Inside NU: All Posts by Jacob BrownRoll Damn 'Catshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52532/insidenu_fav.png2022-05-09T10:26:14-05:00https://www.insidenu.com/authors/jacob-brown/rss2022-05-09T10:26:14-05:002022-05-09T10:26:14-05:00Sophomore slugger Hannah Cady is coming into her own
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<p>The future of Kate Drohan’s lineup looks bright.</p> <p id="ScIXA7">On March 4, 15 games into Northwestern softball’s season, sophomore Hannah Cady boasted a batting average of .093 and struck out 11 times over 43 at-bats. She recorded just four hits, six RBIs and no walks. The sophomore from Clarkston, Mich., was struggling. With the depth and flexibility of NU’s dugout this season, there were a million different ways that the Drohan sisters could have taken Cady out of the lineup. But they didn’t. </p>
<p id="0ViVcg">If there’s one thing Northwestern fans know about the Drohans, it’s that they know what they’re doing. In this instance, they knew Cady was on the cusp of something great.</p>
<p id="worPYb">After her sluggish 15-game start, she finally had a streak, raising her average to .200 with a 7-for-12 stretch in the final four games of the Southern Illinois invitational. It was in the final game of that invitation that Cady took her first walk. Since then, her average has steadily increased, climbing weekend after weekend. As amazing as her emergence has been, it has been equally strange. </p>
<p id="EDnGXI">What makes Cady’s burst so atypical is that for the most part, college softball players usually don’t make jumps like this. Yes, softball is like other sports where players better their play as they age, whether it be through adding more muscle, maturing mentally, or developing a better feel for the game. As far as batting statistics go, though, Northwestern’s veterans have remained relatively consistent throughout their careers. For example, senior Maeve Nelson’s statistics across her four seasons as a Wildcat don’t vary much, despite a massive jump in OBP this year:</p>
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<p id="fOlpO7">Similarly, senior catcher Jordyn Rudd’s career has looked like this: </p>
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<p id="O1oNX8">Other than Rudd’s 2020 season, which was shortened by the pandemic, there’s not a ton of variance, and Nelson has been incredibly consistent as well. While these are just two examples, the Wildcat seniors exemplify how difficult it really is to make a significant jump in batting average or OBP over time, even with offseason work and improvement. Usually, players are who they are, and that’s who they tend to be for the majority of their careers. </p>
<p id="zZbVKU">When players do improve, they usually do it over a long period of time, such as Avery Steiner of Illinois: </p>
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<p id="zElFYY">The first 22 games of the 2020 season showed signs of improvement for Steiner, but it wasn’t a major shock considering the growth she showed at the end of her freshman year. She then consistently developed over the 2021 season, progressively turning into the on-base machine that she is today. The fact of the matter is that when players make considerable improvements, it is usually a process that occurs over time. After all, it’s hard to flip a switch and almost instantaneously be better. </p>
<p id="v4DyRM">Therein lies the magic of Cady’s season so far. Her last 33 games have been extraordinary, and she has certainly gotten better as the season has gone on. But, to an extent, it sort of just happened out of nowhere. Through the first 42 games of her career, Cady was 13-for-87 at the plate with an average of .149. In the games since, she is 37-for-98, with an average of .378 over that span. She’s also smashed eight homers this season, including a key score against No. 23 Michigan and two runs in NU’s comeback victory against Indiana. </p>
<p id="lojo67">As astounding as this quick jump has been, it’s not unprecedented for the Drohans’ recruits. Senior Skyler Shellmeyer was a highly touted recruit coming into the program, but through her first two seasons as a Wildcat she had an average of .229 with 24 walks and 47 strikeouts through 83 games. And then it clicked. In 2021 she broke out with an average of .360 and has continued her success this season, hitting 337. Cady’s average hasn’t jumped as high as Shellmeyer’s (yet), but it’s exploded in similar fashion. </p>
<p id="DE5GUS">Cady’s sample size is too small to make any bold proclamations on what kind of player she is, isn’t, and will be. But looking forward, Northwestern will lose its best offensive player in graduate student Rachel Lewis this year, followed by four other seniors in the batting lineup and star pitcher Danielle Williams, all of whom still have the option to play a fifth and final season thanks to their extra COVID year. </p>
<p id="MXPFM5">The sophomore has the opportunity to be the key in making the upcoming turnover successful. After playing in an NCAA Regional last season, Cady will use her momentum to help the ‘Cats pursue a Women’s <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-world-series">College World Series</a> again this year before she is called upon to step up as a leader in the dugout and a keystone in the lineup. With the fire that she’s shown in her energy as well as her bat, No. 16 might just be that player, and the postseason is the perfect stage for her to show it. </p>
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https://www.insidenu.com/2022/5/9/23056188/sophomore-slugger-hannah-cady-is-coming-into-her-ownJacob Brown2022-05-03T09:53:01-05:002022-05-03T09:53:01-05:00Softball: B1G things are on the horizon for the ‘Cats
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<p>Northwestern took a broom to the Hawkeyes last weekend on its way to a conference title.</p> <p id="8MgsxO">Northwestern Softball extended its win streak to seven with a home sweep of the Iowa Hawkeyes on senior day weekend, putting the ‘Cats in prime position to win the Big Ten. </p>
<p id="Y74GOE">Northwestern entered the series toe-to-toe with Nebraska at the top of the conference and rode the hot bats of Hannah Cady, Rachel Lewis and Sam Hackenbracht of Ohio State, who helped the ‘Cats to an eventual three-game lead in the B1G. The junior hit 5-for-10 with four RBIs as the Buckeyes took two of three against Nebraska, dropping the Huskers to 15-4 in conference play with Northwestern towering high above them at 18-2.</p>
<p id="QstRgZ">Back in the central timezone, Northwestern’s series began with a pitching battle between Danielle Williams and Iowa sophomore Denali Loecker. A double threat, Loecker got the best of Williams initially from the batter’s box, taking Northwestern’s ace deep in the first inning and earning the Hawkeyes a one-run lead. </p>
<p id="DoSHI7">Northwestern wouldn’t trail for long, as graduate student Lewis answered back with a jack of her own, a two-run shot to put the ‘Cats up 2-1. Senior Maeve Nelson added to the fun, crushing a ball deep into center field, putting the Wildcats on top 3-1 at the end of the first. Both pitchers settled in eventually, with Northwestern recording just one more run in that time frame thanks to first-year Ayana Lindsey, who ran home on a wild pitch in the fourth. </p>
<p id="Mf5IX6">Sloppy play from the Cats in the top of the fifth allowed the Hawkeyes to catch up, bringing the score to an even 4-4. Thankfully, it was then that the bottom of Northwestern’s lineup exploded. Sophomore Cady, who finished the day 2-2 with an RBI, run, and two walks, singled junior Angela Zedak home, and then was brought home herself thanks to first-year Grace Nieto two batters later. Senior Lauren Dvorak came in the next half inning to relieve Williams, and she got the job done, sending the ‘Cats into Saturday’s matchup with a 9-5 victory.</p>
