Have we been following Jitim Young's exploits on the floor of Welsh-Ryan and other Big 10 courts for four years?

I won't attempt to recount all the heroics this 6-2 Guard has performed for the Wildcats in his 4 years. I just can't believe its been that long.

Jitim came to NU [along with 5 other roundballers; Patrick Towne, Andrew [Drew] Long, Ed McCants, Casey Cortez and Harry Good. They walked into Welsh Ryan that September and had a new coach - Bill Carmody.

I remember that some of the Welsh Ryan Rowdies were invited to those first workouts - but they were sworn to secrecy about Coach Carmody was planning. But they were able to report that one of the Frosh - Jitim Young - was a "powerhouse" in those first practices under the new Carmody system.

Jitim took over a starting role that Fall, he has started every game since. He averaged 8.8 points a game and had 47 steals his freshman year.
 
Now he's the team's top scorer - averaging 17.7 points and 6.1 rebounds a game and at 6-2 he's playing "small forward" in Bill Carmody's Northwestern variant of the Princeton Offense. On Defense, he usually slips into guarding the other team's inside scorer and he's reliable, he hasn't fouled out this year.

Using my Purple Reign Categories, this year he'd be NU's

• Big Gun, - 17.7 ppg
  
• Deadeye Dick,  45.5% shooting from the floor
  
• the Pickpocket  51 steals
  
• Off the Boards 6.1 rpg
  

Young is also the "Iron Man," averaging 38 minutes a game - Bill Carmody has called him the "energizer bunny," the sparkplug of the team - he's the first Team Captain of the Carmody era at NU.

Two other guys [as Coach Carmody would call them] who are leaving are Patrick Towne,  injured during the preseason, and Andrew Long who was injured two years ago. Neither got to show their abilities on the court much while at NU. The others in their class left - some to play elsewhere, some gave up the Basketball.

So in the old Navy tradition, recognizing those who will be honored Saturday -
Farewell Jitim, Farewell Patrick, Farewell Andrew - We know you'll take your leadership skills, your NU degrees and your memories of your time at NU and do great things.

The other part of this tradition is to recognize those who have arrived to carry the torch in the future: Right now on campus, and behind the bench at games are Tim Doyle and Michael Thompson. Their days are ahead of them.

To them we say Hail and welcome.