Northwestern University Athletics
A New Era
4/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
April 24, 2007
by Kyle Adams
Northwestern Media Services
They knew it wasn't going to be easy.
After losing its two leading scorers and nearly 60 percent of its scoring from the previous year, Northwestern fought through an up-and-down 2006-07 campaign. Mohamed Hachad and Vedran Vukusic, who won the Big Ten regular-season scoring title in 2006, both graduated, leaving the Wildcats young and largely unproven heading into the 2006-07 season.
In the end, the Wildcats finished 13-18 overall, having struggled in conference play. Still, the season had its share of bright spots and offered an early preview of the auspicious future in store for Wildcat basketball.
Early Season Success
Bolstered by strong starts from veteran leader Tim Doyle and a solid young supporting cast, the Wildcats posted their best nonconference start since 1993-94 when they opened 9-0. The `Cats held a 10-3 record heading into the Big Ten schedule, marking the first time the Wildcats had entered Big Ten play with at least 10 wins. With a win over Texas-Pan American in the midst of the conference schedule they notched their 11th nonconference win, the most in school history.
The early season run included an impressive 10-point win over a DePaul team that finished the season 20-14 and reached the quarterfinals of the NIT. NU's suffocating defense held the Blue Demons to just 39 points in the contest. They proceeded to hold both North Florida and Wheaton (Ill.) under 40 points in nonconference play, exhibiting the stout defense that has become a hallmark of Northwestern basketball under head coach Bill Carmody.
In addition to beating DePaul, the Wildcats defeated Miami (Fla.) in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge and Utah by 33 at the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico.
In the Miami win, sophomore guard Craig Moore stole the show with 24 points and tied a school record with seven 3-pointers, helping the Wildcats withstand a furious Miami comeback.
And it was another youngster who stepped up in the win over Utah, a perennial NCAA postseason tourney qualifier. Sharp-shooting freshman Kevin Coble led four Northwestern players in double figures that game with 22 points as the Wildcats put on a clinic, 77-44, Utah's worst defeat in 18 years.
Coble, who was named to the all-tournament team, was 8-of-11 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from behind the arc. The Wildcats also set a school record, shooting 73 percent (minimum 10 attempts) from 3-point range, going 11-of-15. The 'Cats shot 69.2 percent overall from the field--the highest shooting percentage in the Carmody-era--just missing the school record of 70.2 percent set back in 1998.
Veteran Leadership
With the loss of three starters from a year ago, Doyle went from a role player to a veteran leader of a young and inexperienced squad. Though he shouldered much of the on-court burdens throughout the season, Doyle excelled under the pressure and was named honorable mention all-Big Ten.
Doyle took advantage of his more primary role in the offense, scoring in double digits in 17 games. He set a career high with 26 points in the home game against Purdue and was the only player to start all 31 games. He displayed his skills as a playmaker, scoring 11.5 points per game and posting 5.1 assists per game, good for third in the Big Ten.
The senior from Merrick, N.Y., filled up the stat sheet all season long. He set a Northwestern single-season record with 157 assists and became the first player in school history to record at least 350 points, 150 assists, 100 rebounds and 50 steals in the same season--joining a list of only 13 other players in the history of the Big Ten to accomplish that feat. A list that includes the likes of Magic Johnson, Scott Skiles and Isiah Thomas.
Most importantly, he provided a steady influence for a young team. He showed leadership, nurturing the young talents of Coble, Jeff Ryan and Jeremy Nash and proved to be the perfect court general for a team still learning to gel.
Freshman Phenom
Kevin Coble. Two words that will put a smile on the face of any Wildcat fan.
