Freshman forward Mike Capocci flew toward the hoop along the baseline against Michigan on Jan. 12. He did not quite reach the basket-it is difficult when a player is jumping in front of the rim trying to block the shot – but found a way to score and draw the foul before crashing to the floor.
Capocci has struggled to find playing time since suffering a groin injury at the beginning of the season, but his play gave Northwestern a glimpse of one of its future players.
But it is not the only glimpse into next year’s team.
Sophomore forward Kevin Coble’s 34-point performance in that same game, freshman guard Michael Thompson’s 4.8 assists per game – ranked second in the Big Ten – and junior guard Craig Moore’s 19-point average in the past three games and 13.4 points per game in 10 conference games have given the Wildcats some positives to reflect on for the future despite a winless conference record.
But NU (7-14, 0-10 Big Ten) is not ready to start playing for next year quite yet.
“The thing that coach has told us in the locker room after our last two or three losses is that he’s not giving up, the coaches aren’t giving up, there’s no reason for us to give up,” senior guard Jason Okrzesik said. “A lot of people talk about this season has been a failure, and get ready for next season. We’re trying to win now.”
While the team may have more to play for in preparing for next season, coach Bill Carmody is still looking for a way to win games now.
Carmody said he will insert new players into the rotation if he feels they can help the team win. Capocci and freshman forward Ivan Peljusic may see more playing time tonight against Ohio State (16-8, 7-4) and in the future simply because there is not much production coming from forwards outside of Coble.
Peljusic has played only 44 minutes this season, scoring 16 points. He received meaningful minutes in NU’s 92-72 loss to Minnesota last week, scoring two points and grabbing two rebounds in a season-high 12 minutes. Carmody said he likes his length on defense and that Peljusic has played well enough in practice to earn playing time.
Carmody said he would not insert players just so he can see them in a game situation because the team is still trying to win.
To earn their first conference win, the Cats may shake up the bench rotation to see how some of the other players perform. Junior guard Sterling Williams said it does not help the team to look forward to next season while still trying to earn its first conference victory.
“I think coach’s philosophy is to play the guys who are going to help him win,” Williams said. “The guys who are playing, obviously we haven’t been producing. It would be helpful to let some of the other guys who haven’t played as much to play, to get a chance out there to see what they can do.”
The Cats face a unique situation. They will be returning all but two players to next year’s roster-Okrzesik and former football wide receiver Tonjua Jones are the only seniors. NU can prepare for next season while still putting its best lineup on the court.
Williams said the team still has to focus on each game individually, but knowing everyone will return next year is an advantage for the next season.
“There’s obviously a better team camaraderie, and that helps with chemistry on and off the court,” Capocci said. “I think that helps a lot to have everybody who has a solid relationship with each other and something to build on.”
