Nov. 14, 2001
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Today's Game
For the third year in a row, Northwestern is competing in an eight-team event that feature three games in three days. For the first time, though, the Wildcats are tipping off the season in that fashion-in fact, as far as the record book is concerned, there have been only two occasions in NU's history where the men's hoop team began the season with back-to-back games (1976-77, 1985-86).
Clearly, Bill Carmody wants his team to jump right into the season.
In his second year at Northwestern, Carmody has a team that should be able to respond to the challenge. Four starters are back from last year, including three of NU's top four scorers. In addition, his first two bench players also return.
The probable fifth starter this week? Freshman Vedran Vukusic, who started both exhibitions.
Northwestern already knows its possible opponent for tomorrow will be either Rutgers or East Carolina. If the Wildcats win, they will play at 9 p.m. tomorrow, while a loss would have them playing at 2 p.m. The other teams in the event are host North Carolina State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Prairie View A&M and San Jose State (more tournament info is on page 2 of these notes).
The Series with VCU
Wednesday's first-round matchup represents the first time Northwestern has played Virginia Commonwealth in men's basketball.
The Rams went 16-14 last year and finished fourth in the Colonial Athletic Association with a 9-7 mark. In preseason exhibition action, VCU defeated the New Zealand National Team (97-81) and Virginia Union (86-65).
All five Ram starters scored in double figures in both contests, led by Domonic Jones. He had 17 points to tie for team-high honors with Konstantin Nesterov vs. New Zealand, then led all scorers with 23 points against Virginia Union.
Virginia Commonwealth's head coach is Mack McCarthy, in his fourth season.
NU vs. The Field
How Northwestern stacks up against every other school at the BCA Invitational:
* Rutgers
NU leads the series, 4-0, with the wins coming Dec. 26, 1969 in Fayetteville, N.C. (78-77), Dec. 10, 1971 in Morgantown, W.Va. (72-68), Nov. 30, 1987 in Evanston (72-55), and Dec. 5, 1988 in Piscataway, N.J. (75-69).
* North Carolina State
The Wolfpack leads the series, 2-0, with the wins coming Dec. 26, 1957 in Raleigh (71-68) and Dec. 27, 1969 in Fayetteville, N.C. (98-75).
* East Carolina
NU has never met the Pirates in men's basketball.
* Fairleigh Dickinson
NU has never met the Knights in men's basketball.
* Prairie View A&M
NU has never met the Panthers in men's basketball.
* San Jose State
NU has never met the Spartans in men's basketball.
Senior Leadership...Finally!
For the first time in three years, Northwestern has a senior on the roster. In fact, the Wildcats have two: guard Collier Drayton and forward Tavaras Hardy.
The Kids Are Alright
In 2000-01, for the second year in a row, Northwestern led the nation in minutes played by freshmen and sophomores. After those classes had a staggering 99.9 percent of the Wildcats' minutes in 1999-2000, they had 84.90 percent of the minutes in 2000-01.
Lookin' Out For Each Other
Some of the traits that marked Bill Carmody's teams at Princeton reared themselves up immediately with his transition as head coach at Northwestern last year. According to Stats, Inc., the Wildcats finished fourth in the country with an assist-to-field goal ratio of .680 (423 assists on 622 baskets).
Droppin' 'Em From Downtown
According to Stats, Inc., Northwestern also finished 10th nationally last season by tossing up 643 3-point attempts among its 1,538 total field goals, a .418 ratio.
Value The Basketball
Northwestern finished last season with a 1.04 assist-to-turnover ratio (423 assists/410 turnovers), a significant improvement from 1999-2000 when the ratio was 0.76 (367 assists/484 turnovers).
Value The Basketball Some More
Northwestern also improved greatly on its turnover margin last year. The Wildcats committed 23 fewer turnovers than their opponents in 2000-01 (410/433), a far cry from 1999-2000 when they committed 83 more (484/401).
Shouldering The Load
Northwestern returns four of five starters from last year-Drayton, Hardy, junior Winston Blake and sophomore Jitim Young. Those four accounted for 61.4 percent of NU's scoring last year and 62.8 percent of the minutes played.
Variety Is The Spice of Life
Six different Northwestern players led the team in scoring in at least one game last year, and eight separate players led the team in rebounding at least once.
Are You Experienced?
Last year Winston Blake, Tavaras Hardy and Jitim Young started all 30 games, in the process tying the school marks for most games started and played in a single-season. Collier Drayton started 29 contests and played in all 30, while Aaron Jennings started the season opener and played in all 30 contests.
All-Timers
With two seasons still left to play, junior Winston Blake is already seventh on NU's all-time list with 100 3-point baskets. He hit 83 last year, which put him second on the Wildcats' single-season list.
Senior Tavaras Hardy is fifth on NU's all-time list with 71 blocked shots.
It's a Seasonal Thing
The following players found themselves on Northwestern's top ten single-season lists at the end of last year.
Winston Blake
Three-point FG Made-2nd with 83
Three-point FG Attempted-1st with 221
Collier Drayton
Assists-tie 9th with 101
Steals-tie 7th with 48
Tavaras Hardy
Blocked Shots-7th with 29
Jitim Young
Steals-tie 9th with 47
(2nd best ever total by a freshman, surpassed only by Patrick Baldwin's 90 in 1991 which is the overall single-season record)
Walk On
Michael Jenkins (G, 5-9, 165, Fr.) recently joined the men's basketball program as a walk-on.
Here is his bio:
High School: Three-year letterwinner in basketball ... Team captain and Team MVP two times ... Scored 1,179 points in his career ... Led San Gabriel Valley area with 23.4 ppg as a senior, also averaged 5.0 rpg, 5.7 assists, 3 steals ... Hit 87 three-point baskets ... As a junior, scored 15 ppg and averaged three assists per contest ... Two-time All-Mission League ... Two-time Glendale News Press All-Area ... Two-time Pasadena Star News All-Area ... MVP, 2001 Rose City Rumble MLK Classic ... 2000 La Canada Outlook Classic All-Tournament Team ... Competed in the Los Angeles Times Battle of the Valley Senior All-Star Game and the San Gabriel Valley Senior All-Star Game ... High school coach was John Jordan ... National Honor Society member.
Personal: Born Michael Dion Jenkins on 5/26/83 ... Son of Derrin Jenkins and Kathy Campbell ... Father played football at Wyoming ... Enrolled in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.