'Cats Get Another Win vs.W. Kentucky

Quick post today. Another win for the 'Cats last night as they beat Western Kentucky, 71-57, and have now moved to 2-0 on the season. Kendall Hackney once again led the team with 17 points. Dannielle Diamant had a big game with 15 points and 9 rebounds in 28 minutes, Brittany Orban notched 11 and 8, and Karly Roser had a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists.

McKeown lengthened the bench slightly in this game, but he's still relying mainly on the starting 5 with Tailor Jones first off the bench. Alex Cohen got 11 minutes off the bench, but seems to still be adjusting to the college game, while Morgan Jones is still struggling to make shots. Overall, though, We've got a solid six players and a few more who could be almost there. The next test is Illinois St. tomorrow night. Good win, go 'Cats!

Women Beat Central Michigan 69-60

The women's basketball team knocked off Central Michigan, 69-60, in their season opener yesterday. Kendall Hackney led the team in points and rebounds with 18 and 8 while Brittany Orban had 16 and 6. Hackney put up a really nice stat line: besides the 18 and 8, she shot 4-7 from behind the arc and had an assist, a steal, and a block. Five players had 6 or more rebounds in this game. Rebounding was the biggest difference maker, as we outrebounded them 39-28, including getting 23 offensive rebounds to their 8. Those are eye-popping numbers that tell me NU could once again be tough to keep up with on the glass this season.

Freshman Morgan Jones played well in her first (real) collegiate game, scoring twelve points and grabbing 6 rebounds. She was inefficient, but her shot selection should improve quickly as she gets used to the college game and not being the team's number one scorer. Freshman Karly Roser also had a good game. She's been a big surprise with her huge contributions in the preseason and now in the team's first game. She ended up with 10 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds and has taken over the role of starting point guard.

The team mostly played 6 players -- Orban, Hackney, M. Jones, Roser, and Diamant starting with Tailor Jones coming off the bench for 23 minutes. Alex Cohen and Meghan McKeown each played 6 minutes. I don't know if the short bench was a the coach's decision or if there are injury issues, but I'd like to see more players play significant minutes in the future. We've got a lot of size on the bench that we could use come Big Ten play.

The team did a lot of things well in this game, but there are a couple of weaknesses I hope they can sort out as the season goes on. First, they shot a low percentage from the field, only 37.7%. Getting offensive rebounds, as this team does, reduces the need to shoot well, but it obviously doesn't eliminate it. We can hope that the poor shooting was a fluke -- we'll see as the season goes on. Second, the team turned the ball over 20 times (Roser unfortunately accounted for 7 of those). Turnovers were a big problem for this team last year and I hope that doesn't repeat itself again this season.

All in all, the 'Cats played a good game and got the first W of the season! Congrats to them -- we'll see more from them on Tuesday when they play Western Kentucky. Go 'Cats!

Interview with Wildcat Forward Brittany Orban

Brittany Orban is a 6-0 Senior forward for the ‘Cats who has made a name for herself through her elite rebounding (especially on the offensive end of the court, where she was 5th in the conference last year as a small forward), strong 3-point shooting, and overall toughness and hustle. She is one of two returning starters on a 2011-2012 ‘Cats team that will be very different from last year’s but that nevertheless looks like it can do some damage in the Big Ten. Brittany is a Mechanical Engineering major from North Canton, Ohio. She kindly agreed to take time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for the readers of Welsh-Ryan Ramblings.

Q: First things first: the new court. It looks awesome, right? I can’t wait to see it in person.

A: It is definitely a fresh change and I love the new look! I have a feeling wildcat fans are going to like the new look of more purple on the court!

Q: Besides the new court, what are you looking forward to most this year, your senior year?

A: I look forward to playing with a new team and playing hard each and every day. It’s crazy how fast time flies as I enter my senior year. I know I have to give all that I can as it will be my last chance to experience a lot of things as a collegiate athlete.

Q: I know that the team started doing full practices earlier this month. How have these early practices been going so far?

A: Practices have been going well so far. It definitely takes some adjusting to get used to the rigorous schedule but I feel our team has responded well. With the addition of some new players and returning redshirt players, we are learning each other’s tendencies and gaining comfort in playing alongside of one another.

Q: You guys lost three senior starters to graduation – point guard Beth Marshall, guard Meshia Reed and center Amy Jaeschke. The loss of these players will obviously change the look of the team quite a bit, particularly the departure of Jaeschke, who was the face of the team and the first NU player to be drafted into the WNBA. What are you doing as a team to adjust to these changes?