 Kevin Coble had one of the best seasons by a freshman in school history.  |
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Despite the team's struggles of 2006-07, Coble showed Northwestern the very real promise of the near future. In the process, he became the first freshman in school history to lead the team in both scoring (13.4 ppg) and rebounding (5.2 rpg) in the same season and was named to the 2007 Big Ten All-Freshman Team. He became the first Northwestern player since Jitim Young in 2003 to record back-to-back double-doubles, notching 16 points and 10 rebounds in the victory over Penn State before recording 14 and 11 on the road at Iowa. He posted double-digit point totals 21 times and scored more than 20 points on five occasions.
Coble had his best offensive game of the year when he scored a season-high 25 points against Western Michigan back in December. He netted 24 twice, against Wisconsin and Purdue and hit five 3-pointers twice, against Tennessee Tech and Utah.
But it goes beyond his statistical dominance. He exhibited maturity, consistency and a controlled style of play that betrayed his years. More importantly, he gave the Wildcats the playmaker and spot-up shooter they thought they had lost with Vukusic's departure.
Strong Support
In addition to Coble and Doyle, Northwestern's supporting cast delivered their share of strong performances and again provided promise for the future of Northwestern basketball.
Junior guard Jason Okrzesik started strong, scoring 11 points against Cornell in his first game as a Wildcat. He followed that up with three more double-digit point performances in the nonconference schedule, including a career-high 13-point performance against Northwestern State.
Freshman guard Ryan gave Northwestern fans a glimpse of the future. He started a little slower, though, scoring eight points at Stanford in only his third collegiate game and had two straight nine-point performances against Loyola (Md.) and Northwestern State.
But it was only a matter of time before the slashing guard from Glenview busted out--and on no better stage.
With leading scorer Coble out of the lineup with an ankle injury, Ryan earned his first career start against the third-ranked Wisconsin Badgers at Welsh-Ryan Arena. He wasted no time showing he belonged, exploding for a career-high 18 points. He finished the season strong, scoring 10 against Texas Pan-America and 11 against Indiana.
But from the very beginning he displayed a blend of confidence and athleticism necessary for any successful scoring guard. Throughout the season he progressed in his maturity and decision-making. He started 10-straight Big Ten games, gaining valuable experience as he moves into his sophomore season.
Moore had his share of ups and downs as well, but finished the season on a positive note. He built off a strong freshman campaign, scoring in double digits 11 times, including two-straight games with 20 or more points. He hit 7-of-10 from behind the arc on his way to a 24-point performance against Miami (Fla.). He followed that up with a 26-point game against Western Michigan in which he hit 6-of-9 from the 3-point stripe. Moore's 13 makes from behind the arc in those two games was the best mark over a two-game stretch in Northwestern's history.
He then posted his third game with at least six 3-pointers at Penn State later in the season before finishing strong with 15 points in the Big Ten Tournament against Michigan State, leading a furious second-half comeback.
Redshirt sophomore Sterling Williams continued to develop, displaying consistency in 19-straight starts. He came off the bench against Ohio State on January 24 to score 11 points, including three 3-pointers, nearly leading the Wildcats to the victory of the No. 2-ranked team in the country.
Senior Vince Scott finished his career with a steady season. He scored in double-digits eight times, including two-straight perfect shooting performances. He hit all five of his field goals against Utah en route to a 13-point performance and followed that with a 16-point performance against Loyola (Md.), a game in which he was a perfect seven-for-seven from the field.
Looking to the Future
Heading into the 2007-08 season, the Wildcats will have a cohesive and experienced group returning. Led by Coble, the Wildcats will hope to build on the strides made from this past season. They add Mike Capocci (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) and Michael Thompson (Chicago, Ill./Lincoln Park), two of the most highly touted prospects in Illinois.
Even with the promise of next year, the 2006-07 season represented a memorable one. It was one in which Wildcat fans saw Doyle step up into the leadership role he'd long been preparing for. They saw Coble turn in a historic freshman season and saw a supporting cast of players develop into a cohesive unit.
Though it's tough to simplistically qualify the 2006-07 season, it was a step in the right direction for a Wildcat team looking to reach new heights and bring unprecedented success to Northwestern in the years to come.