<p id="9cSL8m">Saturday was the Sydney Supple show on the mound. She started the game off with two strikeouts in the first inning, including a nasty whiff by Loecker. Three doubles, by seniors Skyler Shellmeyer, Nikki Cuchran and Lewis, had the Cats up 2-0 after the first. Supple struggled at times, walking batters throughout the game, but what she didn’t do was allow a run. Bolstered by an unearned run and a Cady dinger down the right-field line, Supple pitched the first complete-game shutout of her career. Surrendering four hits and five walks on 105 pitches, she blanked the Hawkeyes, and four runs from her offense earned the ‘Cats the win.</p>
<p id="PbNWkl">Sunday was senior day at The J, beginning with a pregame ceremony honoring the team’s nine seniors. It was bittersweet, with Northwestern’s best offensive player Lewis truly experiencing her last home regular-season game. That being said, the rest of NU’s seniors do have an extra COVID year of eligibility and could choose to remain in Evanston for another go next season. </p>
<p id="mTKHpQ">As far as the action goes, Williams did what Williams does. She needed just 71 pitches to get through five innings, walking two, allowing three hits, and fanning seven in five scoreless innings. On the offensive side, senior Jordan Rudd and Cuchran each pitched in with two-RBI singles. </p>
<p id="oiPQD1">But, the big boom came from Northwestern’s emerging star, Cady. In the bottom of the third, the lefty took Iowa’s Breanna Vazquez deep over the center-field fence on the first pitch of her at-bat, bringing Zedak, Lindsey, and Nelson home with her for a grand slam. Senior Lauren Caldrone capped the day’s scoring in the fourth, and Northwestern secured the sweep with a 9-0 rule-run victory on senior day.</p>
<p id="1P5rvj">The ‘Cats found themselves in the top ten of the polls across the board after the sweep once again, clocking in at No. 8 in the NFCA/USA Today and ESPN polls and No. 7 in <a href="http://D1Softball.com">D1Softball.com</a> and Softball America’s rankings. Barring collapses in Minneapolis and East Lansing, Northwestern is in line to host an NCAA Regional in Evanston the weekend of May 20, which would be the second time the program has done so in Williams’ career and the fifth time in Kate Drohan’s 21-year tenure. </p>
<p id="cjd8Im">Northwestern now looks to lock up the Big Ten this weekend in Minneapolis against the Gophers, with first pitch set for 4:00 p.m. CST on ESPN2. </p>
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https://www.insidenu.com/2022/5/3/23054646/softball-b1g-things-are-on-the-horizon-for-the-catsJacob Brown2021-11-18T11:11:47-06:002021-11-18T11:11:47-06:00Op-Ed: It’s time to stop contextualizing the greatness of Northwestern’s Olympic sports teams
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<p>Let’s give greatness the respect it deserves.</p> <p id="AR7eh7"><em>Disclaimer: of the tweets featured in this article, one of them is from Northwestern Wildside, an account that I help run. I’m not calling people out to start drama, but instead, am pointing out the errors that have been made by myself and others so that we can work to correct them. </em></p>
<p id="57xfdY">On Saturday, after two-and-a-half quarters of watching Northwestern football get its teeth kicked in, I tweeted this from the account of Northwestern Wildside, the official student section of Northwestern Athletics: </p>
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<p id="j4I4E7">Then a few hours later, I really wished I hadn’t sent that. Not because it knocked the football team, but because that tweet, in effect, disrespected the non-football teams mentioned, namely volleyball, which is finishing its season, the basketball teams, who are beginning their seasons, and field hockey, which will play Harvard in the NCAA Semifinals this Friday. </p>
<p id="anYx0t">I fell into a trap that I think a lot of NU fans, ranging from students to journalists, fall into: using the success of Olympic teams to mask the struggles of revenue sports (men’s basketball and football). And yes, this may all be in good fun and it may make the bad times in the revenue sports hurt a little less knowing that there are other sports we can turn to. But when doing this, we’re disrespecting the Olympic teams by only recognizing them when it’s opportunistic and doing so under the veil of the revenue teams. </p>
<p id="uX98mh">As a Northwestern community, we need to make a change. Whether it be how we talk about the teams on social media, write about them in articles or support them by going to games, it’s time for us to respect the greatness of Northwestern’s Olympic sports teams in their own right, not with the qualification of comparison to men’s basketball or football. </p>
<p id="T9kOFX">Why are Northwestern’s Olympic teams so often used as a crutch? Because they’re awesome. I could devote more than a full article to going over each of Northwestern’s 17 programs other than the revenue sports, but to give a quick rundown on some of the recent successes:</p>
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<li id="ImxFlH">The aforementioned field hockey team upset three-time reigning National Champion UNC in the first round of this year’s NCAA tournament before beating second-seeded Iowa on its home turf for the second time this season. </li>
<li id="rQtCNF">Women’s basketball and softball each won a game in their respective NCAA Tournaments last year.</li>
<li id="tCaCwz">Lacrosse made it to the Final Four of last year’s NCAA Tournament before falling to Syracuse.</li>
<li id="Z4mg82">Both men’s and women’s tennis won a round in last year’s NCAA Tournaments.</li>
<li id="EwoxHp">Fencing came in third at last year’s NCAA Championships.</li>
<li id="hQ61PF">Irene Kim of Northwestern women’s golf represented Team USA at the 25th Arnold Palmer Cup.</li>
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<p id="kMU2TG">And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot of talented athletes on this campus, and they’re deserving of so much more recognition than they get. So yes, it is a good thing that their success is talked about. But they aren’t talked about nearly enough, and when they are, it is often linked to Northwestern’s revenue sports.</p>
<p id="DX4rsy">One of the most well-known examples of this phenomenon comes from 2020, during Northwestern women’s basketball’s amazing Big Ten title run. One would think that with the historic performance of the team, media outlets would cover the emergence of superstar Veronica Burton, the indomitable competitor that is Lindsey Pulliam or any of the other stories that came with the ‘Cats winning their conference for the first time since 1990. </p>
<p id="K1yAk4">Instead, fans got <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-northwestern-womens-basketball-football-superfans-20200225-al6icoruxvcy7a32i4owhqceom-story.html">this</a> article from the Chicago Tribune, focused not on the team itself, but on the football players that attended their games. A team full of stories that deserved immense amounts of respect and recognition got it, but under the guise of a story about Northwestern football. </p>
<p id="DVAGpN">It’s not just the media that is guilty here, though. See these tweets from West Lot Pirates, a Northwestern sports podcast and Lake the Posts, one of the most well-known and respected voices in the Northwestern sports online community:</p>
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<p id="ZqLkj1">What do they all have in common? Yes, they give recognition to Olympic sports teams. But they almost caveat it, saying that they need the teams to distract them from football, comparing one program’s success to the lack of success of another. They’re talking about the Olympic sports, but the overarching message behind the tweets is the failure of football. </p>
<p id="6TdkRH">This makes the recognition almost disingenuous. Yes, we’re talking about the Olympic teams, but we’re just doing so to distract ourselves from football or compare the situation that the Olympic teams are in to that of football. The sentiment at the heart of these tweets isn’t support for Northwestern’s Olympic teams, but instead disappointment and frustration in the football team.</p>
