Feb. 18--Four freshmen have received significant playing time for Northwestern this season, most notably starting point guard Bryant McIntosh and forward Vic Law.
"Overall I have been really pleased with how they have done," coach Chris Collins said of his young nucleus that will continue its development Wednesday night at Minnesota.
McIntosh is averaging 12.2 points and 4.3 assists per game. He has scored in double figures 18 times. The 6-foot-7 Law out of St. Rita, is averaging 6.2 points and 4.7 rebounds.
"They have been thrown into the fire," Collins said. "Bryant McIntosh, obviously, has been fantastic. He has been as good as any of the other top freshmen in the league. And to do it at point guard ... he has a great poise about him. His next step is going to be adding strength so he can complete some plays around the basket on his drives ... continuing to learn how to run a team and step up more vocally."
Bulking up is a consistent message Collins is delivering.
The 6-5, 175-pound Scottie Lindsey out of Fenwick thinks he can put on 15 pounds during the offseason without compromising his mobility.
"I've gotten better every game," Lindsey said. "It was very fast for me at first. I am obviously still skinny, so I have to get stronger."
Collins sees tremendous upside for Lindsey, who has averaged less than 15 minutes per game.
"(He) has to potential to be an outstanding scorer in our league," Collins said. "A lot of (his development) has to do with strength and conditioning. He has to be able to fight through resistance a little better. He has to work on his ball skills, movement and plays off the dribble. I have been happy with (him) as a shooter."
Law, who weighs just 185 pounds, also needs more bulk.
"Vic is a high-impact guy. His situation is similar to Scottie's," Collins said. "It is going to be a big offseason for them to really get into the weight room, get stronger and learn how to play through contact, play through resistance."
Freshman forward Gavin Skelly (6-8, 219) performed well Sunday against Iowa, collecting four rebounds and blocking a shot in seven minutes.
"He can run the floor, finish around the basket and bring energy to the team," Collins said. "With those four guys in particular, all of them have gotten better after going through what we have gone through (10-game losing streak). (The offseason) is going to be huge to make that big jump from freshmen to sophomores."
Layups: Northwestern will join North Carolina, Kansas State and Missouri for the championship rounds of the 2015 CBE Hall of Fame Classic (Nov. 23 and 24) at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. ... Collins said injury-plagued senior guard JerShon Cobb will not play Wednesday night but could be ready to return for Saturday's home contest against Penn State. ... Northwestern's 12 blocked shots against Iowa tied a school record. Alex Olah led the way with five rejections.
fmitchell@tribpub.com
