conference schedule to really set us up for the Big Ten season," McKeown said. "The Big Ten is a grind, and we are going to get ready so our experience will propel us.
McKeown wants the underdog mentality and previous adversities to fuel the Wildcats this season. He said that no amount of hashtags or motivational messages could drive the team unless it came from within the players themselves.
"We are a blue collar team, and we are going to play like underdogs with a chip on our shoulder all year," McKeown said. "That desire for more is going to take us places."
The other key additions for Northwestern have been assistant coaches Tiffany Coppage and Christie Sides. Coppage comes from Northern Iowa where she helped the Panthers win a regular season title in the Missouri Vally Conference and reach the third round of the WNIT. Sides joins the staff after serving as the assistant coach at the Chicago Sky for the last six seasons, where she reached the WNBA finals in 2014. Sides also helped lead LSU to three Final Fours as an assistant from 2004-07.
The championship pedigree and experience of the coaches brings an edge to the team that McKeown hopes will prove valuable for its mental toughness. The two coaches add to the special blend of a team that McKeown is brewing this season.
"The ultimate prize is getting back to the NCAA tournament," McKeown concluded. "We have been there before and we have all the tools this season to make it a reality."
The Wildcats hit the hardwood for the first time at Welsh-Ryan Arena for an exhibition game against Illinois-Springfield on Nov. 6 at noon. The regular-season opener is set for Friday, Nov. 11, when the 'Cats host Hampton at 3:30 p.m. to tip off a three-game homestand.
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