<p id="ixLrtc">And I point this out not to knock any of the tweeters. In fact, I admire them from both a personal and fan perspective, seeing how passionate they are about Northwestern Athletics, the following they have gained and their knowledge of the Olympic sports programs. The sentiments that they are trying to convey, however, ones of support and fandom for field hockey and women’s basketball, would be communicated more effectively without the undertones of the woes of the football team.</p>
<p id="Gt1ZuV">So how do we move forward? For one, we can change the way we talk about Northwestern sports online. Personally, viewing my own timeline, I’ve seen a lot more people talking about the football team losing to Wisconsin than women’s basketball going 3-0 to start the season and field hockey winning two games in the NCAA Tournament. Social media is already a place that spreads so much negativity. Why not focus on the positive? Let’s celebrate the successes of the players and teams we love, doing so without needing a prompt or reason to distract ourselves, but simply because they’re awesome.</p>
<p id="5gVMLl">On the media side, there’s only so much that can be said about one football game. I know every media outlet is trying to compete for clicks, but no one wants to read multiple articles on Northwestern’s lack of a good quarterback. From a strategy standpoint, when all of the products are similar, wouldn’t it make sense that the one that is differentiated would be able to stand out amongst the competition? If I’m going to read three Northwestern articles and I have the choice of six on football and two on field hockey, there’s a decent chance that at least one of the articles I read will be a field hockey one. Both on a national level and from student journalists, there’s plenty to be done to increase the coverage of Northwestern’s Olympic teams.</p>
<p id="FqD6t6">Finally, and potentially most importantly, we can go to games. There’s not a ton to do in Evanston (or any of the Chicagoland suburbs, for that matter) in the winter. Why not go to a women’s basketball game on a Wednesday night? Want to spend some time in the sun while enjoying the lake? Lacrosse plays less than 100 feet away from Lake Michigan. Credit to Northwestern Athletics, these games are extremely fun to go to. They’re not the huge crowds of Ryan Field, but more intimate experiences. You not only get to feel more involved in the action, but also the in-game promotions and activations, which make going to a game an experience beyond the action on the field.</p>
<p id="dCHRYl">Northwestern’s Olympic sports are really good. It’s time we take them out of the shadow of football and men’s basketball and give them the respect they deserve. </p>
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https://www.insidenu.com/2021/11/18/22784121/op-ed-its-time-to-stop-contextualizing-the-greatness-of-northwesterns-olympic-sports-teamsJacob Brown2021-11-11T10:30:41-06:002021-11-11T10:30:41-06:00Three takeaways from Northwestern WBB’s rout of UIC
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<p>Sometimes sloppy, the ‘Cats still found a way to dominate. </p> <p id="JV2M5t">On Wednesday, the Northwestern Wildcats started their 2021-2022 season, 231 days after losing to Louisville in the NCAA Tournament last year. It was also their first game in front of fans at Welsh-Ryan Arena since February 29th, 2020, when the ‘Cats clinched a share of the Big Ten title, prompting fans to storm the court. </p>
<p id="mTW7dl">This one wasn’t necessarily very close, with the ‘Cats besting UIC, 72-49. Nonetheless, with the team playing its first game since a few key players departed following NU’s March exit, fans learned a lot about what things might look like this year. Here are three of the biggest takeaways:</p>
<h1 id="746aSz"><strong>Northwestern looks to be starting two true first-years</strong></h1>
<p id="aYLyGx">With Lindsey Pulliam and Jordan Hamilton now gone, Joe McKeown had two starting spots to fill. Senior Veronica Burton, Sydney Wood, and Courtney Shaw started and filled their expected roles, but it was unclear coming into Wednesday who would accompany them. With Lauryn Satterwhite returning for a fifth year, Jess Sancataldo joining the team again, and various others — such as Laya Hartman, Kaylah Rainey, Anna Morris and Paige Mott — returning, there was plenty of returning talent that McKeown could’ve turned to. </p>
<p id="lWfOo3">Instead, he chose to start forward Caileigh Walsh and guard Jillian Brown, two true first-years. Brown and Walsh were each top 100 recruits in the 2021 class, with Walsh being rated No. 56 by ESPN and Brown No. 50. Part of his decision may have resided in the fact that neither second-year Anna Morris nor highly touted first-year Hailey Weaver dressed for the contest, but nonetheless, Walsh and Brown got the call over several more tenured names.</p>
<p id="6M3yqB">Both of the first-years attacked early, with Walsh scoring NU’s first points of the season on a lay-in near the basket. Brown launched it from deep, taking any inch of space defenders gave her beyond the arc as an invitation to pull. She converted on one of her five attempts, and those that didn’t go were all close. Walsh wasn’t shy herself, going 0-for-3 from beyond the arc. </p>
<p id="k7sdov">Defensively, Walsh roamed the paint, rejecting four shots and grabbing four defensive boards in 25 minutes of action. Brown applied heavy pressure on the wings, living in passing lanes and collecting two steals in 16 minutes.</p>
<p id="5soTit">With that said, they both had their share of rookie mistakes. Walsh struggled to stay with her defensive assignments, getting lost in the blizzard at times. Brown appears to still have a score first, think later mentality, likely a result of her being her team’s dominant scorer in high school. It will take time for each to learn their roles on both ends of the floor, but they both demonstrated that their futures are very, very bright. </p>
<h1 id="PKnStO"><strong>The ‘Cats are going to play a lot of man-to-man defense this year</strong></h1>
<p id="FxXA6Q">After years of suffocating opponents with the patented blizzard defense to a point where opposing coaches mentioned it to Jillian Brown while recruiting her, Northwestern opened the game guarding the Flames man-to-man. They quickly reverted to the blizzard, but for the first two or so minutes, the Wildcats lined up in man. </p>
<p id="orujsu">There are a few potential explanations for NU. One is that the blizzard is a complicated system, and with five new players — two of whom are starting — it’s going to take time for the whole roster to fully learn and adjust to the system.</p>
<p id="IcNkTs">Another reason could be that Northwestern will play against Iowa, Maryland, Michigan and Indiana this year, all of whom present problems for the blizzard. For one, their offenses are based around stretching teams with shooters and punishing opponents in the paint. The blizzard is susceptible to threes from the elbows and corners, and that’s how B1G opponents have exploited Northwestern in the past. In fact, the few good looks that the Flames got were almost all from the corners. A switch to man may be an adjustment from Joe McKeown to counter opposing offenses, forcing them to change their game plan against the ‘Cats.</p>
<p id="JkpYh9">A final, more grim explanation is that Northwestern’s bigs might not possess the mobility to play the blizzard. In the matchup zone, post players are often drawn to the corners as matchups shift. Neither Paige Mott nor Walsh are incredibly mobile, and any struggle to rotate in time could allow opponents to find wide-open looks in the zone. Northwestern simply can’t run the blizzard if its talent isn’t agile enough to handle it, and it seems that that might be the case until Anna Morris returns.</p>
<p id="TvpLkt">Nonetheless, on their first four possessions of the game, the Flames missed two free throws, then traveled twice and charged into Burton, all against man, so it seems that Northwestern was successful with its significant — albeit brief — change. </p>
<h1 id="zFlptf"><strong>There may be some growing pains this year</strong></h1>
