Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

Menu

John Riker, Assistant Sports Editor

John is a Medill sophomore from North Potomac, Maryland, and he really enjoys Star Wars. He currently works as a web editor and as a reporter for the sports desk. You can contact him through his email.

All content by John Riker
Player in white jersey dives across brown dirt to white base stood over by player in black jersey

Baseball: Allen earns 100th win, but Northwestern drops two of three to Rutgers

April 12, 2021
Northwestern player fires a pitch from the mound.

Baseball: Northwestern returns to Miller Park for first time in nearly two years

April 8, 2021
Northwestern player crouches on the basepath, leading off from first base.

Baseball: Northwestern drops three of four but holds off No. 25 Michigan in finale

April 4, 2021
Men’s player Michael Trautwein crouches on the basepath, leading off from first base.

Baseball: Three takeaways from Northwestern’s surprising start

April 1, 2021
Men’s player attempts a layup.

Men’s Basketball: 2020-21 Men’s Basketball Exit Survey

March 12, 2021
Ryan Young shoots the ball. Young scored five points and pulled down four rebounds in Northwestern’s season-ending loss to Minnesota.

Men’s Basketball: Disastrous start, finish spell doom for Wildcats in season-ending loss to Minnesota

March 11, 2021
Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) engage in a heated debate in “WandaVision.” The nine-episode series released its final episode on March 6.

Reel Thoughts: “WandaVision” breaks new ground for the Marvel Cinematic Universe

March 11, 2021
Sophomore forward Robbie Beran backs down a Nebraska defender. Beran scored 11 points in the Cats’ win, their third consecutive victory.

Rapid Recap: Northwestern 79, Nebraska 78

March 7, 2021
Sophomore guard Boo Buie drives against Rutgers. Buie led the Cats with 15 points and added a layup in the clutch as NU knocked off Maryland.

Men’s Basketball: Young’s dominant finish lifts Northwestern to upset of Maryland

March 4, 2021
A Northwestern swimmer does freestyle. The Wildcats finished fourth at the Big Ten Championships.

Swim and Dive: Northwestern places fourth at Big Ten Championships

February 28, 2021
Sophomore guard Boo Buie releases a shot against Ohio State on Dec. 26. Buie scored 25 points in Northwestern 67-59 win over Minnesota.

Rapid Recap: Northwestern 67, Minnesota 59

February 25, 2021
Men’s player squats on baseball diamond.

Baseball: Northwestern releases 44-game schedule 11 days ahead of first game

February 23, 2021
Junior forward Pete Nance goes up for a block attempt against Illinois on Jan. 7. Nance scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half, but the Cats’ upset bid came up short.

Men’s Basketball: Dosunmu’s late threes doom Cats’ comeback bid against Illinois

February 17, 2021
Chase Audige elevates for a dunk attempt in the Cats’ loss to Rutgers on Jan. 31. NU was unable to avenge their earlier loss in a 64-50 loss to the Scarlet Knights.

Rapid Recap: No. 25 Rutgers 64, Northwestern 50

February 13, 2021
Ryan Young backs his defender down during Northwestern’s loss to Rutgers on Jan. 31. The Cats lost their 10th straight game in a double overtime loss to Indiana.

Men’s Basketball: Cats fall in double OT marathon, suffer 10th straight loss

February 11, 2021
Pete Nance drives inside during Northwestern’s 64-56 loss to Rutgers on Jan. 31. Nance’s emergence has been a bright spot in a turbulent season.

Men’s Basketball: After a rocky start, Pete Nance is living up to the hype. Now he’s a Big Ten problem.

February 10, 2021
Chase Audige reacts in Northwestern’s Jan-31 loss to Rutgers. Audige led the Cats’ offensive effort with 18 points against Purdue, but the host Boilermakers held on to win 75-70.

Rapid Recap: Purdue 75, Northwestern 70

February 6, 2021
A photo of Tiger Woods featured in “Tiger.” The two-part HBO original documentary delves into the life of the golfing legend.

Reel Thoughts

January 28, 2021
Pat Fitzgerald lifts up the Holiday Bowl Trophy after Northwestern took down Utah 31-20 on New Year's Day in 2019. He’ll hope for more celebrations like that in the next ten years, having just signed a decade-long contract extension to stay at NU.

Riker: Wildcat football’s biggest win of the season comes at the end with Fitzgerald extension

January 28, 2021
Sophomore guard Chase Audige defends an opponent in Northwestern’s home loss to Iowa. The Cats dropped their seventh straight contest on Saturday night.

Men’s Basketball: Northwestern loses seventh straight in late collapse to Penn State

January 24, 2021
Anthony Gaines talks to Miller Kopp in Northwestern’s loss to then-No. 5 Iowa.

Rapid Recap: No. 10 Wisconsin 68, Northwestern 52

January 20, 2021
Coach Chris Collins reacts to the on-court action. The Cats surrendered 49 first half points to No. 5 Iowa and suffered their fifth consecutive loss.

Rapid Recap: No. 5 Iowa 96, Northwestern 73

January 17, 2021
Boo Buie takes a three. The sophomore guard has struggled recently after strong performances early in the season.

Men’s Basketball: Northwestern can’t complete rally in loss to No. 21 Ohio State

January 14, 2021
Sydney Wood sets up the offense. The postponement of the Cats’ January 14 game at Rutgers gives No. 22 Northwestern an eight-day hiatus.

Women’s Basketball: Game against Rutgers postponed due to COVID

January 12, 2021
Chase Audige dribbles down the floor. Audige had just four points in Thursday's loss to Illinois.

