I've got a family connection to McKendree, my cousin is on their baseball staff, so I was able to interview one of their hoops assistants, Hank Matthews. It's just an exhibition, but I think there's some good insight into their team and some broad strokes on what it's like to scout NU.
Scouting Northwestern:
"I think it's pretty easy to say that number one [on the list] is Boo Buie," he said with a laugh. "He's pretty good. He causes a lot of challenges and problems with his speed and his skill. Really good in transition, then he's really good at getting downhill and not only making plays for himself but making plays for others. We understand the ball is going to go through him and our ball screen coverage and our transition defense is going to have to be really good staying in front of the basketball and trying make him make tough shots."
"Then Ty Berry can shoot the basketball. Brooks [Barnhizer] does a really good job playing inside and out. He's extremely physical and plays really, really hard. We're going to have to keep him out of the paint and keep him at bay on the boards. Then with the center, [Matt] Nicholson, we're going to have to do a good job cracking down. He's really physical, really good screener, he's big. Going to be a full team effort on him."
Scouting for an exhibition:
"It's a little in the fact that they bring back a significant group from a good team last year, but they do have some newcomers that we're not sure about. They have freshmen and transfers so we'll have to feel it out in the game. We're treating this and preparing for this as a regular season game. It being early in the season we're going to have to get used to what rotations we like and what coverages we want to play defensively, but as far as scouting preparation we're treating this as a normal game."
Players to watch for McKendree:
Milos Vicentic #31
6'8" 220 F
2022-23: 17.2 ppg 5.2 rpg 54.7/44.2/78.6
"He led us last year in scoring last year...super skilled, can play outside on the perimeter and play inside in the post."
Caleb Zurliene #3
6'8" 205 G/F
2022-23: 10.5 ppg 6.5 rpg 56.8/31.5/77.9
"He's back as a starter from a Sweet 16 team in Division II. He's super athletic, long, he can shoot and he's really good in the post as well. He was first team All-Defense."
Carson Parker #25
6'5" 200 G
2022-23: 3.9 ppg
"He might not have topped the stat sheet last year but he played a significant role for us."
Aleksandar Davitkov #10
6'1" 190 G
2022-23: 5.1 ppg
"This will be his fifth year here, he's been tremendous. Just a guy that you can really count on."
Serbian connection:
As you might have noticed with Aleksandar and Milos, there's an unusual amount of foreign players for a D-II team. McKendree head coach George Suggs used to coach for now-Drury head coach Chris Foster and they share a connection with some Serbian coaches.
"We've been able to use those good relationships that we have from coaches in Serbia to try to get good players over here like Aleksandar and Milos, then we have a redshirt freshman, Luka Mateski. We absolutely love our guys."
Three of McKendree's 17 players are Serbian, and a fourth is Australian.
Scouting Northwestern:
"I think it's pretty easy to say that number one [on the list] is Boo Buie," he said with a laugh. "He's pretty good. He causes a lot of challenges and problems with his speed and his skill. Really good in transition, then he's really good at getting downhill and not only making plays for himself but making plays for others. We understand the ball is going to go through him and our ball screen coverage and our transition defense is going to have to be really good staying in front of the basketball and trying make him make tough shots."
"Then Ty Berry can shoot the basketball. Brooks [Barnhizer] does a really good job playing inside and out. He's extremely physical and plays really, really hard. We're going to have to keep him out of the paint and keep him at bay on the boards. Then with the center, [Matt] Nicholson, we're going to have to do a good job cracking down. He's really physical, really good screener, he's big. Going to be a full team effort on him."
Scouting for an exhibition:
"It's a little in the fact that they bring back a significant group from a good team last year, but they do have some newcomers that we're not sure about. They have freshmen and transfers so we'll have to feel it out in the game. We're treating this and preparing for this as a regular season game. It being early in the season we're going to have to get used to what rotations we like and what coverages we want to play defensively, but as far as scouting preparation we're treating this as a normal game."
Players to watch for McKendree:
Milos Vicentic #31
6'8" 220 F
2022-23: 17.2 ppg 5.2 rpg 54.7/44.2/78.6
"He led us last year in scoring last year...super skilled, can play outside on the perimeter and play inside in the post."
Caleb Zurliene #3
6'8" 205 G/F
2022-23: 10.5 ppg 6.5 rpg 56.8/31.5/77.9
"He's back as a starter from a Sweet 16 team in Division II. He's super athletic, long, he can shoot and he's really good in the post as well. He was first team All-Defense."
Carson Parker #25
6'5" 200 G
2022-23: 3.9 ppg
"He might not have topped the stat sheet last year but he played a significant role for us."
Aleksandar Davitkov #10
6'1" 190 G
2022-23: 5.1 ppg
"This will be his fifth year here, he's been tremendous. Just a guy that you can really count on."
Serbian connection:
As you might have noticed with Aleksandar and Milos, there's an unusual amount of foreign players for a D-II team. McKendree head coach George Suggs used to coach for now-Drury head coach Chris Foster and they share a connection with some Serbian coaches.
"We've been able to use those good relationships that we have from coaches in Serbia to try to get good players over here like Aleksandar and Milos, then we have a redshirt freshman, Luka Mateski. We absolutely love our guys."
Three of McKendree's 17 players are Serbian, and a fourth is Australian.
