Northwestern University Athletics
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McKeown Named Finalist for Naismith Coach of the Year
3/20/2020 1:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Head Coach Joe McKeown was named one of four finalists for the 2020 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's Coach of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Thursday.
McKeown, who already won Big Ten Coach of the Year in early March, joined Kelly Graves of Oregon, Adia Barnes of Arizona and Dawn Staley of South Carolina as finalists for the prestigious award.
Fans can vote here for McKeown. The fan vote will account for five percent of the final vote, and the winner will be announced on April 3.
McKeown guided the Wildcats to their first regular season Big Ten Championship in 30 years and a program record 26 wins, the most since 1978-79.
McKeown also oversaw the largest jump in the AP Top 25 Poll from any program in the country. The Wildcats started the season unranked, entered the rankings on Jan. 20, and finished the season ranked No. 11 in the final AP Poll, released earlier in the week on Tuesday. The final ranking of No. 11 was the best in program history, and the second highest of any Big Ten school.
His Big Ten Coach of the Year honor was the first for Northwestern since 1990, when Don Perelli won his second award after previously winning in 1987.
McKeown's team also took home their best ever haul in the Big Ten Awards. Sophomore guard Veronica Burton was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Junior guard Lindsey Pulliam was a unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten First Team by both the coaches and media while senior forward Abi Scheid was a first team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches. Senior center Abbie Wolf and sophomore guard Sydney Wood both earned All-Big Ten honorable mentions.
Later on Thursday, Pulliam also earned an AP All-America Honorable Mention, the third such honor for a Wildcat during McKeown's tenure after Nia Coffey did so in 2017 and 2016.
The four finalists were chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's national voting academy, comprised of leading journalists from around the country, current and former head coaches, former award winners and conference commissioners, all of whom base their selections on outstanding coaching performances during the 2019-20 regular college basketball season.
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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!
McKeown, who already won Big Ten Coach of the Year in early March, joined Kelly Graves of Oregon, Adia Barnes of Arizona and Dawn Staley of South Carolina as finalists for the prestigious award.
Fans can vote here for McKeown. The fan vote will account for five percent of the final vote, and the winner will be announced on April 3.
McKeown guided the Wildcats to their first regular season Big Ten Championship in 30 years and a program record 26 wins, the most since 1978-79.
McKeown also oversaw the largest jump in the AP Top 25 Poll from any program in the country. The Wildcats started the season unranked, entered the rankings on Jan. 20, and finished the season ranked No. 11 in the final AP Poll, released earlier in the week on Tuesday. The final ranking of No. 11 was the best in program history, and the second highest of any Big Ten school.
His Big Ten Coach of the Year honor was the first for Northwestern since 1990, when Don Perelli won his second award after previously winning in 1987.
McKeown's team also took home their best ever haul in the Big Ten Awards. Sophomore guard Veronica Burton was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Junior guard Lindsey Pulliam was a unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten First Team by both the coaches and media while senior forward Abi Scheid was a first team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches. Senior center Abbie Wolf and sophomore guard Sydney Wood both earned All-Big Ten honorable mentions.
Later on Thursday, Pulliam also earned an AP All-America Honorable Mention, the third such honor for a Wildcat during McKeown's tenure after Nia Coffey did so in 2017 and 2016.
The four finalists were chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's national voting academy, comprised of leading journalists from around the country, current and former head coaches, former award winners and conference commissioners, all of whom base their selections on outstanding coaching performances during the 2019-20 regular college basketball season.
••••••
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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