Players lost:

  GP/GS Min FG FGA FG% 3 Pt 3Pt A 3 Pt % FT FTA FT %
Megan Chawansky 28/27 36.9 167 412 .405 23 86 .267 131 182 .720
Shannon McGarrigle 26/3 15.3 30 85 .353 11 30 .367 21 31 .677
Anne Giblin 15/0 6.6 5 15 .333 0 0 .000 6 13 .462

 

  Off Reb Def Reb Reb PF-D Assists Steals Blocks TO A/TO High Points Ave
Megan Chawansky 45 133 178 62-2 152 56 11 104 1.46 29 488 17.4
Shannon McGarrigle 10 23 33 13-0 26 9 0 41 0.63 11 92 3.5
Anne Giblin 8 5 13 12-0 2 1 1 8 0.25 5 16 1.1

 

Players returning:

GP/GS Min FG FGA FG% 3 Pt 3Pt A 3 Pt % FT FTA FT %
Kristina Divjak* 4/4 35.5 18 61 .295 6 28 .214 24 28 .857
Leslie Schock 27/26 34.7 174 333 .523 17 38 .447 44 77 .571
Dani Leonard 27/26 34.4 99 266 .372 57 169 .337 70 99 .707
Tami Sears 28/27 32.8 113 213 .531 0 1 .000 74 106 .698
Clarissa Flores 28/16 19.2 43 154 .279 14 48 .292 29 47 .617
Leah Berki 26/6 12.3 11 38 .289 0 0 .000 23 32 .719
Chala Holland 24/0 6.8 10 37 .270 0 0 .000 5 15 .555
Becky Fisher 13/0 5.6 1 6 .167 0 0 .000 5 9 .556
Billee Russell 5/0 6.2 2 7 .286 0 0 .000 0 2 .000
Sara Jurek 6/0 3.5 2 4 .500 0 0 .000 0 0 .000

 

  Off Reb Def Reb Reb PF-D Assists Steals Blocks TO A/TO High Points Ave
Kristina Divjak* 7 18 25 12-0 3 2 0 12 0.25 27 66 16.5
Leslie Schock 61 107 168 72-2 32 24 15 44 0.73 26 409 15.1
Dani Leonard 14 73 87 70-1 114 38 1 72 1.58 26 325 12.0
Tami Sears 114 118 232 88-3 62 37 14 79 0.78 21 300 10.7
Clarissa Flores 26 38 64 55-0 40 25 3 63 0.63 14 129 4.6
Leah Berki 15 35 50 27-0 0 8 2 9 0.00 8 45 1.7
Chala Holland 16 19 35 15-0 3 2 3 9 0.33 6 25 1.0
Becky Fisher 2 11 13 11-0 3 1 3 10 0.30 4 7 0.5
Billee Russell 2 4 6 2-0 1 0 0 5 0.20 4 4 0.8
Sara Jurek 0 4 4 1-0 2 1 0 4 0.50 2 4 0.7

 

Additions:

Emily Butler 5'8 PG Greenwood City,  Ind #43*  #31@ 
Nicole Daniels 5'10 G/F White Plains, NY #92* 101@
Leslie Dolland 6'2 C Bloomington, Mn
Natalie Will 5'9 F Nappanee, In

* All Star Girls Report

@ Blue Star Report

 

Throughout their first three years, Megan Chawansky and Kristina Divjak teamed to form a potent combination.  When Divjak was forced to sit out their fourth year with a knee injury, their roles changed.  Chawansky became the Wildcats go-to player.  In 1999, Divjak will shoulder that load.

Divjak has always been a better player than Chawansky and she should have a better senior season than Chawansky, if her knee is healthy.  Divjak will be joined on the front line by Schock and Sears to form a solid trio.

Although her shooting percentage was very low, Leonard had a good turnover/assist ratio and ran the team well last year.

This is not a team that is without talent.  But it is a team that needs improvement in every single area.  Last year, they finished ninth in scoring offense and defense, eleventh in field goal percentage, ninth in field goal percentage defense and tenth in rebounding margin. 

The 99 team looks to be basically the same as the 98 one.

The main difference in teams is that Don Perelli is gone and June Olkowski will be the new coach.  Her first task will be to instill a strong work ethic in her team.  That ethic has not always been there in the past few years.

Northwestern usually manages one or two excellent efforts a year.  If Olkowski's first team is to surpass last year's record, the effort has to be more consistent.

By Position:

  Point guard.  Leonard is the incumbent.  Her stats were solid, except for a weak shooting percentage, but the Cats offense struggled horribly with her at the helm.  Clearly, she cannot be the only reason for the struggle, but a point guard does bear some responsibility for her team's offensive performance.  Leonard could be pushed by the freshman, Butler, if the team doesn't improve.

  Swing players.  If she's healthy, Divjak is one of the league's top players.  She's an excellent shooter with a very quick release and could lead the Big 10 in scoring.  The other swing position is totally up in the air.  Flores and Holland have not been contributors in prior years.  Freshman Daniels might get a shot.

  Post players.  Schock and Sears return.  Both had solid years offensively and on the boards.  But both were weak defensively.

  Bench.  The bench has been a major weakness for Northwestern for a number of years and 1999 does not look to be any better.  Olkowski will have to depend on at least two freshmen to provide some help.

Strengths:  Divjak, post offense

Weaknesses:  defense, rebounding, depth

Key games:  Jan 9 Iowa, Jan 16 @ Indiana, Feb 13 @ Ohio State

Key player:  Divjak.  If she returns healthy, she will be one of the Big 10's top players.  She is good enough to carry the Wildcats to some wins by herself.

Question Wildcat fans are asking:  Can Olkowski bring in enough players to return Northwestern to the upper division of the Big 10.

      Northwestern Schedule

      Return to Sharon's Big 10 front page.