The Northwestern
Wildcats Men's Basketball team opened
the 2002-03 season with a spirited practice at 10 am Saturday morning at
the Welsh-Ryan Field House. At first glance, it is immediately evident
that the Wildcat veterans logged substantial hours in the weight room during
the off-season. Senior center Aaron Jennings and sophomore
big men Vedran Vukusic, Thomas Soltau, and Davor Duvancic
display the most notable upper body muscle development among the athletic
Wildcat
veterans.
This season, Northwestern
returns five players with starting experience in center Aaron Jennings,
forwards Winston Blake and Vedran Vukusic, guard Jitim
Young, and guard/forward Jason Burke. Last season, Jason's
playing time was limited by a broken hand, as was Vedran's by a reoccurring
shoulder injury. Considering guard Drew Long's eventual career-ending
back injury last season and Winston Blake's foot injury the previous
season, this year's Wildcat squad offers the deepest lineup of able-bodied
players of the Carmody era at Northwestern. Of the 13 players
on the Northwestern roster, only Patrick Towne was sidelined at
Saturday's practice. Patrick participated only in stretching exercises
with the team and spent much of the practice on a stationary bicycle.
The Wildcat
veterans roared into practice drills with smiles and strong intensity as
the newcomers tried to keep up. Leading the way were two of Northwestern's
best all-around players--guard Jitim Young, the practice's most
vocal player, and Vedran Vukusic, the practice's most remarkable
performer. Coming off shoulder surgery during the off-season, Vedran
participated in every drill with zest and consistently impressive results,
no longer sporting the shoulder brace that he wore for the later half of
last season.
While Winston Blake, Jason Burke, and Jitim
Young performed well, the most marked improvement was evident in the
play of the returning big men. Thomas Soltau, in particular,
impressed with his assertiveness, athleticism, and skill both close to
the basket and on outside shots. Aaron Jennings, too, impressed
with his marksmanship from the outside and showed continued development
as a Big Ten center and part of the Carmody offense. While not equal
to Aaron or Thomas, Davor Duvancic showed improvement on his outside
shooting and displayed surprising altheticism and flair taking the ball
to the basket.
The newcomers were led by 6'3" shooting guard
Evan Seacat. Evan raised eyebrows during shooting drills,
making well over 50% of his three-point attempts. Of the newcomers,
he seemed the most like he belonged with the veterans in terms of poise,
confidence, skill, and nderstanding of the offensive drills. Evan
even traded substitutions with Jason Burke in one drill with the
Wildcat first team.
6'7" forward Jimmy Maley also showcased
skillful shooting, confidence, and consistency in his all-around play throughout
the practice. However, one can not help but wonder if Jimmy's undeniably
gaunt frame will limit his effectiveness this season against Big Ten caliber
opponents.
The most athletic Wildcat newcomers are guards
TJ Parker and Mohamed Hachad. TJ displayed blazing
speed beating everyone up and down the court on fast break drills.
Mohamed continually exhibited an exceptional ability to elevate on jump
shots and drives to the basket. Probably the two most highly touted
recruits of the freshman class, TJ and Mohamed were both surprisingly inconsistent
in their first practice. It's difficult to project on the first day
of practice how long it will take these guards to round out their skills,
learn the system, catch up to the veterans, and begin contributing in game
situations.
The final Wildcat newcomer is 6'8" Croatian Ivan
Tolick. Perhaps in part due to the language barrier, Ivan seemed
a couple steps behind the other freshmen. He had some difficulty
following the stretching exercises and held up a couple offensive drills
not understanding where to pass the ball. Nevertheless, Ivan displayed
a strong, consistent mid-range jumper during shooting drills. It
seems likely that sophomore big men Thomas Soltau and Davor Duvancic
will be much more ready and able to make an impact this season than newcomer
Tolick.
In just the first practice of his third season,
it is clear that the Bill Carmody system is firmly in place at Northwestern.
The Wildcats veterans demonstrated a clear understanding of the Carmody
practice work ethic and seemed eager to teach the newcomers.
Carmody's focus on recruiting pure shooters is
also evident as all Wildcat players demonstrate the ability to knock down
open shots. If Northwestern can put the pieces together and use the
Carmody offense to create open shots, this is a Northwestern team that
could turn some heads in the Big Ten this season.
Talk
about it on the Court Cats Board
Go Cats
- Beat 'em All!
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All Materials Copyright 2002