Rapid Recap: No. 12 Illinois 81, Northwestern 56

January 7, 2021
Sophomore guard Boo Buie launches a three against Ohio State. The Wildcats struggled from behind the arc against No. 16 Michigan, connecting on just five of 18 attempts.

Men’s Basketball: In 19-point loss, No. 19 Northwestern outpaced by No. 16 Michigan’s hot 3-point shooting

January 4, 2021
Freshman guard Ty Berry celebrates after the Cats pull out a 71-70 victory over No. 23 Ohio State.

Men’s Basketball: Cats edge No. 23 Ohio State, improve to 3-0 in Big Ten for first time since 1968

December 26, 2020
Chase Audige gave the Wildcats the offensive spark they needed against Indiana. The sophomore guard finished with 17 points, all in the final nine minutes.

Men’s Basketball: Audige’s second half explosion leads Wildcats to perfect Big Ten start

December 25, 2020
The Wildcats huddle during their ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup against Pitt. Northwestern lost by a point after a disastrous final minute.

Men’s Basketball: Pittsburgh wins on last-second dunk, deals NU first loss

December 10, 2020
Chase Audige tries a three-pointer. Audige scored a career-high 25 points against No. 21 Ohio State, but couldn’t get going from three-point range, finishing the night 1 for 7.

Men’s Basketball: Transfer Chase Audige makes impressive NU debut in blowout win

December 3, 2020
Stills from “The Mandalorian.” Season Two of the acclaimed Disney+ show has built on the success of the first outing and pushed it to new heights.

Reel Thoughts: Mandalorian Season Two sends Star Wars hurtling forward

November 20, 2020
Lindsey Pulliam goes up for a layup. Pulliam was named to the mid-season Wooden Award Top 25 on Thursday.

Women’s Basketball: Pulliam named media’s Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year

November 13, 2020
Dererk Pardon dribbles the ball during Northwestern’s last game at the United Center, in 2019. The United Center is slated to host NCAA Regionals in 2022 and 2026.

Northwestern to serve as host school for 2026 NCAA regional

October 18, 2020
A still from “Class Action Park.” The HBO documentary takes a deep dive into a dangerous water park, and all the trauma that came from it.

Reel Thoughts: HBO documentary “Class Action Park” provides thrills and chills

October 14, 2020
Pete Nance takes a layup. NU will look to Nance and fellow junior forward Miller Kopp to take the team to contention in the Big Ten.

Men’s Basketball: Kopp, Nance look to make Wildcats conference contenders

August 16, 2020
Aubrey Roberts, whose cross country career came to a premature end due to the coronavirus. The cross country team will look to capitalize on a reworked training regimen.

Cross Country: Northwestern looks to capitalize on reworked training regimen

August 16, 2020
Chris Collins and Jim Phillips sit courtside at a game. The NCAA and its athletic programs face an uncertain future for collegiate sports.

Riker: With or without games, this fall will be the most important season in NCAA history

August 16, 2020
Aubrey Roberts runs alongside her teammates. The COVID-19 pandemic brought a premature end to the senior’s NU career.

Cross Country: Wildcats find “mental escape” in distance training

May 18, 2020
A Northwestern swimmer leaps into the water. With swimming pools not a training option for most of the team, the Wildcats have found alternative means to continue working out.

Swimming: Wildcats translate competitive mindset to new terrain

May 5, 2020
(Daily file photo by Joshua Hoffman). Miller Kopp drives the lane. The sophomore forward led the team in scoring Saturday.

Rapid Recap: Northwestern 80, No. 20 Penn State 69

March 7, 2020
Abbie Wolf makes a move against Illinois. The senior forward/center has developed into one of the Big Ten’s best post-up players in her four years in Evanston.

Women’s Basketball: Abbie Wolf joined Northwestern without her own post-up game. Now she’s the anchor inside for the Big Ten champs

March 6, 2020
Robbie Beran prepares to dribble. The freshman forward scored six points on Wednesday.

Men’s Basketball: Wildcats’ offense falters in road loss to Wisconsin

March 5, 2020
Men’s player Michael Trautwein crouches on the basepath, leading off from first base.

Baseball: Northwestern suffers weekend sweep to South Florida

March 3, 2020
Boo Buie handles the ball. Buie and the Wildcats dropped their 12th game in a row Thursday to Illinois.

Men’s Basketball: Fighting Illini complete season sweep of Wildcats

February 28, 2020
(Daily file photo by Joshua Hoffman). Pat Spencer drives the lane. The grad transfer guard struggled to score Sunday against Minnesota

Rapid Recap: Minnesota 83 Northwestern 57

February 23, 2020
Brennan Dwyer moves down the field. The junior finished with a program-record 21 draw controls in Sunday’s win over Arizona State.

Lacrosse: Behind Dwyer’s record performance, Cats roll Arizona State

February 16, 2020
Sophomore Miller Kopp dives for a loose ball. Kopp scored 10 points on 3 of 12 shooting.

Men’s Basketball: Wildcats’ offense falters in 25-point home loss to Michigan

February 13, 2020
Robbie Beran surveys the floor. The freshman forward started for the Wildcats on Saturday

Men’s Basketball: Northwestern hopes to rebound, pull off home upset of Michigan

February 11, 2020
Miller Kopp shots a three pointer. The sophomore forward nailed three three-pointers from behind the arc on Saturday.

Men’s Basketball: Purdue steals win in final seconds, hands Northwestern 10th Big Ten loss

February 2, 2020
Pat Spencer gets hit as he shoots. The graduate transfer guard finished with 11 points on Wednesday.

Rapid Recap: Michigan State 79, Northwestern 50

January 29, 2020
Load More Stories