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Outlining the men’s basketball games that will dictate Northwestern’s season – Inside NU
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NU basketball is officially back, but what games will define the ‘Cats’ season?
Northwestern basketball is officially back. The Wildcats look to return to the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year, but they face a pretty tough schedule ahead. NU beat the Binghamton Bearcats in its season opener, but it wasn’t pretty. Chris Collins’ squad is set to play in six ranked matchups this season and face off against nine different opponents who were dancing last March. Last year’s schedule was arguably just as rough, if not more so, than this year’s. Yet, Northwestern found a way to get hot at the right times and won the biggest games, finding its way to a postseason bid. This coming season, the same things will likely define NU’s trajectory, and whether the ‘Cats can hit their ceiling.
This is, for good reason, the game every Northwestern fan has been looking forward to all off-season. The ‘Cats shocked the world when, in a pivotal mid-February matchup, Boo Buie and Co. led a comeback victory against the then-top team in the nation, and earned a season-defining win.
This year, that matchup comes a bit earlier, but it is nevertheless extremely important. This time around, the way Northwestern fares against the Boilermakers — who are currently ranked No. 3 in the country — can potentially set the tone for the way they will rebound from a miraculous 2022-23 season. A lot of things are going to have to go right though, just as they did the last time these two teams matched up in Evanston.
Above all else, Northwestern is going to have to worry a lot about the 7-foot-4-inch beast that is Zach Edey, alongside a mature corps of guards who are dangerous from deep. If the ‘Cats can recreate their magic again, though, they’ll be sending a message to the college basketball world that they’re picking up right where they left off.
Although not many people are talking about it, arguably Northwestern’s hardest non-conference matchup this year will be against an ASU team that is also coming off a tournament appearance. The Sun Devils lost a lot of their top talent from the year before, but they bring back senior guard and Michigan transfer Frankie Collins who is sure to headline the scoring for this team, as well as former 5-star and Illinois transfer Adam Miller.
Last season, the Wildcats received a couple of big wake up calls amidst back-to-back losses in non-conference play versus then-No. 13 Auburn and Pittsburgh, which in many ways allowed NU to take note of its flaws before Big Ten play commenced. Given that nearly every other non-conference game they have this season are “tune-ups” against mid-major competition, this Arizona State game is going to be big for the entire team to really see what it’s made of before it heads straight into the thick of the conference slate.
Speaking of their tough conference schedule, the first home game on the 2024 calendar sees the Wildcats host the No. 4 Michigan State Spartans, a powerhouse of Big Ten basketball (though MSU’s loss to JMU to kick off the year does dampen its allure). If the ‘Cats want to start the new year off right, a big win like this one will go a long way.
Despite its loss to JMU, Michigan State is the team to beat in the Big Ten — outside of Purdue, of course. The Spartans are nothing short of stacked: they bring back the experienced guard duo of Tyson Walker and AJ Hoggard, as well as freshman phenom Coen Carr, who can jump out of the gym.
For Northwestern to win, it will have to see massive games from its most experienced players: Boo Buie will need to be the rock for the team, while guys like Brooks Barnhizer, Ryan Langborg and Matthew Nicholson will have to be productive secondary guys. The contest against the Spartans will help the Wildcats discover who they can rely on in the clutch and make clear the real potential of this team.
Similar to Michigan State, a home matchup versus No. 25 Illinois is a prime opportunity for the Wildcats to prove themselves. The ‘Cats will be 17 games into their season, so picking up a big win for the tournament resume is definitely going to be a big focus.
Last year, the Wildcats split their matchups with Illinois, winning at home and losing away. The two foes play twice again this season, and both will likely be in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten, making the outcome of the two games more important than ever. The Fighting Illini have a lot of front-court talent, so for an NU win, it will be important for the ‘Cats to hold their own in the rebounding game while exploiting some of Illinois’ under-experienced guards.
As Northwestern will be approaching the end of its season, racking up as many wins as it can to uphold both a solid record and resume is going to be key to making March Madness for the second year in a row.
The Hoosiers lost their top two scorers, but they’ve brought in a stud transfer center in Kel’el Ware and retained a pair of valuable senior guards Xavier Johnson and Trey Galloway. In Indiana’s opener versus Florida Gulf Coast, the trio combined for 43 points and 20 rebounds. It would be no surprise if Indiana is ranked by the time it faces off with NU for this matchup, so picking up a win here would be massive, especially in the eyes of the selection committee.
Much like the game at Indiana, a road game versus a solid opponent in Maryland makes this game all the more exciting. The stakes will be higher than ever in one of the Wildcats’ final regular season games of the year.
Despite the big loss of Hakim Hart, the Terrapins still have their two top scorers on the roster in Jahmir Young and Julian Reese. The Terps finished fifth in the B1G last year, and they were on Northwestern’s hip all season as a level contender. This year will likely see a similar scenario play out. If both teams near the end of the season with comprable records — in-conference and overall — this matchup will be a major factor in Northwestern’s fate, and it’ll surely be circled on Chris Collins’ calendar come February.
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