<p id="IEHTtQ">Though Northwestern won, there were clear areas in which the ‘Cats need to improve. The offense looked really, really sloppy at several points in the contest. The Wildcats turned the ball over 14 times, the bigs struggled to convert near the rim and the defense frequently missed rotations.</p>
<p id="yJYk37">With that said, this is to be expected, as it is not only early in the season, but much of this roster still needs time to gel. Northwestern didn’t just lose two of its most prominent offensive options in Lindsey Pulliam and Jordan Hamilton, but LP and JHam were also strong leaders for this team. They set the culture, and it’s going to take time for players like Veronica Burton and Sydney Wood to reset the tone. </p>
<p id="rsoRCc">Furthermore, Northwestern still has to adapt to adding five first-years, as well as re-integrating Hartman and Shaw, who each missed significant periods of time last season. Then there’s Sancataldo, who missed all of last year while in Australia due to the pandemic. </p>
<p id="29Ci9s">This is a young team, and there are going to be significant bumps in the road this season. As Northwestern integrates the first-years into the complexity of the blizzard, learns how to run the offense without Pulliam and grows under the adapted play and leadership of Burton, Wood and Shaw, the team should slowly improve.</p>
<p id="W77a21">It is going to take time, and it may be particularly ugly at some moments, but this team is primed to progressively get better and better as the young talent gains confidence, particularly once Anna Morris gets healthy. December and early January may very well be rough, but if Northwestern’s pieces can start to fit together for the final 10 or so games of the season, this group could be a serious tournament team. </p>
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https://www.insidenu.com/2021/11/11/22775628/three-takeaways-from-northwestern-wbbs-rout-of-uicJacob Brown2021-06-16T10:04:58-05:002021-06-16T10:04:58-05:00Making a Masterpiece — How Northwestern’s stellar 2021 recruiting class was built
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<p>Five new faces will arrive in Evanston next week.</p> <p id="6FI0Ua">Coming off the program’s first NCAA tournament victory since 1993, the Northwestern women’s basketball team will have a much different composition as compared to seasons past. Lindsey Pulliam — the third-leading scorer in program history — has graduated and left for the professional ranks, while four-year contributor Jordan Hamilton is headed to Palo Alto to play for the national champion <a href="https://www.ruleoftree.com">Stanford Cardinal</a> as a grad transfer. The ‘Cats obviously aren’t devoid of talent, returning star guards in Veronica Burton and Sydney Wood, as well as center Courtney Shaw, for their senior seasons, but the rest of the roster remains largely unproven.</p>
<p id="CELMtj">That’s why this recruiting class, ranked as the tenth-best in the entire nation and the highest-rated class to ever come through Evanston, is so vital to the continued success of this program that coaches Joe McKeown and Kate Popovec, as well as the rest of the staff, have built. Here’s everything you need to know about the newest batch of Wildcats coming to a basketball court near you. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="SYNtzT">
<h1 id="IwDdVR">Hailey Weaver</h1>
<p id="LiqlTO">ESPN: #35</p>
<p id="27DWUG">5-11 Guard</p>
<p id="CXnoz5">Solon, Ohio</p>
<p id="cY7ZAt">Committed 3/1/2020</p>
<p id="y7xKkM">Northwestern’s first commitment came mere hours after they secured their first Big Ten championship in three decades, adding to the day’s celebration. Weaver is an energetic guard whose spirit on the court is matched only by her personality off of it. With tremendous length, athleticism, and a determination to stay moving at all times, Weaver should fit perfectly into Northwestern’s Blizzard defense.</p>
<p id="O9UkON">Weaver’s recruitment began her freshman year of high school when she turned heads at AAU tournaments. Her first offer came from the University of Akron, with Kentucky and Illinois quickly following suit. It wasn’t until a camp in early July during which she balled out in front of both Popovec and McKeown that Northwestern joined the bandwagon. Weaver was playing so well that Coach McKeown mistakenly took her for a junior before it was pointed out to him by Popovec that she was actually a freshman at the time, simply playing above her level and dominating. McKeown talked with Weaver’s dad at the camp, and a few weeks later she had an offer. </p>
<p id="RlEGLM">Weaver committed to NU for a variety of reasons, one being the strong relationship her and Coach Popovec built during the recruitment process, talking at least once every week, according to Weaver. She also stressed the importance of her education during an interview with Inside NU, citing the school’s academic standard as the main reason behind her choosing Northwestern.</p>
<p id="sHXgJf">Perhaps most interestingly, it was Weaver’s relationship with fellow class member Jillian Brown (who you’ll soon learn more about!) that led her to NU. Before telling anyone on Northwestern’s staff that she was committing, Weaver told Brown. Brown was thrilled, and this assured Weaver that she was committing to the right school for the right reasons. </p>
<p id="b2hqTt">February 29, 2020 was a huge day for Weaver and the program, but she stressed that bigger things are ahead. </p>
<p id="e12LRW">“I would love to win four more,” said Weaver after watching the ‘Cats win the Big Ten title back in 2020, though she knows it’s going to take a lot to reach that goal. </p>
<p id="W88rWH">“I still have so much to learn.”</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="3qfmq7">
<h1 id="0nTosz">Jillian Brown</h1>
<p id="MEzNBT">ESPN: #50</p>
<p id="Rq3sQJ">5-10 Guard</p>
<p id="cCYDHg">Grand Rapids, Michigan</p>
<p id="7xyZz3">Offered 11/2019, Committed 3/17/2020</p>
<p id="fGTJLD">Jillian Brown has basketball in her blood. Her older sister, Olivia, played at St. Bonaventure before transferring to Valparaiso. Her younger sister Macy is no joke either, with offers from Michigan, Nebraska, <a href="https://www.theonlycolors.com">Michigan State</a> and Northwestern. The experience of going through Olivia’s process taught Jillian patience. </p>
<p id="BAuFsj">“She looked at everything and was very self-assured that this [Northwestern] was the best fit,” said Popovec. </p>
<p id="FEcP0O">During her sophomore year of high school, she watched Duke take on the ‘Cats and witnessed them fall to Northwestern. This was her first exposure to the team, as she wasn’t recruited by Northwestern until her junior year. In fact, Brown initiated the relationship, reaching out to Northwestern because she knew that both the athletic and academic programs were stellar. </p>
<p id="Xogm6Z">Later on, she narrowed down her final four to Northwestern, Michigan, Penn State and Marquette. Some teams tried to dazzle her with graphics and mailers; Northwestern focused its recruitment on building relationships and getting Brown to campus. It ended up being a strategy that worked better than the others.</p>
<p id="HXas1u">A major factor in her decision was the ability to stay close to home, as her older sister Olivia was unable to be involved in her sisters’ recruitment after leaving for New York. With Evanston being a long but manageable three-to-four hour drive away from her hometown of Grand Rapids, attending Northwestern will allow her to stay in touch with Macy as she continues her recruiting process. </p>
<p id="fXjOWO">“I love Northwestern’s play style. The culture is so great. The academics are a whole ‘nother level,” said Brown when asked for additional reasons as to her commitment. “It felt like home.” </p>
<p id="k6qXc7">The team sees Brown as a chameleon of sorts, being able to adapt to any role they ask of her due to the combination of her height (5-foot-10) and shooting prowess (40% from three as a high school senior), according to Coach Popovec. </p>
<p id="rEztbm">Off the court, Brown wants to pursue law, while getting involved in the community. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="GyBmV2">
<h1 id="TnRmOM">Melannie Daley </h1>
