For two seasons, the Northwestern men’s basketball team struggled without the service of a single senior.

Last season, the Cats’ two veterans, Tavaras Hardy and Collier Drayton, played important roles on a 16-win team.

And this year, with three seniors on the roster, leadership shouldn’t be an issue.

But Wednesday it was.

In the final possessions of NU’s Big Ten opener against Iowa, the team’s senior trio had a series of misfires and mishandles.

The three mishaps wiped away the memories of two previous plays that should have been defining moments in the game.

With one minute left, Burke calmly fired a backdoor pass to Blake, whose layup brought NU to within two points. Then, on the ensuing Iowa possession, Jennings forced a jump ball, which gave the Cats a chance to take the lead.

But everyone will remember the final-minute meltdown that cost NU the chance at a big conference victory.

Still, it wasn’t that the three played poorly throughout.

Jennings had the best game, leading the team with 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting. But the center didn’t provide enough of an inside presence, corralling only five rebounds.

Until the last minute, Burke was having one of his best nights of the year. He scored 11 points and drained two timely three pointers.

Blake had little to show for his outing, however. NU’s leading marksman from last season was 0-for-6 from behind the arc and made only 3 of 12 field goals — a performance that may force coach Bill Carmody to bench the senior for Saturday’s contest at Purdue.

The seniors’ final-minute performance displayed the lack of court leadership that has been missing at key times this season.

With the Big Ten season just beginning, now is the perfect time for them to step up.

Basically, it’s time for them to take lessons from last year’s duo.

Hardy was the go-to guy on offense. The consistent scorer. The tough rebounder.

Drayton was the defensive leader. The scrappy player who riled up the rest of the Cats.

NU misses their play, for sure. But mostly, it misses their locker room leadership, and their on-court yapping and clapping.

This year’s trio is stoic, often passive, and rarely seems to vocalize its discontent.

Until now.

After the 68-63 loss, Jennings took it on himself to carry more of a load.

“I’m a senior in the Big Ten,” Jennings said. “I gotta step up. … I’m always going to take that shot. And I’m going to make it. I got to take that personally.”

Sweet words to the ears of coach Carmody, who needs to hear the same resolve out of his other two seniors.

But words can only take the Cats so far. The real test will come in NU’s next close contest, when either Jennings, Burke or Blake decide to take the game into his own hands.

And surely that time will come.

Assistant sports editor Elia Powers is a Medill senior. He can be reached at [email protected].