Nov. 12--Two days before the season opener, Northwestern suffered a debilitating loss.
Sophomore forward Vic Law, who had worked diligently during the offseason to put on 15 pounds and build muscle, will undergo surgery next week to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will miss the entire season.
The injury to the team's second-best rebounder was sustained over the summer and got progressively worse.
"After the MRI, I was hoping the doctor wouldn't say it was torn or something drastic," Law said Wednesday, "but after he said it, I just tried to be positive about it.
"Of course I was upset and I felt like I was letting the team down. But I have to be positive and look at the brighter side of things ... know that this is a year I can get better and fully healthy."
The 6-foot-7, 200-pound Law, a St. Rita alumnus, made 19 starts and appeared in all 32 games as a freshman, averaging 7.0 points and 4.8 rebounds. He ranked fifth in the Big Ten during conference play with a 44.2 3-point percentage.
"It always was up to him and his family (to have the surgery) because none of us knows what that feels like," NU coach Chris Collins said. "It was always about his level of pain."
Scottie Lindsey, a 6-5 sophomore from Fenwick, is expected to assume most of the playing time at Law's wing position.
The Wildcats open the season Friday night against UMass Lowell at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
