Last year, in the second half of the season’s second exhibition game, Vedran Vukusic went down with a shoulder injury.

At the time, Northwestern’s medical staff expected him to be back within several weeks. But weeks soon became months, leaving Vukusic unable to play for the entire 2002-2003 season.

Tonight, with his right shoulder intact following surgery, Vukusic will make his triumphant return to Welsh-Ryan Arena for the season’s first exhibition game against the Coaches vs. Cancer All-Stars.

The game is the Wildcats’ first time on the court since their 94-65 loss to Illinois in the 2003 Big Ten tournament and an opportunity to show how they’ve improved since last season.

A large part of Northwestern’s chances this season ride on Vukusic, who made 51 percent of his shots in 2001-2002, his freshman year. That season, he averaged just 17 minutes per game, mostly because of another, less severe injury to the same shoulder.

Despite Vukusic’s past health problems, the Cats are confident that their 6-foot-8 swingman is ready to start the season.

“He’s not even a question mark, to tell you the truth,” coach Bill Carmody said at Big Ten Media Day on Oct. 26. “I mean, he’s got so much metal in there, it’d be hard to keep him out.”

In practice, Vukusic has been going all out — a decision that sometimes makes his teammates nervous.

“We tell him not to go for rebounds in practice — just wait for the season to start,” sophomore guard T.J. Parker said.

Jitim Young, NU’s lone senior starter, said he’s excited about the prospect of playing with a healthy Vukusic for the entire season.

Young leaned back in his chair and raised his eyes to the ceiling when asked about the return of Vukusic, who is well-known for his strong passing ability, a talent that tends to help his teammates look good with easy lay-ups.

“Everything just runs smoother when Vedran is in there,” Young said.

While the Cats are looking for a strong season from Vukusic, Young is the unquestioned leader of the team. He is the first captain named by Carmody since the coach arrived in 2000-2001.

Young led the team in scoring last season with 13.4 points per game and was named third-team All-Big Ten by the conference’s coaches.

He said he’s ready to get on the court to help his teammates reach their goal of making the NCAA tournament.

“When I see something I don’t like I’m going to tell everybody,” Young said. “And at the same time, everyone on the team knows I love them like they were my brothers.”

The 6-foot-2 Young, who also led the team in rebounding last season, said he won’t mind crashing the boards when necessary again this season.

Young gets his first chance to prove his senior leadership qualities tonight. The Cats will be going up against the All-Stars, a team made up of former college and semi-pro players.

Although tonight’s game doesn’t count in the standings, it’s a chance for NU to ready itself before the season starts Nov. 21.

The Cats will be challenged early this year when they face teams like Colorado, DePaul and Arizona State in their non-conference games.

In recent years, the Cats have played mostly lower-tier Division I teams early in the season, but Young said he’s glad –U has taken the step up to scheduling better-quality opponents.

“I know what it takes to win, not only in college basketball but in the Big Ten,” he said.