Four years into this Northwestern experiment, Wildcats coach Bill Carmody has realized that winning in the Big Ten takes the same recipe as winning in the Ivy League -- skilled players who stay healthy.

When Northwestern has avoided injuries, the motion offense and stingy defense Carmody installed have befuddled Big Ten teams geared to bump and grind under the basket. But injuries exposed the Wildcats' paper-thin bench last year and mired Northwestern in the Big Ten dungeon with a 12-17 overall mark and a 3-13 conference record. All the momentum built during the Wildcats' 16-13 campaign two years ago crumbled.

"I wish the seasons were flipped, so we kept improving," said Carmody, who left Princeton in 2000 after coaching the Tigers to 92 wins in four years. "Last year we had two major injuries. Some teams are deep and can take a couple of injuries, but it takes a while to get to where your 10th guy is not much different than your first five guys."

That process continues at Northwestern with a certain international flavor. Last year's two injured Croatian players, Ivan Tolic and Vedran Vukusic, are expected to be healthy. They will team with French-born T.J. Parker, Canadian Mohamed Hachad and Croatian Davor Duvancic. Throw in leading scorer Jitim Young, and Carmody believes this mix of players can earn Northwestern a trip to the postseason.

FRONTCOURT

Figuring out who will play down low has become an annual guessing game at Northwestern. And for the most part, the Wildcats have lost that game the past few years.

This year Northwestern does not have an upperclassman taller than 6-foot-8, which leaves plenty of room for competition and speculation down low. Will freshman recruit Vince Scott, the Wildcats' tallest player (6-10), step into the starting lineup right away? Will Tolic return from a knee injury that kept him out all last season? Will Vukusis and Duvancic be able to play center by committee?

"We need one big kid," Carmody said. "But I like the guys who are surrounding the middle."

Those are primarily the three Croatians: Tolic, Vukusic and Duvancic. Vukusic, who is the most talented of the three, missed all of last season after re-injuring his shoulder during a preseason game. In an injury-shortened 2001-02 season, Vukusic made nearly half of his 3-point attempts and provided glimpses of his versatile inside-outside game. Now he must stay healthy.

Taking Vukusic's place last year was Duvancic, who excelled late in the season and scored a career-high 20 points in the Wildcats' final Big Ten Tournament game. Tolic, who had knee surgery last winter, is the Wildcats' biggest body and has good passing skills.

Carmody is also leaving the center position open for Scott to win in his first season.

BACKCOURT

This is where Wildcat fans should look for all the excitement again this season. Young is entering his fourth year as a starter, and he will lead on both ends of the court. He ranks among the school's all-time leaders in steals, 3-pointers and points scored and could make himself an NBA prospect with another good season.

"Jitim can score in a lot of different ways," Carmody said. "We're not worried about the opposition keying on him and stopping him."

Around Young are several underclassmen who carried the Wildcats last year. Parker has the brightest future and best bloodlines of the group as the younger brother of San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker. He led Northwestern with 41 3-pointers last season and posted 19 double-figure scoring games.

The Wildcats' third returnee with at least 10 starts a year ago is Hachad, who started the final 13 games of the season. Because Hachad is Muslim, he does not eat from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan. That slowed him during the early part of last season, but Carmody expects him to show his athleticism and outside shooting touch by the start of Big Ten play.

Guard Evan Seacat is a 3-point specialist whom Carmody would like to see expand his game. All but three of his 24 field goals last season came from behind the 3-point line.

FINAL ANALYSIS

For the most part, this is the same mix of players who helped Northwestern to a 7-9 Big Ten record two years ago. That was the school's best league record since the early 1980s.

Again the Wildcats will struggle with their thin bench, which will become a much bigger problem if injuries arise. But if the Wildcats stay healthy, they will surprise some Big Ten teams as they did two years ago.

Don't make any plans for an NCAA Tournament trip this season, but another good campaign could put Carmody as close to that goal as any Wildcats coach in school history.

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