Kevin Coble is done at Northwestern

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thats huge for us, very bad for them. we are now clearly in the top 6
 


apparently his foot isn't 100% and he feels he could permanetly injure it if he plays within his 5 year limit. Give it 2 years sure he would've played but it hasnt healed yet.
 


Yeah, it actually might not that big of a hit for the NU team this year. Yep, unhealed foot is what's ending his career there. My source at NU said he hasn't had much of any aerobic activity for a year anyways so if he would have came back he would have been out of shape and it would have been hard to mesh with their young and rising team of this last year. Everyone important is coming back. It's Shurna's team officially now. Got some good freshmen coming in.. Should be a tough team to face this year.
 


You can spin it different ways, but I keep coming back to it being a hefty blow to Northwestern's season. Fortunate for them, there are a couple of bad teams in the conference (for example, I4) so they won't need to worry about being in the cellar... and they still may make a decent run at it. But, tough decision to deal with.

Coble left school for a semester his sophomore year as well... we'll see if there is anything more interesting to the story, but he may just be a different dude, and his priorities may lie elsewhere than one more season in Evanston.
 

I'm sure Mrs. Coble had a lot to do with this

Most interesting thing about the article:

"He seemed on pace to return in the fall. But his rehabilitation caused an apparent conflict that led to multiple meetings among Carmody, Coble and Coble's mother, Carlys."

Coble's mom is an attention hound the likes of Mateen Cleaves' (late) mother from the late 90s. Well before her cancer diagnosis, Mrs. Coble loved the cameras, to the point of nausea. Nothing changed after the cancer diagnosis. I get the feeling she's one of those parents who thinks she has all the answers (see Humphries, William: Minnesota), and let Carmody know so. I'm guessing Carmody -- to his credit -- didn't cow-tow to Mrs. Coble. Can't be sure of the reasoning behind the decision, but Coble's quitting has a definite stench to it.

Bottom line, no matter how you slice it, this is a huge loss for Northwestern. Coble is a unique player and he will be missed. His mom mugging for the cameras? I'm glad we've seen the last of that.
 



I guess I'm a different dudette, too. I prefer to smell the roses and if Coble has no desire to play in the NBA ( or the European league) then more power to him! Perhaps a degree from Northwestern and a nice job and family is more to his liking. He's probably also smart enough to not want to limp and have foot pain the rest of his life. BRAVO COBLE! My kind of real student-athlete!
 


CollegeBBallFan said:
I guess I'm a different dudette, too. I prefer to smell the roses and if Coble has no desire to play in the NBA ( or the European league) then more power to him! Perhaps a degree from Northwestern and a nice job and family is more to his liking. He's probably also smart enough to not want to limp and have foot pain the rest of his life. BRAVO COBLE! My kind of real student-athlete!
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Let me clarify just a bit on the 'different dude' comment. I wasn't being clear, intentionally... now isn't the time to knock the guy. But, I did not mean to infer that he is 'different because he values education and life outside of basketball', if that is what you read into it.
 

That sucks. I loved that kid's game
 



Who didn't Coble thank?

Direct quote from Coble in ESPN.com story:

"I would like to thank Northwestern University and the administration for all that they have done for me," Coble said in a statement. "In addition, the fans have my sincere gratitude for their support of Wildcat basketball. I will miss seeing them at the games. Most importantly, I want to thank my teammates for the opportunity to play with them and I wish them nothing but the best in the upcoming season. There is not a better group of guys than those found on this team and I will miss being on the court with them."

Interesting that Coble specifically thanks the Northwestern administration, the fans and his teammates, but nary a word of thanks to Carmody or his staff. Hmmm.
 

Gopher Warrior I completely took your comment as a positive comment. I do hope Coble leaves with a good feeling about the whole situation. He was fun to watch play...as long as the Gophers won!
 

Odds Coble regrets this decision 20 years down the road: 99%
 

Interesting you say that ChemE. I called my father (who lives in Illinois) this afternoon and told him about Coble quitting and those were the first words out of his mouth. ... as time passes Coble is likely going to regret the decision.
 

ChemEGopher said:
Odds Coble regrets this decision 20 years down the road: 99%
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Yes, he will regret it, but only because he'll be able to walk properly.

If he would've come back, and caused even more damage to his feet, odds he wouldn't regret it 20 years down the road would be 99%.

What it boils down to is that athletes who are good enough to earn a paycheck are willing to risk minimized quality of life after retirement in order to earn that paycheck. Kevin Coble is nowhere near good enough to earn a paycheck playing basketball, at least not an amount that is life-changing. If this were Zydrunas Ilgauskas or Greg Oden, it would be a different conversation. I'm sure Coble thinks that the possibility of not being able to walk without a limp for the rest of his life was not worth the potential of coming back to lead Northwestern to a tournament bid.
 