<p id="0yg8il">5-9 Guard</p>
<p id="Rh7gfM">Hastings HS, NY</p>
<p id="V8xVCo">Offered 6/2019, committed 3/27/2020</p>
<p id="a6cWWf">While each member of the class is obviously excited to begin their careers as collegiate athletes for Northwestern, one has stood above the rest in her anticipation. </p>
<p id="B0tYnZ">“No one is more excited to come to NU this summer than Mel Daley,” Popovec told Inside NU in a recent interview.</p>
<p id="81YYtO">Daley is a basketball lover through and through and sports an explosive game that she pairs with a lethal mid-range jumper. </p>
<p id="rs6pN1">As far as recruitment goes, Daley was under-ranked, but she doesn’t let it get to her: “I’m not going to campus to be ranked.” </p>
<p id="QCUQYO">Her first college offer arrived when she was in eighth grade, and over time she amassed several more from the likes of <a href="https://www.vuhoops.com">VIllanova</a>, <a href="https://www.bringonthecats.com">Kansas State</a> and <a href="https://www.gobblercountry.com/">Virginia Tech</a>. Her family values academics highly, and knowing the strength of the academics at Northwestern, Daley’s father reached out to Popovec. Daley was too young at the time for the assistant coach to reply, but fortunately, Mel’s father included her coach’s email, and through Daley’s high school coach, Pop was able to arrange for Daley to tour campus the day before an elite camp in Evanston. Daley fell in love with the University on her visit almost immediately. </p>
<p id="EImbQo">“Once I stepped onto campus I kind of knew,” said Daley. “I told everyone I knew that Northwestern is where I wanted to go.” </p>
<p id="wbO8Mk">Northwestern clearly thought kindly about her after that first visit too, as Daley received an offer shortly after the camp.</p>
<p id="FY7xmQ">Like many members of the incoming class, Daley based her decision on academics, athletics, and culture. </p>
<p id="8Ua8WZ">“I want to be a part of history,” Daley told Inside NU. At the camp, she noticed the ‘Cats joking, dancing and having a good time, and knew she wanted to be a part of that culture and unity. </p>
<p id="50BY7k">“I felt different around them. The other schools were great, but something about Northwestern was different.”</p>
<p id="z6BAvS">Academically, Daley wants to pursue a degree in Biomedical Engineering with the goal of one day designing prosthetics for athletes. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="vw4XIq">
<h1 id="Rdqi5d">Caileigh Walsh</h1>
<p id="2CRUpG">ESPN: #56</p>
<p id="LOyyWh">6-4 Forward</p>
<p id="tFrt8S">Gill St. Bernard’s School, NJ</p>
<p id="Wgyi9m">Committed 6/1/2020</p>
<p id="VAB3Gb">Coaches Popovec and McKeown conducted a home visit with Caileigh Walsh in mid-March of 2020. Two days later, the world shut down. She still committed to Northwestern without ever stepping foot in Evanston. However, with a 6-foot-4 frame and a game that coach McKeown has described as, “a hybrid of Wolf and Scheid”, it’s no wonder that she found herself with over 35 offers to choose between. As if those 35 offers weren’t enough, she also had to balance singing in the honors choir, practicing her instruments (she plays both piano and violin) and academics all while adjusting to life in a pandemic.</p>
<p id="ZoJcSd">After setting a goal to play D1 ball in fifth grade, Walsh worked hard to develop her game. Her effort paid off, and as early as the summer before her freshman year of high school, she had her first offer, amassing several more as she traveled to exposure events with her AAU teams. Northwestern was one of the later offers to roll in, arriving her junior year. This didn’t matter to the New Jersey native, though, as she narrowed down her final decision to both <a href="https://www.bruinsnation.com">UCLA</a> and the ‘Cats. </p>
<p id="oant2f">Ultimately, the standout differences between the two were the coaches and culture at Northwestern. Although she was unable to meet the team in-person, the prized recruit jumped on a Zoom call with Lindsey Pulliam and Abbie Wolf and left the call having a great appreciation for what Northwestern has built. </p>
<p id="L2dId4">“A huge thing that I was looking for was a great balance of academics and athletics,” said Walsh.</p>
<p id="zQPrfC">Academically and athletically UCLA is relatively on par with Northwestern, but UCLA doesn’t have Kate Popovec, the primary recruiter of Walsh and the person who played a large part in landing the New Jersey native. Walsh also said that she has grown close with Northwestern Assistant Coach Tangela Smith.</p>
<p id="g9SRNp">On the court, Walsh prides herself on being able to play inside and out. She said that she wants to have an impact right away, and given the team’s struggles on the interior during the 2020-21 season, there’s a decent chance that she can slide into Northwestern’s rotation to start next season. </p>
<p id="YzWCwf">She plans to major in political science so that after she retires from the <a href="https://www.swishappeal.com">WNBA</a> she can go to law school. If the Weaver, Walsh and Brown firm can defend a court case like they can on a basketball court, their opponents in the courtroom are in trouble. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="h5DbHT">
<h1 id="QJ2Sxe">Mercy Ademusayo</h1>
<p id="IBYU4N">6-4 F/C</p>
<p id="B9pd2p">Linden Hall School For Girls, PA</p>
<p id="Y0cVw4">Hometown: Ode Irele, Nigeria</p>
<p id="JoT2SQ">Committed 9/12/2020</p>
<p id="ROm37s">In terms of her game, Ademusayo fits the idea of a Northwestern recruit perfectly — under-recruited, hard-working, versatile skill set and elite defensive potential. With that said, the Nigerian native’s story of actually getting to the hardwood is fascinating. She moved to the United States at the age of 14 not speaking English and found a home with a caring host named Denise Murphy, who some may recognize as the mother of Northwestern’s Boo Buie. </p>
<p id="iwKsBA">After transitioning to the states and settling in New York, she was thrown into another new environment, enrolling in a boarding school in Pennsylvania, a five-hour drive from Murphy’s home in Albany, New York. </p>
<p id="36ZLi5">“It was a new environment where I didn’t know anyone. My first day of high school was really hard,” said Ademusayo. “I was homesick a lot, I couldn’t get used to the food.” </p>
<p id="992u3n">Unsurprisingly, she found her home on the court, with both Linden Hall and her AAU team. </p>
<p id="BSP5oQ">Exposure at AAU games earned Ademusayo her first offer from St. Joseph’s University when she was in ninth grade. Other D1 schools such as Manhattan College, Pepperdine, <a href="https://www.forwhomthecowbelltolls.com">Mississippi State</a> and San Francisco State soon followed suit. But Ademusayo created her own opportunity. She worked with her guardian to research schools with strong sports psychology programs, her main academic interest. She identified Northwestern as an ideal candidate, and the two sent an email to Northwestern’s coaching staff.</p>
<p id="Q76Wwn">Cold, out-of-nowhere emails are rarely successful as far as recruiting goes, but the mention of a 6-foot-4 post player caught Smith’s attention. She watched the film that Ademusayo had attached and was hooked. Coach McKeown watched the film and was reminded of an elite shot-blocker he coached at George Washington. They wanted Mercy Ademusayo, and Mercy Ademusayo wanted them. </p>
<p id="FYdbzF">Aside from an elite education, Northwestern’s culture attracted Ademusayo. Coming from a high school class that was composed of just 10 girls including herself, she wanted a small school with a ‘family-like team.” Northwestern certainly fits this mold, and the involvement of the coaching staff strengthens the camaraderie. </p>
<p id="xtS0pl">The coaching staff was a major factor in Mercy’s decision, specifically Tangela Smith. Ademusayo cited the former WNBA player as a huge draw, and she knows that Smith will be able to help her get the most out of her skill set. Though she has never been to Evanston, she said that she likes the campus, having taken the virtual tour and attended prospective student meetings over 10 times to foster a sense of the area and what it’s like to be a Wildcat. </p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2021/6/16/22529769/making-a-masterpiece-how-northwesterns-stellar-2021-recruiting-class-was-builtJacob Brown2021-04-26T09:00:00-05:002021-04-26T09:00:00-05:00Softball: Offensive struggles in Ann Arbor derail the Cats
