Vic Law rules in Northwestern’s win over Penn State

The Vic Law whom the Wildcats saw Saturday probably was the one they thought they were getting when the athletic forward committed to Northwestern in the summer of 2013.

In a 60-39 victory over Penn State in Evanston, Law turned in the best performance of his freshman season. He scored 17 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, blocked a shot and had two steals.

Of course, when it comes to freshmen, things don’t always go as planned.

“I’m starting to get used to college basketball now,” Law said. “So everything is getting a little easier. My mindset has changed greatly since the beginning of the season to now. I’m starting to mature a little more.”

Law was the über-hyped player in Northwestern’s 2014 recruiting class. He was considered one of the best players in Illinois and a top-100 player nationally.

But Law got off to a slow start with the Wildcats. He needed to understand that some of the things that worked as a high school star wouldn’t once Big Ten play rolled around.

As he tried to feel out the college game and the hard-nosed defense he began to see in conference play, Law would take ill-advised shots. It was almost predictable when he would shoot.

That might have come out of frustration when Law was unable to find his game. Eventually, those struggles forced him out of the starting lineup. He came off the bench Saturday.

“He knows no one believes in him like I do,” Northwestern coach Chris Collins said. “He believes in me, he believes in our program, he believes in what we’re trying to do.”

His performance was as much a milestone for its efficiency as it was anything else. Law shot 7-for-11 from the field, taking only one ill-advised shot in the second half.

He returned to the bench to a standing ovation and an embrace from Collins when he came out of the game.

“Welcome to the Big Ten,” Collins said to Law.

The Wildcats extended their winning streak to three, their longest in conference play. Penn State keyed on freshman point guard Bryant McIntosh, who has been Northwestern’s best player this season. He was able to recognize the extra attention and dish out eight assists.

Tre Demps scored 16 points the Wildcats. Northwestern held the Nittany Lions’ D.J. Newbill, who came into the game leading the Big Ten in scoring, to three points. His first points came with 1:24 left in the game.

Email: sgruen@suntimes.com

Twitter: @SethGruen