They did it. The Northwestern Wildcats did it.
The only program from a power conference (Big Ten, Pac-12, ACC, SEC, Big 12) which had never made the NCAA Tournament since the start of the event in 1939 finally made it… and then won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time ever as well. Northwestern evolved from its 2016 version – with a bunch of returning players – to take the next step. Everyone on the roster grew and developed under head coach Chris Collins, and the result was magic, an event which captured the imagination of the school and its long-suffering alumni who waited decades for this to finally happen. Northwestern’s defense and rebounding were strong enough to guide the team through rough points in which the offense faltered, but the offense was able to get to the basket more than previous NU teams had been able to do. Northwestern earned more free throws and found ways to get easy scores at rates past teams had not been able to achieve. Now the program is unburdened. It has solved its great problem. Now everyone can play with a lot more confidence and freedom. The hope is that this team will carry the torch forward.
Offseason Changes
Shooting small forward Aaron Falzon missed all of last season with a knee injury. Northwestern needs complementary scorers and shooters to space the floor and give Bryant McIntosh room in which to operate one-on-one. Freshman Anthony Gaines could give NU a new and dynamic presence on the court as well, supplementing the several starters the Wildcats return this season. If both Falzon and Gaines give the Wildcats notable infusions of offense, all the other returning players on a veteran roster will be made better, because they will consistently be able to play one-on-one, without double-teams from defenses.
Will Succeed If…
The Wildcats get balanced scoring. McIntosh is the clear star of the team and the guy who will take most of the big shots over the course of the season, but defenses will definitely try to take the ball out of his hands. This is when players have to be ready to shoot threes in the corners and on the wings after kickouts from McIntosh. Other players such as Scottie Lindsey and Dererk Pardon need to be able to finish plays once McIntosh creates them. If the supporting cast around McIntosh is able to score at a consistently solid clip, everything else should fall into place for an offense which still suffered some prolonged droughts last season. Minimizing those droughts is a central key for Northwestern this upcoming season.
Won’t Succeed If…
The role players can’t hit enough three-point shots. Vic Law’s jumper got worse as last season went along. Lindsey’s three-point shooting was often a barometer of how successful the offense was. The three-point shooting doesn’t have to be incredible, it just can’t go through prolonged slumps. As long as the minimum level of production from the arc is acceptable, the NU offense will never go into a deep funk. That’s when this team will know that it has established a higher standard of expectations and performance.
Roster
Vic Law
Dererk Pardon
Charlie Hall
Anthony Gaines
Isiah Brown
Rapolas Ivanauskas
Scottie Lindsey
A.J. Turner
Jordan Ash
Barret Benson
Bryant McIntosh
Tino Malnati
Aaron Falzon
Gavin Skelly
Schedule & Outlook
The non-conference slate features Creighton, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma, all winnable games. The challenge begins with Creighton on November 15th. The Georgia Tech game is 13 days later and will be featured on ESPN2. The Oklahoma Game might be their toughest non-conference test as it’s on the road.
This team should be even better than last year’s group. The main challenge is that the on-campus gymnasium is being renovated this year. NU will play games off campus. That could blunt the team’s momentum. However, the talent and experience are substantial enough that the Wildcats should return to the NCAA Tournament and win one game. That would be a great accomplishment for this program.
The 2018 March Madness futures are out. There has been plenty of news to keep up with in the offseason but keep an eye on the betting lines as they move around at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest college basketball betting lines right here.
