Northwestern’s hopes for a first-ever NCAA Tournament berth took a hit Friday when head coach Bill Carmody announced that senior forward Drew Crawford would be undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery on a torn labrum.
Carmody said that Crawford aggravated a previous injury back in September, and has not recovered as well as staff had hoped. Crawford will pursue a fifth year of eligibility with a medical hardship waiver.
Crawford, the program’s 10th ranking all-time scorer and a Third Team All-Big Ten honoree, was averaging 13.5 points and nearly five rebounds per game this year. After churning out a .484 shooting percentage in 2011-12, Crawford fell to a career-low .400 in 10 starts.
Northwestern (7-3) loses a veteran who excels on the perimeter. Crawford had spent the summer bulking up and working on his ability to create his own offense off the dribble.
"While it obviously hurts to lose a player of Drew's caliber, it provides an opportunity for his teammates to step up and contribute,” Carmody said in a press statement. With Crawford shelved for the remainder of the season, the Wildcats will look to fellow seniors Reggie Hearn, Jared Swopshire and Alex Marcotullio for augmented production. After a week-long break, the Wildcats hit the hardwood Monday to host Texas State at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Without their No. 1 scorer, sophomore point guard Dave Sobolewski will be running an entirely new offense.