Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler
McKeown and Burton Headline B1G Award Season
3/2/2020 4:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Head Coach Joe McKeown was named Big Ten Coach of the Year and Veronica Burton was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year on Monday, headlining a dominant showing from Northwestern in the conference awards.
Junior guard Lindsey Pulliam was a unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten first team by both the coaches and media. Senior forward Abi Scheid was also a first team selection by both the coaches and media. Burton additionally earned a second team selection by both the coaches and media and a spot on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team.
Senior center Abbie Wolf was an All-Big Ten honorable mention by both the coaches and media while sophomore guard Sydney Wood was an honorable mention by the media.
Senior Amber Jamison was named a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
McKeown is the first Northwestern coach to win Coach of the Year since Don Perelli did so in 1990 and 1987. Burton joins Ashley Deary as the only other Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year at Northwestern after Deary did so in back-to-back seasons in 2016 and 2017.
As a team, Northwestern has never had two selections to the All-Big Ten first team for both the coaches and media; although in 2019, both Pulliam and Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah were first team media selections. It is the program's first time with three players selected to the first two All-Big Ten teams and the program's first time with five players receiving some form of All-Big Ten honors.
Pulliam is the first unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten first team since Nia Coffey in 2017. She joins Anucha Browne (1983-85), Michele Savage (1990-92), Amy Jaechske (2010-2011) and Coffey (2014-17) as just the fifth player in program history with multiple first team selections (years listed in parentheses).
Scheid, Burton, Wolf and Wood all earned All-Big Ten recognition for the first time in their careers. Burton is the third player in program history to make a Big Ten All-Defensive team, joining Jaeschke (2011) and Deary, the latter of whom did so three times (2015-17).
NOTES
Joe McKeown
Veronica Burton
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Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
Junior guard Lindsey Pulliam was a unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten first team by both the coaches and media. Senior forward Abi Scheid was also a first team selection by both the coaches and media. Burton additionally earned a second team selection by both the coaches and media and a spot on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team.
Senior center Abbie Wolf was an All-Big Ten honorable mention by both the coaches and media while sophomore guard Sydney Wood was an honorable mention by the media.
Senior Amber Jamison was named a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
McKeown is the first Northwestern coach to win Coach of the Year since Don Perelli did so in 1990 and 1987. Burton joins Ashley Deary as the only other Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year at Northwestern after Deary did so in back-to-back seasons in 2016 and 2017.
As a team, Northwestern has never had two selections to the All-Big Ten first team for both the coaches and media; although in 2019, both Pulliam and Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah were first team media selections. It is the program's first time with three players selected to the first two All-Big Ten teams and the program's first time with five players receiving some form of All-Big Ten honors.
Pulliam is the first unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten first team since Nia Coffey in 2017. She joins Anucha Browne (1983-85), Michele Savage (1990-92), Amy Jaechske (2010-2011) and Coffey (2014-17) as just the fifth player in program history with multiple first team selections (years listed in parentheses).
Scheid, Burton, Wolf and Wood all earned All-Big Ten recognition for the first time in their careers. Burton is the third player in program history to make a Big Ten All-Defensive team, joining Jaeschke (2011) and Deary, the latter of whom did so three times (2015-17).
NOTES
Joe McKeown
- McKeown led Northwestern to a program-record 26 wins and the team's first Big Ten Championship since 1989-90. The Wildcats were not picked in the top five of the Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll. The Wildcats also set a program record with 16 conference wins.
- McKeown earned his 700th career win on Dec. 20, 2019 against East Carolina, becoming the 13th active head coach to surpass the 700 win mark.
- Pulliam ranks third in the conference in scoring with 19.1 points per game. She leads all Big Ten players with nine 25+ point games this season, and was responsible for 34% of Northwestern's points in conference play.
- Pulliam won ESPNW National Player of the Week and Big Ten Player of the Week once while earning two additional Player of the Week Honor Roll selections.
- Ahead of the postseason, Pulliam's 554 points this season already ranks 12th all-time in program history for most points in a single season. Her career point total of 1628 is just 12 away from entering the top-ten career points leaderboard at Northwestern.
- Scheid leads the country in three-point percentage with a rate of 48.6 percent. That mark is on pace to set the program record for highest single season three-point percentage and would rank fourth in best Big Ten single-season three point percentages.
- Scheid's 72 made three pointers this season ranks fifth in program history for most threes made in a single season. Her career total of 171 threes ranks fifth all-time in program history.
- Scheid is averaging 11.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Her 2.5 made threes per game ranks third in the conference.
Veronica Burton
- Burton is leading the conference in steals for the second straight season with 3.3 per game, which also ranks ninth in the country. She finished last season with 2.7 per game.
- Burton is averaging 11.5 points, 5.0 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game. She ranks fourth in assists per game and in free throw percentage (78.9 percent). Her assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.38 leads the Big Ten. As a team, Northwestern's assist-to-turnover ratio ranks third in the country at 1.52.
- Northwestern's scoring defense ranked second in the Big Ten and 28th in the country, allowing 56.7 points per game. The Wildcats' turnover margin as a team (+5.66) ranks second in the Big Ten and 16th in the country.
- Wolf is averaging career-best numbers as a senior with 11.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.5 blocks per game.
- Wolf ranks sixth in the Big Ten in blocks per game and in offensive rebounds per game (2.8).
- Wolf's career field goal percentage of 54.6 percent is tied for fifth all-time in program history.
- Wood is averaging 5.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
- Wood ranks seventh in the Big Ten in steals and 18th in assists. Her assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.35 ranks third in the conference.
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
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