A: The three seniors in Beth, Meshia and Amy were definitely a huge impact on last year’s team. As it’s a new year, we know that different players will have to step up on any given night to fill those gaps.

Q: There’s a lot of new faces on the team this year, and a lot of new players who seem like they can be huge contributors for the ‘Cats – McDonald’s All-American Morgan Jones (who is the sister of Junior guard Tailor Jones) comes to mind. What are you expecting from these new players, and what, if anything, will change to accommodate new playing styles and skill sets?

A: With the loss of the fore-mentioned seniors, we needed freshmen to come in and help make an impact on the team. The freshmen seem to be gaining confidence each and everyday as they adjust to a faster-paced style collegiate game. I see that these freshmen will help make a large impact on the team as they continue to grow as players.

Q: Has anyone really surprised you in practice? Does anyone strike you as someone who will have a breakout season?

A: Everyone seems to have worked on their game this summer and I am happy with where we stand as a team at this point. I think on any given night a new player could have a breakout game which will make our team hard to scout.

Q: As I mentioned, you and Junior Kendall Hackney will be the only returning starters this year. Can you talk about how you approach being a leader of this team?

A: As a senior, I feel my position of leadership is one of experience. Having done this for the past three years, I can advise new and returning players on any questions they might have. I would like to think my leadership will come with the hard work mentality I try to bring each and everyday.

Q: What are your personal goals for the season? Are you hoping to improve on what you’ve done for three seasons here, or do you think you might be doing some things on the court you haven’t done as a ‘Cat?

A: My personal goal is to complete my last season at Northwestern with no regrets. I want to know that I put everything I had into helping with the success of the team. I always believe that the success one has is a direct result of the effort he/she puts in.

Q: What are the team’s goals for this season? What is Coach McKeown really emphasizing in practice and at meetings?

A: As we are still early in the season, our initial goal is to develop as a team and to gain comfort in playing alongside of one another and to gain great team chemistry. As we have been able to make some runs in the WNIT, I know our team is hungry for more and our ultimate goal is always to make it to the NCAA tournament.

You’ve definitely been an impressive player for the ‘Cats as well as an incredible representative for the team and the school these last few years. Thanks again for your time – good luck this season and go ‘Cats!

Women's Basketball: Northwestern Wins at Wisconsin

I want to offer congratulations to Northwestern’s women’s basketball team for their win today at Wisconsin. Winning at the Khol Center in women’s hoops might not be as impossible as in men’s, but it’s still tough. Wisconsin came into the game third in the Big Ten and would have moved into second place with a win. Instead, the Wildcats got a 20-point 10-rebound double-double from Amy Jaeschke and used a 17-2 run to start the second half in order to pull out the 68-62 win. Let’s hope NU’s men’s basketball team can model this feat in February. Overall Northwestern is 13-9. 13 wins is the most for an NU women’s hoops team in 14 years. Like men's team, this team has a shot at making it to the postseason this year.

Women's Basketball Gets 11th Win of Season

Northwestern's women's basketball team beat Michigan tonight 63-59. The win moved the Wildcats to 11-2 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play. The victory is the Wildcats sixth in a row which is the most since 1995-96. The 'Cat victory was keyed by Amy Jaeschke's 14 points and 10 rebounds and Beth Marshall's 3 three pointers and 12 points. NU's next game is at home on December 31st versus #6 Ohio State. The game won't be easy, but a win could have NU's women's hoopsters joining the men as a ranked team. A win in the Outback Bowl and football could join the ranked team party at NU as well.

Women's Basketball On Top of Big Ten

Obviously, this isn’t the biggest NU sports story of the day, but NU’s women’s basketball team is currently leading that Big Ten thanks to a 60-58 win over Purdue. For whatever reason, the schedule makers had the Wildcats and Boilermakers play a league game in December and thanks to some great defense and a big comeback the Wildcats pulled out the win. I'm not sure NU will hold this Big Ten lead that long, but this is a much better women's basketball team than NU has had in the last decade. Joe McKeown seems to have been a very strong hire for Jim Phillips.

