2007-2008 Northwestern Wildcats basketball preview

2006-07 Record: 13-18, 2-14 (10th, tied)
2006-07 Postseason: None

Northwestern won just three of their last 18 games of the 2006-2007 campaign. That is some bad momentum. Coach Bill Carmody has a few tools that look promising for the future, but the team will need more than a couple promising players to be able to compete in the Big Ten. The Princeton Offense experiment looked decent at times, but the results have not been there at all. This year should not be much, if any, better than last year, but this is a young group that can at least build towards the future.

Who’s Out:
Tim Doyle held the team together and the point guard averaged 11.5 points and 5.1 assists during his senior season. Doyle would get to the basket and create for his teammates and his proven leadership will be missed. Vince Scott and Ivan Tolic ate up most of the minutes at the center spot. Scott, who started 28 games, did most of his damage from beyond the arc and ended the season with 6.7 points per game. Little used Joe Kennedy has run out of eligibility and wrapped up his career in Evanston.

Who’s In:
It has taken a while, but the recruiting is starting to look promising for Coach Carmody. The facilities are finally getting a much needed upgrade and it appears Northwestern is finally getting some local products to stay in Chicago. Michael Thompson, a point guard out of Lincoln Park High School in Chicago, may make an immediate impact. At 5-10 his size is a concern, but Thompson is a smart floor leader who can score off the dribble and knock down the mid-range jumper with consistency. The only other incoming freshman is small forward Mike Capocci. Capocci can do some shooting, but his ability to rebound on the wing should earn him plenty of playing time. A couple redshirt freshman Croatians will battle for minutes up front. Nikola Baran is undersized at 6-7, but he has the girth to battle in the paint. Like Baran, Ivan Peljusic can play both positions up front if his team needs him to do so. Peljusic needs to bulk up some more if the team expects him to see any major minutes at center.

Who to Watch:
At the least, there are options on the perimeter. Craig Moore will take over the leadership role in the backcourt. The 6-4 junior is a decent shooter and can take care of the ball, but he will not really get to the basket and the drive and dish role will have to be played by Thompson. Sterling Williams and Jeff Ryan have starting experience on the wings, but both were inconsistent shooters last year. Williams is the better athlete and can do some damage getting to the basket when the shot is not falling. At 6-7, Ryan has the potential to become a solid inside-outside threat and he did show his potential during his freshman campaign. In order to even think about becoming a threat on the inside, Ryan has to add even more beef to his 190 pound frame. The Wildcats will actually have some depth on the perimeter with Jason Okrzesik and Jeremy Nash returning. Like the rest of the team, those two need to increase their shooting production. For a team that likes to shoot the three ball, they have to shoot a lot better if they expect to win more than two conference games this year.

Final 2007-2008 Northwestern Projection:
With all the depth on the perimeter, it would be beneficial if Ryan can steal away some minutes at the four. If the team had a decent center, they might think about running a four guard offense with Ryan as the power forward, but they do not have a center. What they do have is the star of last year’s team and the lone bright spot on an otherwise cloudy season. Kevin Coble led the squad with 13.4 points and 5.2 rebounds as a freshman last year. If he can continue to improve, the 6-8 forward will be a great player to build around for the next few years. For now, he will have to be the star of the team and put up big numbers all over the board. Coble was the most consistent shooter on the team and is the next in a long line of tall shooters at NU. Coble is a good talent, but there is not enough around him to make a run at the NCAA Tournament yet, or any tournament for that matter.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

• Craig Moore, Junior, Guard, 8.1 points per game
• Sterling Williams, Junior, Guard, 4.3 points per game
• Jeff Ryan, Sophomore, Guard, 5.1 points per game
• Kevin Coble, Sophomore, Forward, 13.4 points per game
• Nikola Baran, Freshman, Center, DNP last season

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