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/O-y35yN8qyCS_DTDTxiNZJcqx2c=/0x0:1800x1200/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69186667/michigan_softball.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>University of Michigan Softball</figcaption>
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<p>The ‘Cats bats were quiet as mice.</p> <p id="oNrbHO">Coming off of a winning weekend in Iowa City, Northwestern had an excellent opportunity to build on their momentum and make a statement during this weekend’s series in Ann Arbor. Following their series win over Iowa, the Wildcats were three games behind Michigan in the loss column (U of M had played four fewer games on the season) in the Big Ten standings. They sat at third in the conference behind Minnesota, who swept them two weekends prior. Unfortunately, the ‘Cats fell in three of four contests to the Wolverines, widening the gap between themselves and the top spot in the conference.</p>
<p id="WkI4Wr"> Things started off well for Northwestern, but the weekend ultimately ended in disappointment. Much like during the previous weekend’s series against Iowa, which featured a Danielle Williams perfect game in the series opener, NU’s ace was the story of Friday evening. Williams was once again stellar, giving up just one run in seven innings of work. The key to her success was her control, as she walked just one batter, hit one other and allowed just two hits while striking out six in 101 pitches. </p>
<p id="glz3jr">Rachel Lewis started the scoring with an RBI single in the top of the third, driving Mac Dunlap home. Jordan Rudd led all players with two hits and two RBI — both of which were driven in on a bases-loaded double in the fifth inning. Angela Zedak drove in NU’s final run with a sac fly to score Skyler Shellmeyer. Michigan’s only run came via a Taylor Bump solo shot in the bottom of the sixth, and Northwestern prevailed, 4-1.</p>
<p id="kc8PUi">But things would soon shift for the worse, as Saturday was a day to forget for the Wildcats. Lauren Boyd struggled in the first leg of the day’s doubleheader, surrendering six earned runs on nine hits over six innings. Her offense didn’t help her much, as, aside from a two-run blast from Maeve Nelson, NU failed to drive in any runs. All in all, the ‘Cats tallied just three hits and three walks along with two HBP to tally just eight baserunners. Meanwhile, Michigan brought in seven total runs and started off the day with a 7-2 victory. </p>
<p id="AZxeHw">Northwestern started off game two — which featured another Williams start — strong, plating one in the top of the first on a double by Rudd. Lou Allan tied it up for the Wolverines in the bottom of the first, knocking a double of her own into left. In response, Rudd launched a ball over the left-center wall that drove in Skylar Shellmeyer and gave NU a 3-1 lead, which they took into the sixth inning.</p>
<p id="rfVWXF">But things started to fall apart for the ‘Cats in the second-to-last frame. Chandler Dennis came in to pinch-hit with two on in the bottom of the sixth for Michigan and delivered, ripping a two-run double off of Williams down the right-field line that tied the game at three. </p>
<p id="9xZbnU">Northwestern failed to score in the top of the seventh, and Williams struggled mightily in the bottom of the inning, allowing two of the first three batters she faced to reach base. Allan capped off the game with a three-run shot to left, walking it off for the Wolverines. Williams surrendered six earned runs while allowing eight hits and three walks throughout the game, while the NU offense recorded just six hits and one walk in the game. Strikeouts were a problem for the ‘Cats again, as they suffered seven punch-outs in game one of the doubleheader and nine in the second.</p>
<p id="39BpBr">Hopes that Northwestern’s bats would wake up in the series finale proved futile. Morgan Newport pitched a solid game, allowing just four hits and two earned runs across five innings of work while striking out five. That strong showing, however, was not nearly enough to out-duel Michigan ace Alex Storako. The junior held the Wildcat offense to just four hits and one walk while striking out ten in a complete game start of seven innings. Northwestern failed to score and fell 2-0. </p>
<p id="H008KX">Northwestern had a chance to make a statement, and, after game one, it looked like as if they might. However, the Wildcats were unable to power through a rough offensive weekend in which they recorded just nine runs on 19 hits, hitting for a collective weekend average of .190.</p>
<p id="DSwtsL">Northwestern now finds itself three games back of Minnesota for second in the B1G and four-and-a-half games behind conference-leading Michigan. The ‘Cats will look to get back on track when they host in-state rival Illinois in Evanston next weekend. </p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2021/4/26/22402556/softball-offensive-struggles-in-ann-arbor-derail-the-catsJacob Brown2021-04-16T10:59:00-05:002021-04-16T10:59:00-05:00Northwestern women’s basketball 2020-21 player reviews: The Reserves
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<figcaption>Northwestern Athletics</figcaption>
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<p>A strange season led to a strange rotation.</p> <p id="cbwFvz">The combination of a roster flush with talent and McKeown preferring to play a rotation that is only about 7-to-8 deep made it difficult for various members of the team to find meaningful minutes. With that said, here’s a quick look at how some of the lesser known ‘Cats performed in 2021.</p>
<p id="88cVj8"><strong>Brooke Pikiell</strong></p>
<p id="JJtrth">The team’s lone walk-on, the Big Ten Sportsmanship winner accumulated only 21 minutes over the season. The daughter of <a href="https://www.onthebanks.com">Rutgers</a> men’s basketball coach Steve Pikiell, she and her father both got to experience tournament wins in the same year, which is quite the feat. With one assist and one shot attempt on the year, there’s not much to say except #FREEBROOKE.</p>
<p id="fVrkbi"><strong>Kaylah Rainey</strong></p>
<p id="MGHmnQ">The speedy sophomore averaged just 4.8 minutes per game in 18 appearances, finding herself stuck behind both Veronica Burton and Lauryn Satterwhite in the depth chart. Rainey is sharp defensively, a good passer and has a way of getting to the rim. She isn’t a great shooter, which makes it hard to play her alongside Burton and Wood. She posted just 1.4 points per game, hitting five of her nine free throws and missing all five attempts from deep. Next season she will have the chance to compete for a rotation spot, and potentially the ability to start at the point in her senior year.</p>
<p id="Vhy9gy"> <strong>Jasmine McWilliams</strong></p>
<p id="vS1m2v">McWilliams didn’t convert a ton of her shots (making just 11 of her 31 attempts on the year, including two of eight from three,) but her willingness to take them was promising. When Northwestern’s offense would go into lulls of holding the ball as the shot clock dwindled, it was a refreshing change of pace to see the first year come in and shoot aggressively. She likes to attack (she attempted 15 free throws in just 91 total minutes) but needs to work on her shot, as she hit just eight times from the line in addition to shooting 25% from deep. It’s hard to make a judgment on a first-year that missed the offseason and made just 18 appearances, but McWilliams has the size and athleticism to fit nicely into Northwestern’s system.</p>
<p id="FtagIv"><strong>Jess Sancataldo</strong></p>
