It Is Senior Day at Northwestern
March 6, 2004 NU-Michigan Game Notes in PDF Format
EVANSTON, Ill. - Today is going to be a hard day for a number of Northwestern basketball people -- fans, coaches, players and staff. Who knows, maybe even a few media members will shed a tear or two, knowing that their go-to quote guy is leaving. Senior Day is always an emotional one at any school, but it will have particular resonance at Northwestern today as the Wildcats bid farewell to Jitim Young prior to his final home game. (The team will also honor Patrick Towne and Drew Long in today's pre-game ceremonies. Towne missed this season with an achilles injury after three years as a reserve, while Long was forced to retire after his sophomore season due to a hip injury but has remained close to the program, and head coach Bill Carmody has elected to recognize him for his contributions during the last four years.) What has Young meant to this Wildcat program? Everything. He and Carmody arrived in Evanston together, and have overseen the renaissance of this basketball program. When they got here, the 'Cats were mired in a Big Ten slump that would reach 32 games before finally ending near the end of Young's freshman season. Today? Northwestern is hosting Michigan with a chance to finish with a winning record and fourth-place finish in the Big Ten for the first time since 1968. Heady stuff for a program that was dormant for decades. As a player, Young has certainly changed the image of what Northwestern can be about. His story has been told often, but it bears repeating -- raised by his grandmother on the hardscrabble West Side of Chicago, Young on the surface would seem to be a square peg in the round hole that is this University. However, his work ethic and sunny disposition have made him a favorite not only of his schoolmates, but alums and friends around the Northwestern community. A lot of that, of course, has to do with what he does on the court. The first captain for this program since Carmody arrived four years ago -- Carmody named him in the locker room following last year's loss to Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament, saying "this is your team now" -- Young's hard-nosed style of play has made him a likely first-team All-Big Ten selection and even a Big Ten Player of the Year candidate. His effort has won the respect and admiration of basketball fans and coaches around the conference. "It will be hard to say goodbye today to Jitim," said Carmody. "I am constantly receiving emails and letters, and being stopped in the street, by people who have watched this program for years -- decades even -- to tell me they have never enjoyed watching a player as much as they have Jitim." After the love, of course, there is the battle. Northwestern and Michigan are both playing for high stakes today -- the Wildcats, for example, would earn the No. 4 seed at next week's Big Ten Tournament with a win, as well as guarantee themselves a .500 record and thus postseason eligibility. For the Wolverines, a possible NCAA Tournament berth is still out there, and a win might get them the fourth seed next weekend in Indianapolis.
GAME 27 -- SEASON FINALE
The Coaches
TV: ESPN Regional (Craig Coshun, play-by-play; Eddie Fogler, analyst)
The Fun Fact
NU vs. Michigan
Leaders of the Pack
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