I don't buy the injury excuse one bit. Are you trying to tell me Coble has given up all strenuous physical activity for the rest of his life? Doubt it. I don't think one extra college basketball season would do much harm assuming he fully rehabilitates and is cleared to play. You play 2-3 games a week and considering his injury history I'm sure Carmody would go easy on him in practice since he's there best player. I don't understand how its possible for anyone to praise Coble in this situation. He had a chance to do something that's never been done at NU and he quit. If I was one of his teammates I'd be pissed. There's clearly bad blood of some sort between him and the coaching staff. I think this story is very similar to the kid(s) we all new in high school who quit the team (with their irrational parents' support) because they didn't like the coach. When catching up with those kids, even 5 years later, almost all of them admit that they regret not sticking it out.
 

ChemEGopher said:
I don't buy the injury excuse one bit. Are you trying to tell me Coble has given up all strenuous physical activity for the rest of his life? Doubt it. I don't think one extra college basketball season would do much harm assuming he fully rehabilitates and is cleared to play. You play 2-3 games a week and considering his injury history I'm sure Carmody would go easy on him in practice since he's there best player. I don't understand how its possible for anyone to praise Coble in this situation. He had a chance to do something that's never been done at NU and he quit. If I was one of his teammates I'd be pissed. There's clearly bad blood of some sort between him and the coaching staff. I think this story is very similar to the kid(s) we all new in high school who quit the team (with their irrational parents' support) because they didn't like the coach. When catching up with those kids, even 5 years later, almost all of them admit that they regret not sticking it out.
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Are you trying to tell me that you equate jogging/hiking/playing in a rec basketball league with playing the highest level of amateur basketball in the world?
 


Are we forgetting that he graduates in December? Unless he wants to go to grad school - he's no longer eligible to play.
 


That's a big "if". Also, - "if" I understand what you are saying - He must be a full-time student to play.
 

CollegeBBallFan said:
That's a big "if". Also, - "if" I understand what you are saying - He must be a full-time student to play.
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The school doesn't tell you when to graduate; you decide when to graduate. It's his choosing.
 


Only a game.

Another college student athlete takes the good with the bad and moves on with his life. I'd say he must have been able to put things into perspective. Twenty years from now he will have played only one year less basketball than he would have played if he would have tried to continue rehabbing for a possible senior season. Maybe he knows the best of his basketball capabilities have been utilized already. Perhaps he doesn't want to hang on when he should have called it quits. There is a time to graciously step aside, step down and to be thankful that one has been so fortunate. And, he will be walking away from it with a degree from NU in his possession.

Perhaps it is time to ramp up the academics to prepare for gaduate school. The competetive spirit can, does and will transfer form a mere sport into a dynamic and exciting career path. Life doesn't decline with the end of one phase or one aspect of that life. He brings his basketball memories, adventures and learnings with him as he eagerly moves on to the next phase of his life. Twenty years from now, he may very well be a superstr in real life.

I wish there were a heck of a lot more student athletes who found inspiration in getting their degree and moving on. College hoops is a kids game and a part of the college experience. The real value of college athletics is not as the development of a vocational or career path. It is just a part of the college experience. College experiences give way to doing the work of building a life. Good luck and best wishes to the young man. I have a hunch he will put that expensive and somewhat exclusive degree from NU to work for the rest of his life. Why waste time trying to hang on to a kids game? Just myho.
 

My Soulmate!

Imthewalrus, I like what you said. I, too, think Coble is soon off to the next phase of his bright future.
 

ChemEGopher said:
I don't buy the injury excuse one bit. Are you trying to tell me Coble has given up all strenuous physical activity for the rest of his life? Doubt it. I don't think one extra college basketball season would do much harm assuming he fully rehabilitates and is cleared to play. You play 2-3 games a week and considering his injury history I'm sure Carmody would go easy on him in practice since he's there best player. I don't understand how its possible for anyone to praise Coble in this situation. He had a chance to do something that's never been done at NU and he quit. If I was one of his teammates I'd be pissed. There's clearly bad blood of some sort between him and the coaching staff. I think this story is very similar to the kid(s) we all new in high school who quit the team (with their irrational parents' support) because they didn't like the coach. When catching up with those kids, even 5 years later, almost all of them admit that they regret not sticking it out.
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Though choosing not to play for Carmody is a pretty rational decision.
 

Thanks CBBF! The one wish I have for every kid that accepts a basketball scholarship or any other kind of scholarship is that the young man or woman will discover the great opportunity that they have in their lives beyond sports, or music, or even the pure academics. College is a time to discover life. It is a time to realize that there is more to life than just some narrow focus. That there is and will be untold challenges, opportunities and chances to do good things for as long as you live. Take advantage. Partake. Make plans. Work. Follow through. Follow up. I think that it is possible that more young women who are athletes are experiencing the possibilities that college sports can give them beyond just the playing courts. My wish is that more young men would gain this awareness earlier on in the process. What a great opportunity college scholarship athletes and students in general have! I hope they all learn to "run with it..."
 

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