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Wednesday, July 25
Updated: July 26, 12:50 PM ET
Team preview: Northwestern Wildcats
ESPN.com
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The lowdown
2000-01 record: 11-19; 3-13 in Big Ten (11th)
Final Ranking: NR
Postseason: None
Three Questions for 2001-02
1. Has the talent been upgraded to be more competitive in the Big Ten? Will the loss of Ben Johnson be easy to absorb? Can the Wildcats regain that winning attitude?
2. Will Bill Carmody's Princeton system be easier for league teams to figure out a second time around? Does he have the shooters to cause problems if opposing teams try to challenge the set, offensive system?
3. Do the Wildcats have the size and strength inside to compete in the Big Ten? Can they control the backboard to give its offense a chance to control the tempo?
Three Key Facts
1. Northwestern didn't exactly fill the Big Ten stats lists: The Wildcats didn't have a player among the conference's top 20 scorers or top 10 rebounders. And no assist man in the top 15. As a team, Northwestern was 11th in scoring, scoring margin, field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage.
2. Yes, that is a senior on the roster. After two seasons void of seniors, Collier Drayton and Tavaras Hardy end the trend that saw freshmen and sophomores play 85 percent of the minutes last season.
3. Senior forward Tavaras Hardy was named to the Big Ten's Men's Basketball Foreign Tour roster for a 12-day tour of England and Ireland (Aug. 8-19). The team will play six games during the trip. Hardy, 6-8, led the Wildcats in field goal percentage (.462), rebounds per game (5.7) and total blocks (30) last season while rating second on the squad with 10.7 points per contest.
Andy Katz's Scenarios
Best case: Five or six Big Ten wins, but still a 10th-place finish in conference.
Worst case: The Wildcats finish in last place and are unable to reach three wins in the league -- again.
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Key Players Returning
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Player
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Yr.
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Pos.
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Ht./Wt.
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Comment
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Winston Blake
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Jr.
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G
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6-5/191
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PTS: 11.9 | REB: 3.2 | AST: 1.9
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Tavaras Hardy
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Sr.
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F
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6-6/223
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PTS: 10.7 | REB: 5.7 | AST: 2.2
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Jitim Young
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So.
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G
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6-2/185
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PTS: 8.8 | REB: 3.8 | AST: 1.9
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Collier Drayton
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Sr.
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G
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6-2/189
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PTS: 5.4 | REB: 3.7 | AST: 3.4
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Key Losses
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Player
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Pos.
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Ht./Wt.
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Comment
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Ben Johnson
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G
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6-2/180
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PTS: 10.7 | REB: 3.4 | AST: 2.5
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Charlie Bell
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G
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6-3/200
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PTS: 13.5 | REB: 4.7 | AST: 5.1
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Andre Hutson
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F
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6-8/240
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PTS: 13.8 | REB: 7.6 | AST: 1.9
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Zach Randolph
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C
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6-9/270
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PTS: 10.8 | REB: 6.7 | AST: 1.0
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David Thomas
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F
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6-7/210
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PTS: 5.4 | REB: 4.7 | AST: 1.9
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Mike Chappell
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F
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6-9/220
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PTS: 4.7 | REB: 1.9 | AST: 0.7
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