Three Points December 2nd

1. I want to link to website known as Stadium Journey which recently visited Welsh-Ryan Arena. You read and comment on their assessment of NU’s home venue here: http://stadiumjourney.com/?p=917

2. NU’s women’s basketball team has matched the men’s team’s 6-1 record so far this year. The means that the NU basketball programs are a combined 12-2. The next game for the women’s team is December 3rd when they host Clemson in the women’s version of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

3. I urge fans to temper their expectations as the Big Ten is seriously tough this year, but here are some accomplishments from last night which NU players, coaches, and fans have to be proud of. Some of these are long time (or first time) feats and some are just good signals.

- Won a Big Ten/ACC Challenge game on the road for the first time

- Won 2 years in a row in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge for the first time

- Beat a non-conference BCS team on the road for the first time since Dec. 2005

- Blocked 9 shots in the game

- Won in spite of 17 turnovers

- Grabbed 10 offensive rebounds

- Beat 3 straight non-conference BCS schools (I feel like this could be a first)

- Won 5 straight games for first time since 2006

Three Points - Edition # 1

I’ve decided to start a new feature here on W-RR where at the end (or start) of each week I’ll briefly discuss three issues from the previous week that I haven’t really talked about. For the most part I’ll stick to men’s basketball, but with the season now very much underway it will also be a chance to talk about football and women’s basketball as well. I’ve named the feature Three Points because I’ll discuss three issues, but also because NU likes to shoot threes.

1.I want to once again mention NU’s women’s basketball team getting off to a 1-0 start on Friday night by beating Toledo 73-64. You might think I’m overstating this, but this is a big win for that program. Toledo won 18 games last year and has a good chance to win their division in the MAC. In addition, NU center Amy Jaeschke showed she can use her size to dominate games. She scored 27 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in the win.

2. This Saturday is Northwestern’s final home football game of the year. Wisconsin will likely bring a number of fans so it’ll be the biggest crowd of the season at Ryan Field regardless, but I’d like to see NU fans buy up the remaining tickets and support the ‘Cats after their two road victories the last two weeks.

3. NU’s students deserve major recognition (which Coach Carmody gave them) for the way they showed up against NIU. Now, the students who showed up need to get even more of their friends to come along and completely overflow both sides of Welsh-Ryan when Butler comes to town. The only time the NU student section ever got so full that students were turned away was when #1 Illinois came to NU in 2005. The goal for this year should be to rival that student turnout on multiple occasions.

Nash Leads Wildcat Offense and Defense in 77-55 Opening Day Victory

Without a doubt Wildcat fans had many reasons to worry when tonight’s game started. When the Wildcats looked uneasy in the game’s first 5 minutes or so those fans probably continued to worry, but once NU coach Bill Carmody listened to assistant Mitch Henderson and switched from the 2-3 zone to the 1-3-1 the ‘Cats, specifically Jeremy Nash, exploded past the Northern Illinois Huskies on the way to a 22-point victory.

Northwestern wasn’t perfect in tonight’s game, but they did a lot well and it starts with Nash. The senior guard got only the second start of his career and delivered in a big way. Nash scored 20 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and dished out a team high 3 assists. He also hit 10-of-12 free throws which is critical as I think Nash will get free throw attempts given the type of cutting and slashing game he plays. Nash also took seven three pointers. He made just two, but if he makes on average 35% of his three pointers this year he’ll continue to be a major offensive threat. I also want to mention that Nash had two dunks in tonight’s game. I feel like it has been some time since Northwestern has had a player (especially a guard) who dunked twice in a single game.

Along with Nash, Northwestern also got some great early play from Luka Mirkovic. As NU kind of felt their way through the game’s first few minutes it was the play of Luka Mirkovic that steadied NU. Mirkovic scored NU’s first two baskets (one nice turnaround jumper) and did a nice job all night of converting from the free throw line and staying active inside. In total Mirkovic scored 15 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, made 7-of-10 free throws, and didn’t turn the ball over once. I’d still like to see Mirkovic extend his range a bit more in order to really open up the offense, but he played a nice game.

One concern from Northwestern has to be three point shooting. NU will need to make threes to win big games, but tonight the ‘Cats shot just 5-of-21 from distance. Likely NU’s two best three point shooters, Michael “Juice” Thompson and John Shurna, were 2-of-9 combined with Juice making those two. Now overall Juice and Shurna both posted double digits points with 12 and 11 respectively, but they will both have to shoot better for NU to pull off the big wins fans are hoping for. One major credit that goes to Juice Thompson tonight is that he played 39 minutes and had 0 turnovers. That is simply great point guard play. I don’t know if NU has a solid backup for Juice, but as long as he stays out of foul trouble it seems NU is in great hands with Juice running the team.

