Dec. 10, 2009
North Carolina A&T at Northwestern
Welsh-Ryan Arena (8,117)
Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009
Evanston, Ill. 4 p.m.
Streaming Video: BigTenNetwork.com (Rob Coons and Mark Carman)
Audio: WGN-AM 720 and wgnradio.com (Dave Eanet and Shon Morris)
Satellite Radio: SIRIUS 216 and XM 196
Gametracker: NUsports.com
In-game Twitter updates: @NU_SportsLIVE
Northwestern Game Notes (PDF)
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern returns to action following an 11-day break for final exams Sunday as it hosts North Carolina A&T at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. and the contest is being streamed live on BigTenNetwork.com.
Sunday is Kids Come Free Day as kids in the eighth grade and under are admitted free with each adult ticket purchased at regular price. There will also be an autograph signing with the team postgame.
The Wildcats (6-1) have won five in a row and would reach 7-1 in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history with a victory over the Aggies. NU's most recent contest was a 65-53 win at North Carolina State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge Dec. 1. Michael Thompson led the way for the 'Cats, scoring 17 of his team-high 22 points in the second half.
Northwestern picked up 48 votes in this week's Associated Press poll, the sixth most of any team not ranked in the Top 25. The Wildcats are looking to join the national rankings for the first time since the 1968-69 season.
Series History: First meeting. Northwestern is 5-0 all-time against MEAC foes, defeating Delaware State twice and Florida A&M, Howard and Morgan State once apiece.
Scouting North Carolina A&T
North Carolina A&T enters the contest with a 4-5 record. The Aggies are coming off a 93-84 overtime victory over conference foe Norfolk State Dec. 5. Tavarus Alston and Dwane Joshua posted a game-high 23 points apiece.
Joshua leads the team with an average of 16.7 points per game off the bench, while Alson contributes 15.1 points per contest. Thomas Coleman is the team's leading rebounder at 8.9 boards per game.
The Aggies rank second nationally with an average of 30.9 3-point attempts per game, while forcing their opponents into a norm of 16.0 turnovers each time out.
So Far, So Good
Northwestern's 6-1 record is a tie for the best seven-game start to a season during the Carmody era, matching the 2001-02 and 2008-09 teams. A win over North Carolina A&T would give the Wildcats 7-1 records in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history. NU earned five wins in the month of November this season for the first time in school history.
Impressive Stretch
Northwestern is coming off three consecutive wins over BCS conference opponents. Prior to the victories over Notre Dame, Iowa State and North Carolina State, the last time the Wildcats defeated three straight nonconference BCS league opponents was the 1968-69 season when they topped Washington State, Florida and Boston College.
Marathon Man
There's little question that Michael Thompson is the most important player on the court for Northwestern. Not when you consider that he has played either 39 or 40 minutes in six of the Wildcats' first seven contests this season. Thompson is tied for first in the nation (Jawan Carter, Delaware) with an average of 39.0 minutes played per game.
Home Sweet Home
The contest against North Carolina A&T opens a stretch during which Northwestern plays four straight and eight of its next 10 games at Welsh-Ryan Arena. After setting a program best with 13 home wins in 2008-09, the Wildcats play a school-record 19 regular-season home games during the 2009-10 campaign. NU's lone nonconference road game was at N.C. State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Northwestern is 3-1 at home so far this season with the lone loss coming to nationally ranked Butler Nov. 18.
On the Marc
Northwestern was looking for a long-range threat to replace the graduated Craig Moore and may have found it in freshman Alex Marcotullio. The southpaw hit a trio of 3-pointers in wins over Tennessee State and No. 23 Notre Dame and has made 13 of 26 3-point attempts so far this season. His .500 3-point field goal percentage ranked as a tie for the sixth-best mark of any freshman in the nation entering play this week.
Up Next...
Northwestern continues its four-game homestand Wednesday, Dec. 16 as it takes on North Florida. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.