No Coble? No problem for Wildcats in 77-55 win over NIU
Kevin Coble learns on Monday whether he'll be able to return in January or need to wait until next season.
In the meantime, senior guard Jeremy Nash looks like one of the nation's nicest security blankets.
With Coble sitting behind the Northwestern bench, crutches helping the senior forward handle what he termed a mild Lisfranc fracture in his left foot, Nash made his second career start and paced the Wildcats to a 77-55 season-opening win over Northern Illinois before 4,057 at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Nash piled up a game-high 20 points - 8 more than his previous best - and added 4 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists in a career-high 37 minutes.
"This year with Kevin going down, I wanted to take a leadership role," Nash said, "and pick my team up and let 'em know we've got to move on no matter what.
"Because we're still a team and we're still trying to make the NCAA Tournament."
Sophomore center Luka Mirkovic contributed 15 points for the Wildcats (1-0) while John Shurna and Juice Thompson - the only returning starters in Friday's lineup - added 12 points apiece.
Junior forward Xavier Silas paced the Huskies (0-1) with 18 points in his NIU debut, but the marksman hit just 1 of 7 from 3-point range and 7 of 14 from the line before fouling out with 5:11 to go.
It turned out Silas had a good reason for his iffy shooting. Less than two minutes into the second half, Nash fouled Silas' shooting hand hard.
It swelled up immediately and still looked abnormally large after the game.
"I don't want to make excuses," Silas said. "It's not broken. It's just on the soft tissue. I can't really make a fist right now. Hopefully tomorrow it'll be better."
Jake Anderson added 15 points for the Huskies, who lost 6-foot-11 center Sean Kowal with 2 fouls in the first four minutes yet still put together a 16-11 lead with 11:47 left in the first half.
At that point, Northwestern switched to its 1-3-1 zone trap (with Nash at the top) and NIU started to turn over the ball in bunches.
The Huskies went 4:35 without a basket while Northwestern kept pounding the ball inside against the undersized visitors. The Wildcats' 15-1 run gave them control the rest of the way.
NIU got as close as 42-34 early in the second half, but Kowal went out with his fourth foul shortly thereafter and the game switched to a dirge-like pace with free throws ruling the day.
Northwestern tied the school's Welsh-Ryan Arena record with 48 free-throw attempts (and making 34). When it finally ended, Carmody was more than relieved.
"I didn't want to play this game," he said. "I hope it gives our guys some confidence. They should feel good about themselves."
Good enough for he and the Wildcats, who host No. 11 Butler on Wednesday, to think they don't need Coble going forward?
"Come on," Carmody said. "Come on. I want him out there. Don't go overboard with this. We want him out there."