Bleacher Report - Northwestern Basketball

Northwestern Women's Basketball Earns Signature Win over No. 15 DePaul

Aaron Morse — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:32:17 -0500

When Joe McKeown coached women's basketball at George Washington, success wasn't something fans hoped for, it was what they expected.

During his 19 seasons there, he went to the NCAA Tournament 15 times. His final two years were some of his best, as GW advanced to the Sweet 16 both seasons.

Then he left and came to Northwestern.

Northwestern women's basketball has had what McKeown has described as "a losing culture" for over a decade. The last time they made the Big Dance was 1997, where they lost in the first round to McKeown's GW squad.

Last year was McKeown's first season in Evanston, where he suffered his first losing record as a head coach. Northwestern won three Big Ten games last year. That matched their combined Big Ten wins total from the previous TWO seasons.

But this year they're off to a 4-0 start and upset No. 15 DePaul Tuesday night by a final score of 59-55.

They did it mostly through the leadership and determination of players who were recruited by former NU head coach Beth Combs.

Combs showed some good recruiting during her finals years in Evanston, but McKeown's coaching ability has been what's made the difference. They enjoy playing for him, and his knowledge of basketball is unparalleled.

Take the case of junior point guard Beth Marshall. Marshall played significant minutes under Combs as a true freshman, but didn't have a particularly good shot and was turnover prone.

Then she missed two years due to injury. After sitting out last year, Marshall is back and might be the key to the entire season. She does not look like someone who has been unable to play for two years. She is playing tenacious defense, forcing a lot of turnovers and she's been the undisputed leader on the offensive side of the floor.

Tuesday, she put it upon herself to pick up the scoring slack as star center Amy Jaeschke had a miserable day from the field. With DePaul making a late charge to take a six-point lead. Marshall coolly drained a three-pointer to cut the deficit in half. Then she stole the ball on the other end of the floor to continue the 'Cats furious rally in the final few minutes.

This rejuvinated women's team only has one senior, and that's 5th year senior shooting guard Kristin Cartwright. She too has had her struggles during her career, she missed the entire season with an injury two years ago.

But yesterday she not only provided some crucial early offense to finish with 13 points, she distributed the ball well too, dishing out five assists. Cartwright has always been an excellent free throw shooter, and she showed she could do it in the clutch as well, knocking down the two free throws that gave NU the lead for good.

In the front court, Jaeschke made up for her struggles on offense with some outstanding defense. She blocked a couple shots late that helped NU get the victory. Normally, NU cannot win if Jaeschke struggles offensively, Tuesday proved that this team has other players who can step up, and that's exactly what they did.

The attitude and depth of this year's women's team is better than it's been for many years. But McKeown, a perfectionist if there ever was one, says they still have a long way to go.

The 'Cats turned the ball over way too much Tuesday, so that will give the coach something to focus on as they go forward.

It's very likely NU could be 6-0 heading into the Big Ten/ACC Challenge against Clemson. If they win that game, then we might be talking about a team on the cusp of the top 25.

I went to practice a few weeks ago and talked to Coach McKeown. He told me that his teams at George Washington practiced with a certain swagger. They knew they were good and practiced and played with the attitude that no one could beat them except themselves. He told me at the time that NU was nowhere near that level yet, and they still had a lot of bad habits they had to overcome.

Tuesday was a HUGE step in the right direction. It was the first time they'd beaten DePaul in over a decade, and the first time they'd knocked off a top 25 team since the 2005-2006 season. It's also their first 4-0 start since the 1995-1996 team started 9-0 on their way to the WNIT.

If you're interested in checking out this rapidly improving squad, their schedule can be found here .

They're definitely a team to watch, so you might want to jump on the bandwagon now before March rolls around.

Read more Northwestern Basketball news on BleacherReport.com

The Old Gym That is Northwestern's Welsh-Ryan Arena

Paul Swaney — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:41:52 -0500

This article originally published on www.stadiumjourney.com

The first thing you need to know about Welsh-Ryan Arena is that it is not an arena. It’s a gym. I hope you understand that this distinction is a very good thing. You immediately feel the intimacy, and you know there is no bad seat. This cozy home of the Northwestern Wildcats seats 8,117 and has been their home since 1952.

FANFARE Score: 21 (out of 35)

Food and Beverage: 2

Make sure you get something before you come to Welsh-Ryan as there really isn’t anything available besides snacks and soda.

Atmosphere: 4

I mentioned earlier that there is no bad seat. Well that’s true from a viewing perspective, but there are actually a lot of bad seats. In fact, the worst part about the game is having to sit down. Welsh-Ryan is mostly filled with old school bleachers, and when you sit you’re immediately leg-to-leg with the people next to you, as well as having a knee in your back, and a back in your knee.

If you take nothing else from this review, please at least heed this piece of advice: Sit in sections 101-107 or 201-207. You’ll get an actual chair, and believe me, you’ll be glad you did. Adding to my discomfort was the elderly man sitting in front of me, who continually kept sliding off the bleacher, and deeper into my leg.

Now, that one (important) criticism aside, this was a great place to see a game. For my experience there were essentially two student sections—the Northwestern sections behind each basket, and the Illinois section up near me.

That led to an extremely charged atmosphere, made even greater as Illinois came back to steal a win from Northwestern who was tied or lead (literally) 39 minutes and 58 seconds. Demetri McCamey made a 12-foot bank shot with under two seconds to play, and the crowd erupted in my section, and sunk in the Northwestern section.

Neighborhood: 3

Prior to the game, I spent some time in beautiful downtown Evanston (about a mile or so from the gym). I began my night at Merle’s, a southwestern themed BBQ joint, where I enjoyed a half slab of Chicago style ribs, some creamy mac and cheese, and a Goose Island Honker’s Ale.

I then walked a few blocks to Tommy Nevin’s pub—which was filled with Illini fans, where I sat at the bar and tried a Rogue Yellow Snow Ale (which was a new beer for me, and very tasty). I liked Nevin’s quite a bit—good beer selection, and it felt like an authentic Irish pub, without seeming to try too hard.

Next, I made the short drive up to the Arena, making a stop at Bluestone Bar, which was completely packed. It’s remarkable that it’s the only bar within easy walking distance to Welsh-Ryan and the football stadium, Ryan Field. An entrepreneur would do well to open another establishment to handle the overflow.

I made one additional stop at Mustard’s Last Stand, for a Polish dog. Mustard’s is a small traditionally Chicago hot dog and hamburger joint with plenty of interesting local sports memorabilia and autographed photos on the wall. I would recommend each of the establishments I tried.

Fans: 3

Being a fan of a team that hosted the first NCAA tournament, yet has never participated in the big dance has got to be difficult. That being said, the Northwestern students bring good energy, and the school does a good job of getting them down on the court behind the baskets.

It’s unfortunate that the alumni and fans don’t fill up the rest of arena. Instead, rival school alumni are able to take away some of the edge of the home court advantage as there are usually plenty of tickets available.

Access: 4

Street parking is plentiful around Welsh-Ryan, and with only 8,000 fans rolling out, it’s generally easy to get going after the game. Restrooms are small so you may want to sneak out a couple of minutes before halftime.

Return on Investment: 4

With the exception of the discomfort of the seats, the experience of Welsh-Ryan is well worth the price of admission.

Etc: 1

One extra point for that old gym feel, something that makes college basketball games special.

Paul Swaney is a Co-Founder of Stadium Journey

Read more Northwestern Basketball news on BleacherReport.com