<p id="aSh2wR"><a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2021/2/9/22261520/catching-up-with-jess-sancataldo-at-home-in-australia">Before getting too far into this section, I would highly recommend reading Colin Kruse’s article interviewing the junior guard</a>. With that said, #0 could have been exactly what this team needed. After having three knee surgeries and a long offseason, a healthy Sancataldo could have been the shooter that Northwestern desperately needed. She only played 24 minutes as a sophomore (none of which were very meaningful), but as a first-year Sancataldo showed that she could hit from beyond the arc. She made seven of her 17 threes as a freshman, leading the team with a 41.2% rate from deep. She consistently brought energy with her, even if it was just in seven minutes per game. This year, Jess could have been just what NU needed in the lineup alongside LP, Wood and Burton to bring some spacing to the offense. </p>
<p id="fsG4YB">There are two directions that Northwestern could take with the six-foot guard, whose next year will be her senior. The first scenario is the one in which Anna Morris turns out to be who Wildcat fans want her to be, or incoming first-year Caileigh Walsh is an instant starter. If one of the two is adequate to start at the four next year, they can potentially bring the outside shooting and interior defensive help that Northwestern’s starting lineup needs. This would allow Northwestern to abandon the four-guard lineup that they ran this year, and play a more balanced game on both ends of the floor. In this case, Sancataldo would likely compete with incoming first-years Jillian Brown and Hailey Weaver for the two spot in the starting lineup. </p>
<p id="MHnr2Z">In the scenario in which neither Walsh nor Morris are adequate at the four, Sancataldo could allow Northwestern to play a similar scheme to the one that they did this year. With experience in cross country, javelin, high jump, field hockey and beach handball, Sancataldo is an elite athlete. McKeown and Co. could also slide her into the blizzard without much of a problem due to her 6-foot stature. Her shooting ability would be of huge benefit to the Cats in the half-court, and she could play the role of the second option in the offense behind Burton. </p>
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https://www.insidenu.com/2021/4/16/22367470/northwestern-womens-basketball-2020-21-player-reviews-the-reservesJacob Brown2021-04-06T08:00:00-05:002021-04-06T08:00:00-05:00Northwestern’s women’s basketball 2020-21 player reviews: Laya Hartman
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<figcaption>Northwestern Athletics</figcaption>
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<p>A leg injury cut the promising sophomore’s season short</p> <p id="6kYt4Z">In a pre-season media session, starters Veronica Burton and Courtney Shaw both named Laya Hartman as a player that the team expected to emerge, placing some high expectations on the sophomore guard. After a first year in which she saw just 3.3 minutes of playing time per game, the opportunity opened up for the 5-foot-11 guard to solidify a spot in the rotation. She started off the season on the bench, steadily earning more playing time from 3:57 in the Minnesota game to 11:41 at Wisconsin. Her minutes then fell back down before a severe leg injury ended her season.</p>
<p id="529FrT"><strong>The Stats (courtesy of </strong><a href="http://herhoopstats.com"><strong>herhoopstats.com</strong></a><strong>)</strong></p>
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<p id="EYtVjH">Trying to draw any conclusions from 15 shot attempts in 54 minutes (not many of which came in close games) would not be a very fruitful task. Theoretically, Hartman’s value to this NU team will come as a 3-and-D wing. McKeown would love to be able to play her alongside Wood and Burton in the backcourt, using her primarily off the ball on the offensive side. Northwestern needs someone who can hit shots from deep at the two. Hartman hit two of her four shots from beyond this year, but that is obviously an incredibly small sample size, so no definitive judgment can be made on her reliability as a shooter.</p>
<p id="hvoNrL"><strong>The Shot Distribution (also courtesy of </strong><a href="http://herhoopstats.com"><strong>herhoopstats.com</strong></a><strong>)</strong></p>
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<p id="PZu20q">Again, there’s not much to talk about here. Her usage rate was low, but that’s a direct reflection of the fact that NU’s offense featured a lot of on-ball action, specifically from Burton. Only 25% of her shots were from deep, which is a potential explanation for why she didn’t see more playing time when healthy, as Northwestern had plenty of non-perimeter players ahead of her. An effective field goal percentage of 60% is impressive, but again, Hartman’s sample size was too small to be significant. </p>
<p id="bCvuea"><strong>The Good</strong></p>
<p id="NnllVY">In the time she was on the court, Hartman displayed confidence to the extreme. She plays hard, is a good defender, and has no hesitation taking shots. She reads opposing teams well on both sides of the floor and is often in a position to use her athleticism well. She may not take a ton of shots, but the ones she takes are usually good looks.</p>
<p id="qBJBwb"><strong>The Bad</strong></p>
<p id="mnLOyh">Hartman is talented all-around, but she didn’t shoot the ball well enough to get significant minutes when healthy, isn’t big enough to guard the post, and can’t create her own shot. Aside from her injury that kept her sidelined for much of the season, she was stuck behind Hamilton, Wood, Pulliam, and Satterwhite. Ultimately, she wasn’t extraordinary enough in any one facet to win significant minutes, falling prey to NU’s guard depth. </p>
<p id="DWkv0m"><strong>Offseason Focus</strong></p>
<p id="fBmPOl">Beyond resting up and getting healthy, Hartman would be smart to continue honing her jump shot. Northwestern suffered in three areas drastically this year: rebounding, three-point shooting, and free-throw shooting, converting 66% from the line and 27% from beyond the arc. If Hartman can become a deep range deadeye, she could easily become what this team needs from a scoring perspective. </p>
<p id="Ycv0PV"><strong>Bottom Line</strong></p>
<p id="eMaxLd">Northwestern needs a guard to complement Wood and Burton in the backcourt. If Hartman can solidify her shot from beyond the arc, her size and energy would allow her to slot perfectly into the starting lineup as a tenacious wing in the blizzard and an off-ball threat on the offensive end of the floor. </p>
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https://www.insidenu.com/2021/4/6/22367418/northwesterns-womens-basketball-2020-21-player-reviews-laya-hartmanJacob Brown2021-03-22T11:49:19-05:002021-03-22T11:49:19-05:00Northwestern lacrosse continues its dominant start against Rutgers
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<p>All aboard the Scane train.</p> <p id="WzBwQF">Coming off of a big series against top-10 opponent Penn State, No. 3 Northwestern (7-0, 7-0 B1G) kept on rolling in Piscataway, besting the Scarlet Knights (3-5, 3-5 B1G) 22-10 on Friday and 21-7 on Sunday. </p>
<p id="FdwdXj">Izzy Scane set a personal and school record, scoring 10 goals on Thursday. She broke the previous record of nine, which was held by Selena Lasota. Lauren Gilbert added five of her own while picking up three draw controls. Highly touted transfer Sammy Mueller found the back of the net three times while contributing four assists. Lindsey McKone added two goals and had a massive impact with six draw controls and five ground balls. </p>
<p id="qWCzbz">Northwestern took 20 more shots than Rutgers did (42-to-22) and won 19 draw controls to the opponent’s 15. The disparity in shots resulted from the ‘Cats defense, as Rutgers turned the ball over 20 times, 10 of which were caused by Northwestern. </p>
<p id="ywfIVK">Rutgers struck first in the game but was only ahead of the Cats for two minutes total. Madison Doucette gave up eight goals while stopping five shots in 51 minutes played, and sophomore Logan Lillie saved two while giving up two. The two goalies didn’t have a chance to shine, as NU’s dominant offense carried the team to a 22-10 series-opening win. </p>
