What if guard JerShon Cobb had been healthy all season and had not missed 12 games with hip, back and leg pain?

Maybe the Wildcats would be in the NCAA tournament right now?

It's a bold thought, but the way Cobb has played lately can make you wonder, "What if?"

Cobb was one of three players to score in double figures in a 76-74 NIT opening round win over Akron Tuesday night. Cobb knocked in 19 points on 8 of 10 shooting and proclaimed himself 100 percent healthy after the game.

"I don't think about the past and you just have to move along," Cobb said. "I think [the assorted injuries] were a setback of the hip surgery because after my hip started feeling better, I got a back bulge and that's what set me out for a couple more games."

Against Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament, Cobb scored a career-high 24 points in the Wildcats' 75-68 overtime loss. And Cobb's defense was the difference in a 70-66 come-from-behind victory at Iowa to close out the regular season March 3.

"I feel more comfortable on the court now and my teammates have been behind me the whole time," Cobb said. "I'm still not where I need to be, but I'm working."

"Even last year he got hurt and missed the last [five] games and he couldn't do too much," coach Bill Carmody said. "He's really comfortable in the low post."

Cobb said there was a natural letdown to playing in the NIT after missing out on an NCAA bid Sunday night. With the Akron win behind them, the Wildcats head west and will play top-seeded Washington Friday in Seattle at 9.