Off the bench Ivan Peljusic scored 7 points, got a team high 7 rebounds, and dished out 2 assists. Peljusic might sometimes force things a little bit too much, but he has great energy and along with Shurna is NU’s best player at fighting inside for rebounds.

Also off the bench it was nice to see Kyle Rowley come in and play well enough to score 5 points and make one nice move from an and 1.

Mike Capocci also played well off the bench converting an alley-op pass from Jeff Ryan for a huge fan pleasing jam. Capocci also made 3-of-4 free throws and that works out to the same 75 % as his 9-of-12 last season. I really do think he might be a guy NU can use from the line when teams want to foul.

News and Notes: The NU students did a great job of showing up and supporting the 'Cats tonight....Other than the Ryan to Capocci alley-op the best play of the night might have been John Shurna grabbing a rebound and dribbling coast to coast for a layup and a foul….Shortly after a nice steal and throwing that alley-op Jeff Ryan went down with an injury which appeared to be related to his leg or knee….Northwestern made 34 free throws a high for a Bill Carmody team….Northwestern’s women’s basketball team scored an impressive season opening road victory with a win at Toledo 73-64….Junior Amy Jaeschke scored 27 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in that contest.

NU Women’s Hoops Picks Up Major Talent

I try not to get too excited about the signing of recruits. I think it’s a little crazy to treat a 17 year old kid as the savior of a program or the heir apparent to a player with four years of college experience. I also have seen more than enough top recruits fizzle and bottom-tier recruits shine to know rankings aren’t the be all and end all that they often seem. That said, obviously recruiting rankings have some value as sites like Rivals and Scouts make millions each year producing top 100 lists. Therefore, I think it is time note the amazing work done by NU Women’s Hoops Coach Joe McKeown in recruiting for next year. He has four signed players and all rank in the nation's top 105.

Coach McKeowen has signed 4 players to play for the ‘Cats next year. Right now, McKeown’s class is rated 27th in the nation, but that actually doesn’t take into account the signing of point guard Inesha Hale of Raytown, MO and wing player Kendall Hackney of Cincinnati, Ohio (ranked 11th best power forward and 55th overall) who decommitted from USC. ESPN says of Hackney, “Having both size and mobility to combine with her well honed skills she presents defenses with headache on every possession.” For her part, Hale is rated 87th nationally overall and 14th nationally at her position.

Before inking Hale and Hackney this spring, McKeown signed forwards Inga Orekhova and Dannielle Diamant in the fall. The 6-3 Orekhova is ranked 40th in the nation overall and having missed a good portion of her junior season, probably deserves to be rated higher. Diamant is rated 20th in the nation at her position (105 overall) and at 6-4 gives NU a very athletic forward. She also has some great basketball genes at her grandfather is former UNLV Coach Jerry Tarkanian.

So what do these four players mean for NU Women’s Hoops. Well, first it means McKeown must be able to sell NU as well as anybody this side of Pat Fitzgerald. Second, it means both NU’s Men’s and Women’s hoops teams are trending upward. Could the 2009-2010 season see both squads in the NCAA tournament? That might be a reach, but with the talent Coach McKeown has assembled it seems a WNIT breath is a realistic expectation this year and an NCAA breath can’t be too far away. People forget NU's Women's Basketball team has a great history, so to see the program moving back towards the high points of that history is a great thing for both Coach McKeown and Northwestern.

Women's Team Falls to KSU in Nail Bitter

The Wildcats women’s hoops team came very close to pulling off a shocking nationally televised upset last night on The Big Ten Network. They led the Kansas State Wildcats most of the second half until they finally fell in the last minute 57-52. The ‘Cats really lost the game of two successive possessions in which they recorded a shot clock violation and then took a bad shot, got a rebound, and took another bad shot. It was too bad as Kansas State is an excellent program and the win would have been a huge step forward for the Wildcats. What was even worse than the loss, though, was the attendance. I know women’s basketball games at NU have never drawn well, but last night looked like their might have been less than hundred people in attendance even if you included the teams. That’s too bad as Big Ten Network exposure shows the program to potential recruits, but it also shows them how little interest the University and local community have in the program. Now, granted if the men’s team can’t even fill half of Welsh-Ryan it’s hard to expect the women’s team to do so. However, it would be nice if the women’s attendance consistently hit 1,000 or so fans. With the black curtain pulled around the upper levels of the arena, Welsh-Ryan would actually look pretty full on TV.