By David KalanThe Daily Northwestern
MADISON, Wis. –
If ever a 17-point game was surprisingly telling about the fortunes of two teams – and not in the way one would imagine – it was Saturday’s 69-52 dismantling of Northwestern by No. 2 Wisconsin.
Of course to say dismantling is really too strong of a term. While the Badgers were fully in control for most of the game, the Wildcats were never terribly far behind. And even when Wisconsin stretched out a 24-point lead in the second half, NU responded with a 14-0 run.
But these were two teams in very different places. One has superior talent and is competing for a national championship, while the other is a program trying to find the footing that might propel it to the postseason in the next few years.
Most interestingly, both of these programs may have found their answers to the questions they face.
For the Badgers, the stunning play of Alando Tucker combined with the perimeter games of Michael Flowers and Kammron Taylor is no doubt intimidating. An early alley-oop from Taylor to Tucker was as intimidating a play as one can make when trying to establish national title hopes.
But lost in this is the substandard play of center Brian Butch. While he received a grand round of applause from the crowd every time he left the court, I couldn’t help but ask the question of “why?” Butch finished with four points, six boards and no blocks or assists in 17 minutes. In first half he was boxed out by Tim Doyle, stripped by Jeremy Nash and turned a ball over to Jason Okrzesik.
If this is the play Wisconsin receives in the paint they’ll be able to dominate a mediocre conference and coast through the early rounds of the NCAA tournament. But if Butch can’t compete with the Tyler Hansbroughs or Joakim Noahs of the world it’s a stretch to see the Badgers cutting down the nets in early April.
For NU, while the questions arise from darker surroundings the answer appears bright.
Very bright.
That answer is freshman Kevin Coble. Lost in the highlight reel play of Tucker was the fact that Coble actually led all players in scoring on Saturday.
Coble finished with 24 points on 10-for-17 shooting, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. For most of the second half he had more than half of NU’s points and was a matchup problem for the Badgers all game long.
But what truly has separated him from most NU players in recent years is the versatility of his game.
While he can hit from long range he isn’t afraid to move in from the perimeter with the ball and penetrate the lane. He makes the movements and cuts that make the offense work, unlike an offense that too often has found itself static and with five players all standing around the arc. On a number of occasions Coble took defenders on one-on-one and created his own shot to generate offense.
While Coble’s scoring cooled off near the end of the end of the second half his production did not. He made several nice passes to set up baskets for fellow freshmen Jeff Ryan and Nash.
It’s undeniable that Coble’s hot shooting sparked NU’s late run – which created a palpable sense of angst among the Badger faithful – and comments from the Badgers themselves, who did not see the then-injured Coble when they came to Evanston, were further evidence that Coble is the future of the program.
He was arguably the best player on the court while playing the No. 2 team in the country. With one or two more years of experience under his belt and some muscle added onto his lanky frame he could be one of the best players in the Big Ten, and maybe the best NU has ever seen.
Sports Editor David Kalan is a Weinberg senior. He can be reached at [email protected].
