Higher expectations? Wisconsin and Ohio State.
Dire expectations? Northwestern.
“It’s motivated us in practice and kind of [ticked] me off, to be honest with you,” senior forward Tim Doyle said of his team being picked to finish at or near the bottom of the Big Ten. “It’s been a huge motivating force behind conditioning, lifting and our practices.”
With four regulars back, coach Bill Carmody begins his seventh season in Evanston in search of his first postseason bid. The Wildcats have five scholarship freshmen and one newly eligible transfer.
Northwestern has finished one game under .500 the last three seasons, flirting with the NIT each year behind forward Vedran Vukusic, the school’s No. 4 career scorer who averaged 19 points a game last year and is playing professionally in Israel.
Guard Mohamed Hachad, the team’s No. 2 scorer last year at 11.8, also graduated. Senior forward Bernard Cote, who turned in a disappointing 4.2 ppg last season, earned his degree and decided not to use his remaining eligibility.
“Our biggest problem is scoring–who will put the ball in the basket?” Carmody said. “We never get any rebounds anyway. We’ll play decent defense, but who’s going to score?
“Doyle is more a facilitator than a scorer, but I’ve told him he can’t get five or six shots a game like last year. It’s the same as I told Vedran last year: He may be the No. 1 option, and he has to get 10 or 12 or 13 shots a game.”
Doyle is the leading returning scorer at 8.0 ppg. Sophomore guard Craig Moore (6.8) can hit the three and will start. Sophomore swingman Sterling Williams (3.4) could develop into a good transition scorer.
Northwestern needs Vince Scott, a 6-foot-11-inch center, to have a big senior year after shedding 15 pounds to get to 230. Scott averaged 3 points and 2.6 rebounds and was admittedly hefty as a junior.
“Last year I put on weight, and it was not so good,” Scott said. “This summer I got up at 7 in the morning and ran with a conditioner, and it was helpful.”
Jason Okrzesik, a junior guard from Fenwick who transferred from Rice, will be in the rotation and could start.
Among the freshmen are two who might get a chance to start right away: forward Kevin Coble and guard Jeff Ryan from Glenbrook South. Guard Jeremy Nash from Marist may also get some time.
“Coble is real skinny, but he has a knack for putting the ball in the basket,” Carmody said. “He’s nifty, crafty.
“Ryan’s a good all-around player, a 6-6 guard who’s fast. He knows what he’s doing. He might contribute right away.”
Two freshmen are from Vukusic’s homeland, Croatia: center Nikola Baran and forward Ivan Peljusic.
“When we scrimmage, Peljusic scores and rebounds,” Carmody said. “Baran has picked things up quickly, a good long-range shooter. With both Croatian guys, you have to give them a little time for cultural changes and adaptation.”
As long as they don’t read too many preseason magazines.
As Scott put it: “Some of these freshmen are going to help. They have to help.”
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tabannon@tribune.com
