By Ben LarrisonThe Daily Northwestern
MINNEAPOLIS – After missing nearly a week of practice and two key games with a sprained left ankle, freshman Kevin Coble made his much-anticipated return for the Wildcats Saturday.
Coble, Northwestern’s leading scorer and rebounder before the injury, came in off the bench to score 13 points and grab four boards in 29 minutes. The Phoenix native also logged a steal and had a huge block for NU, both of which were turned into fast-break points in the Cats’ 55-40 win over the Golden Gophers.
“It’s major (having Coble back),” NU coach Bill Carmody said. “Along with the points he gives, he also opens up opportunities for our other guys to score. He can score in a lot of ways, and it’s too much of a strain on our offense when he’s not in there. It helps (Tim) Doyle to know that he can penetrate and not just look for (Craig) Moore all the time.”
After looking hesitant during his first few minutes on the floor, Coble exploded offensively, leading NU on a 10-2 run in which he scored three baskets, including two on reverse layups. Having the 6-foot-10 Coble back on offense helped the Cats exploit the absence of Spencer Tollackson, Minnesota’s leading rebounder, and dominated the Gophers in the paint, outscoring them 30-18.
Coble also helped put away Minnesota in the second half. When the Gophers hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cut NU’s lead to 10 with just more than 14 minutes remaining, the Cats responded with an 8-0 run, including a big 3 from Coble, to give NU its biggest lead of the game and kill Minnesota’s momentum.
“We expect that from him,” senior Vince Scott said. “He’s mature enough and he’s been through a lot now, so we expect good things from him and he’s just going to keep on getting better so we expect good things for the next three years.”
Coble’s return gives the Cats options off the bench, something they have been lacking and looking for all season. With the emergence of freshman Jeff Ryan as an offensive threat during Coble’s absence, NU can now rely on one of its two freshmen forwards to provide points off the bench.
Ryan, who made his third-straight start on Saturday, averaged 10 points and 4.5 boards during Coble’s absence and added nine points and four rebounds against the Gophers.
“We get a ton of different looks in this offense,” said Scott, who led the Cats Saturday with 15 points. “I mean, I’m a tall white guy that can’t run a lot, but Jeff’s a guy that can get to the basket better than anyone (and) Coble can create shots from anywhere.”
Reach Ben Larrison at [email protected].
