For the last eight years, Bill Carmody has tried to craft a respectable product from substandard talent. He employed a junky 1-3-1 zone defense to offset a lack of size. He made guards into forwards and forwards into centers. He did anything to close the gap between Northwestern and its opponents, a gap created in part by his poor recruiting.

As Carmody enters his ninth year, he’s under increased pressure to produce results. For the first time, he could have the roster to do so. Northwestern signed quite possibly the best recruiting class in school history, a party of five that needs no booster seats.

Carmody brought in four players standing 6'8" or taller, including two true centers in Kyle Rowley and Luka Mirkovic and athletic forward John Shurna. The sudden size should pay off in rebounding and interior defense, two areas that have plagued the Wildcats throughout Carmody’s tenure.

“We’re definitely going to get a couple starters out of that bunch,” Carmody says. “Certainly we have the size now, and we need some help up front, so here it is, fellas.”

The freshmen join a core that features sharpshooting guards Craig Moore and Michael Thompson and star forward Kevin Coble, who missed the first nine games of last season to be with his ailing mother. Though three Big Ten wins in the last two seasons hardly breed optimism, Northwestern might finally have the horses to keep up.

Frontcourt

The Big Ten’s worst rebounding team will have a dramatically different look up front. Rowley and Mirkovic likely will platoon at center, a critical position in the Princeton offense that has become a cavity at Northwestern. Mirkovic can face up and has decent shooting range, while the 7'0", 280-pound Rowley is raw but can be damaging around the basket. Both are strong passers, which will help them get immediate minutes.

“You throw the ball in, they throw out,” Carmody says. “They’re going to double-team guys down there. They didn’t double-team us before.”

Coble averaged 15.9 points and 5.4 rebounds last season but couldn’t find a groove for long stretches. The new arrivals will lessen his rebounding load, but Coble must improve on the defensive end. Shurna and Davide Curletti will share time at the other forward spot along with sophomore Mike Capocci, an athletic lefthander who struggled with his confidence down the stretch last season.

“Shurna’s thin, but he’s not weak. He’s not afraid, and he doesn’t get tired,” Carmody says. “Davide’s very aggressive, too. Those two guys can get (rebounds).”

Ivan Peljusic showed flashes as an undersized center last season but likely will play more at small forward as Northwestern tries to build depth.

Backcourt

Carmody rarely names a captain but bestowed the title to Moore, who averaged 13.4 points and ranked among the league leaders  in steals (1.83 spg) and assists (3.1 apg) last season. Moore trimmed his body fat and improved in every statistical category, leading the Big Ten in 3-pointers made per game (3.23).

Moore rejoins Thompson, who set a school freshman record for assists (128). Thompson improved his shooting this spring and should display greater leadership presence. “I want him to take more control,” Carmody says. “He’s been through a whole year, a lot of minutes. He knows now. I don’t want him looking at me too much.”

Carmody is counting on Jeremy Nash and Jeff Ryan to provide depth. Nash is a dependable defender who must contribute more on the offensive end, while Ryan played out of position last season but will see time at both guard spots. Freshman Nick Fruendt is a natural scorer but must bulk up to compete in the Big Ten.

Final Analysis

Personnel is no longer a crutch for a team and a coach desperately needing a breakthrough. Even if only one or two of the freshman big men pan out, the Wildcats will be bigger and better in the post. They should have greater depth in several spots to help spell Coble, Moore and Thompson. The newcomers give Carmody the flexibility to showcase his coaching skills, which will determine his ultimate fate in Evanston.