I never thought I’d be saying this, but I feel sorry for Tavaras Hardy.

Not because of his year-long struggle at the free-throw line or his inability to consistently knock down a 10-foot jumper.

I feel sorry for him because he’s given so much to the Wildcats this season and, recently, he’s gotten so little in return.

I feel sorry that the senior’s final Big Ten tournament memory will be a 21-point loss to Michigan, the second-worst team in the conference and one of the more unimpressive teams Northwestern has faced this season.

Believe it or not, Hardy deserves better than that. A lot better.

Four years ago, I never would have believed it. When I watched Hardy as a freshman, I saw a player destined for mediocrity, the kind of player who would stumble if forced into a leadership role.

And during the next two seasons, the Joliet product gave me no reason to believe that he could put the Cats on his back and make them a Big Ten contender.

That’s why what Hardy has done this year has been so amazing. Call it the miracle at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

The senior has completely bought into Carmody’s system and has made himself into a much more versatile player. He has become a triple threat with the ball, able to pass, take people to the hoop off the dribble and shoot from downtown.

I’ll admit that I winced the first few times I saw Hardy pull up from long range this season. I think I even yelled at my television once or twice.

But pretty soon I stopped yelling because the shots started dropping.

In addition to developing a surprisingly effective outside game, Hardy has given opponents fits down low all year with his reverse layups, tip-ins and finger rolls. He fights hard on every shot until it goes in or goes the other way.

And he has continued fighting through NU’s current four-game tailspin – even when, at times, it’s looked like his teammates have given up.

Hardy showed a significant amount of heart Saturday when the rest of his team disappeared late against Indiana. The senior had 18 of the Cats’ 35 second-half points, posting separate 11- and seven-point runs on his own.

Thursday’s first-round Big Ten tournament matchup with the Wolverines was more of the same. NU played an inferior team any way you slice it. But Hardy was the only NU players who really came to Indianapolis to play 40 minutes.

And so for one game, Michigan looked like a top-notch conference opponent. Hell, NU made the Wolverines look like a top-10 team.

Near the end of the game, his squad’s chances for a Big Ten tourney title on the ropes, Hardy was fouled after taking one inside. As he made his way to the free-throw line, the senior gazed at the scoreboard with a look of utter disbelief.

It was the look of a player who had done everything he could think of to help his team win, but had still come up short and couldn’t understand why.

Now the Cats have to sit and wait, hoping their poor performance against the Wolverines won’t keep the National Invitation Tournament committee from giving them a call.

It’s still likely that NU will move on to the postseason. And if they do, it’s a definite that Hardy will lace up his shoes and be ready to go for a full 40 minutes again. If his teammates follow his lead, the Cats could salvage their season and make some noise in the NIT.

But Hardy can’t win games by himself. He desperately needs some help at key moments, help he hasn’t gotten in recent contests. The same help he was getting when NU knocked off Wisconsin, Michigan State and Minnesota earlier this season.

But if Hardy is left to go it alone, NU will be one-and-done for the second postseason tournament this year.

And Hardy deserves better than that. After the way he’s played this season, he shouldn’t have people feeling sorry for him.