<p id="p38hsb">Even after suffering a brutal loss, that the Scarlet Knights couldn’t find a way to overcome the ‘Cats in their next matchup. Scane scored 15 seconds into Sunday’s contest, and Northwestern never trailed. The junior from Clarkston, Michigan again led all scorers, this time with six goals. Gilbert added in four of her own; Leah Holmes found the back of the net thrice, and Erin Coykendall, Brennan Dwyer and Taylor Pinzone each had two. McKone tallied three assists while Scane, Coykendall and Elle Hansen all set up their teammates twice apiece. </p>
<p id="9L2EHa">The Cats again dominated Rutgers in shots, this time taking 38 shots to Rutgers’ 27. NU won 18 of 30 draw controls and picked up 16 ground balls to RU’s 14. The one area that the Scarlet Knights bested the Cats in was turnovers, with Northwestern coughing it up 13 times and Rutgers only turning it over 11 times. Doucette tallied nine saves in 48 minutes, and Lillie had two, coming out to 11 saves and seven goals allowed for the Cats. Sophia Cardello allowed 12 goals and tallied three saves for Rutgers before being pulled 20 minutes in, though her replacement Alonna Gliksman didn’t fare much better, allowing nine goals while saving three balls herself. </p>
<p id="wW2k0y">Northwestern now prepares for one of its biggest series of the season, as it will host No. 9/10 Maryland (5-1, 5-1 B1G) next Saturday and Monday. </p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2021/3/22/22342359/northwestern-lacrosse-continues-its-dominant-start-against-rutgersJacob Brown2021-01-26T10:59:52-06:002021-01-26T10:59:52-06:00Way-Too-Early 2021 Northwestern football two deep
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<p>Speculation doesn’t accomplish much, but boy is it fun.</p> <p id="QKF3gz">It feels like Peyton Ramsey led Northwestern onto the field for the first time just yesterday. But alas, it’s been over three weeks since Northwestern finished its season with a Citrus Bowl victory. </p>
<p id="TZpyzy">The beginning of the offseason hasn’t been bereft of action. A lot has happened:</p>
<ul>
<li id="pF0vdQ">Defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz retired</li>
<li id="Q275Ng">Earnest Brown IV, Blake Gallagher, Greg Newsome, J.R. Pace, Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman and John Raine declared for the NFL Draft</li>
<li id="yXxR6N">Kyric McGowan transferred to<a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft"> Georgia </a>Tech</li>
<li id="dLT66o">Isaiah Bowser transferred<a href="https://www.fromtherumbleseat.com"> to Miami (O</a>H)</li>
<li id="hMUGPY">Cam Ruiz and Jeremiah McDonald entered the transfer portal</li>
<li id="Gcr0DO">Drake Anderson and Gunner Maldonado transferred to the University of Arizona</li>
<li id="0bLu4f">Malik Washington withdrew from the portal, choosing to return to Northwestern</li>
<li id="03xMOm">Berkeley Holman and Chris Bergin chose to return for another season</li>
<li id="6GEEpI">TJ Green, Gunnar Vogel, Nik Urban, Riley Lees and <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2021/1/8/22221282/breaking-quarterback-peyton-ramsey-will-not-return-to-northwestern-next-year">Peyton Ramsey </a>chose to move on from football</li>
<li id="8MT6YA">Wide receiver Stephon Robinson, Jr., transferred to Northwestern from Kansas</li>
<li id="TEKm8o">Quarterback Ryan Hillinski transferred to Northwestern from South Carolina</li>
<li id="i3nLWT">Fitz reportedly hired Las Vegas Raiders defensive backs co<a href="https://www.silverandblackpride.com/">ach Jim O’Neil as</a> defensive coordinator</li>
<li id="TWmCnj">
<a href="https://twitter.com/WildcatReport/status/1354063840871395330">Samdup </a>Miller returned after opting out of the 2020 season</li>
</ul>
<p id="MDouCg">With the exception of the transfers, it is bittersweet to see so much talent leave. As much as Northwestern fans would have liked to see players like Ramsey and Lees return, there are other dreams to chase.</p>
<p id="FERtzm">Maybe some of the players who declared could have raised their draft stock with another season at NU, but there’s money to be made for these guys, whether it’s Newsome making bank as a high draft pick or some of the other players who will likely find themselves on practice squads. They would have been great additions to the 2021 roster, but having those six, Fisher and Slater all slated to play in the pros is a boon for recruiting. </p>
<p id="ct48ve">There’s plenty of speculation to do for this team, especially on the defensive end. Here’s an early prediction for next year’s depth chart, as well as some battles to watch:</p>
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<p id="3XdXPs"><strong>Quarterback</strong></p>
<p id="mnEYmQ">Does anyone remember Hunter Johnson? The highly touted transfer from Clemson, Johnson got a raw deal. He didn’t get a full offseason to learn Mike Bajakian’s system as QB1, and the system that he did learn as a transfer was that of Mick McCall. He committed to Tennessee before de-committing and switching to Clemson. Who recruited him to Knoxville? Mike Bajakian. Jake left Tennessee, and then Hunter de-committed. I’m not saying that Hunter is going to win the job, but there should be healthy competition for the job. <a href="https://twitter.com/amartyfootball/status/1349213276270424065?s=20">And they’re not the only ones who want the job. </a> I think we’re going to see Hilinski start for most of the season, but we can’t be sure by any means.</p>
<p id="jrByjG"><strong>Linebacker</strong></p>
<p id="sfEfpo">Bergin coming back for Northwestern is HUGE. Having a seasoned veteran will help bring some normalcy to the defense, and Bergin will very likely be the quarterback of the defense. Peter McIntyre is a redshirt senior with experience playing the WILL. With the ability to play sideline to sideline (like Blake Gallagher did), the veteran will likely get the spot to start the season. </p>
<p id="GKcHYc">That leaves MIKE spot open. Erik Mueller is the only MIKE currently on the roster, and we don’t know if he will return for another season. Other than him, Northwestern will be looking to convert outside linebackers. Jaylen Rivers and Khalid Jones are two young players that can be developed to this position. Michael Jansey could step into the role, but I would love to see Northwestern take a shot with Mac Uihlein, the four-star true freshman out of Lake Forest High School. </p>
<p id="7IO4L5"><strong>Cornerback</strong></p>
<p id="3ZAoGr">Northwestern is losing two of its top four corners. Cam Ruiz got torched a few times during the season but would still be a valuable nickel back behind AJ Hampton and Cameron Mitchell next year. Mithcell and Hampton also had some rough patches but showed tremendous growth, especially in the Citrus Bowl and Big Ten Championship games. To play behind those two, Northwestern has a variety of young talent. Redshirt freshman Rod Heard played at a solid level in limited action, while none of Garnett Hollis, Jaheem Joseph and Nigel Williams played major snaps this past season. Not only will there be a competition for this third spot, but it is still unclear who CB1 will be. Hampton played as CB2 for much of the season, but Mitchell played two REALLY good games at the end of the season. There are a many elite receivers in the Big Ten, and Northwestern will need one of these two to step up to the task of taking on the top dog on the other sideline each week. </p>
<p id="FQOTvx"><strong>Wide Receiver</strong></p>
<p id="QmjnEe">Beyond Stephon Robinson Jr, there will be a ton of competition on the outside. Bryce Kirtz and Wayne Dennis Jr looked good in their time at the end of the season and have plenty of room for growth. JJ Jefferson (out all of last season), Malik Washington and Berkeley Holman are also all coming back. All of these guys have different strengths and weaknesses, complementing each other in different ways. It’s hard to know who will stand where on the depth chart until we see how they develop and complement who earns the starting spot at quarterback. But there isn’t much of a worry at the pisition. </p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2021/1/26/22230013/way-too-early-2021-northwestern-football-two-deepJacob Brown