When was the last time John Shurna played center before Wednesday night at Michigan?

How about when he was in high school at Glenbard West and Wildcat defensive lineman Kevin Watt played alongside him on the Hilltoppers basketball team.

"I was a post player in high school throughout and it was Kevin Watt and I; we were the two big men," Shurna said.

Shurna went up against Jordan Morgan at Michigan Wednesday, in a tough 66-64 overtime loss in Ann Arbor.

"I just made sure I constantly moved and just [kept] our offense flowing. Obviously there are areas to work on and rebounding is a big key for us."

* I asked junior guard Reggie Hearn today why the Wildcats are having so many issues staying consistent from one half to another. It happened against Illinois Jan. 4, when NU seemed to hang on and almost dominate the Illini (Shurna scored 17 in the first half and then only had a three-pointer in the second half; NU lost by a point), and the same problem hit NU again against Michigan. Consistency is key.

"I think maybe we get stagnant on our offense. I don't know if it's due to fatigue in the second half, but I should give credit to the [opposing team], because maybe they're doing some defensive things that cause us to struggle.

"[Saturday] is a home game and this is our court and we have to protect it."