1st Half Thoughts: Coble heating up
You can usually tell within his first few shots whether junior forward Kevin Coble is going to have a big game. Coble might be in for one of his 30-point performances (think Indiana and Michigan games at home last year) tonight.
Coble hit a floater on the drive for the first points of the game, then sunk a hard hook shot from the post to spark a 7-0 spurt to start the game. Coble has added a couple 3-pointers and has 10 points as Northwestern leads 16-8 with 10:54 left.
You can tell the junior is feeling some confidence because of the shots he has taken. He is not afraid to get open beyond the arc and take some 3-pointers so far. He is two of three from behind the arc, and that one miss may tell you more about his confidence level than anything. The miss was a hurried 3-pointer as he came off a flare screen. Coble is feeling it tonight.
The Wildcats’ defense has been downright oppressive in the early part of this game. DePaul missed 10 of its first 11 shots (some on open looks). The Blue Demons have gotten back into the game offensively because of a clear strategy to get the ball inside to center Matija Poscic. Poscic drew two quick fouls on freshman center Kyle Rowley, bringing the smaller Ivan Peljusic into the game.
Otherwise, NU has been picking apart DePaul’s defense and stifling the team on defense to gain a comfortable lead.
