Brendan Quinn did a B1G Q&A in The Athletic today. Here are the NU questions:
Can Northwestern keep this defensive pressure and guard play into February? Where would Northwestern making the tourney rank in biggest surprise seasons? — Chad B.
I don’t know. Is Northwestern really a top-10 defense nationally or is this a fluky subsect of a long season? Some of Northwestern’s defensive numbers are borderline inexplicable. The Wildcats rank sixth nationally in block percentage, blocking 15.9 percent of the shots they face, and are turning teams over on nearly a quarter of their possessions. Is this sustainable? Is it a product of playing teams at the right time — Michigan State with a hobbled Jaden Akinsand no Malik Hall, Illinois in the throes of a tailspin, Indiana with two key injuries and fledgling confidence?
It’s hard to say. For now, without question, Chris Collins and his guys deserve massive credit. The fact that Northwestern’s early success is rooted in defense, rather than, say, a month’s worth of lights-out 3-point shooting, makes their long-term stock a little easier to buy. Also, snagging early marquee road wins at Michigan State and Indiana allows for some margin of error.
The key now, as it is for every Big Ten team, is protecting the home court. Northwestern has to win in Evanston. Back in 2016-17, when Collins’ team made its memorable NCAA Tournament run, it went 5-4 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Wildcats haven’t posted a winning league home record in a season since. Overall, they’re 19-31 at home against Big Ten foes in the span.
NU fans would be crazy to not be getting excited about this season, but I can’t help but already think about the precipitous dropoff after 2016-17. Buie, Beran, and Audige are all seniors and it seems like there’s another hard reset coming. What should the floor be for Collins to keep his job this year, and what steps does he need to take to turn the program into a consistent threat and not a flash in the pan every 5-6 years? — Augustine S.
First, let’s worry about success this year before thinking about sustained success. Northwestern’s next four games are versus Rutgers, at Michigan, at Iowa and against Wisconsin. The Cats could be 3-5 in the league two weeks from now. One game at a time, as they say.
But to take a stab at your question, first — be clear, Boo Buie, Chase Audigeand Robbie Beran all have remaining post-COVID eligibility. They can all return to Northwestern in 2023-24, if they choose. They can also, as you know all too well, opt to spend their final college seasons elsewhere.
Beyond those three, the hope in Evanston needs to be that Ty Berry and Matthew Nicholson are ready to step into even larger roles next season, and that the program’s young guys are developing in the wings. Julian Roper and Brooks Barnhizer were each borderline top-150 recruits in 2021. As a high schooler, Nick Martinelli led the state of Indiana with 32 points a game in 2020-21. Center Luke Hunger brings size and potentially the ability to stretch the floor.
Fact is, a program like Northwestern has to be self-sustained. Identify talent, incubate it, develop it. Collins is not going to magically start bringing in waves of top-100 recruits. Nor is Northwestern, considering its enrollment standards, likely to be a swinging-door transfer portal destination. Winning in Evanston essentially has to be a grassroots operation. Same as it ever was.
NU fan here. I thought we would be last in the conference, and this has obviously turned out to be insanely fun so far. The question here is, though I love Young and Nance and rooting for them from afar … Is there some Ewing Theory potential here? We are playing to an identity more than we ever have, and I’m not sure that’s true if they’re still around. — Wade A.
OK, last one on Northwestern. We all focus on the program losing Pete Nanceto North Carolina and Ryan Young to Duke, but it’s worth remembering the Wildcats did return four starters for the third consecutive season. Collins’ returnees accounted for 56 percent of last season’s scoring and 58 percent of the assists. Yes, Northwestern lost notable names, but it didn’t embark on a rebuild. While Buie and Audige might have some shortcomings, they do at least bring some backcourt cohesion, which is more than most programs can say nowadays.
theathletic.com
Can Northwestern keep this defensive pressure and guard play into February? Where would Northwestern making the tourney rank in biggest surprise seasons? — Chad B.
I don’t know. Is Northwestern really a top-10 defense nationally or is this a fluky subsect of a long season? Some of Northwestern’s defensive numbers are borderline inexplicable. The Wildcats rank sixth nationally in block percentage, blocking 15.9 percent of the shots they face, and are turning teams over on nearly a quarter of their possessions. Is this sustainable? Is it a product of playing teams at the right time — Michigan State with a hobbled Jaden Akinsand no Malik Hall, Illinois in the throes of a tailspin, Indiana with two key injuries and fledgling confidence?
It’s hard to say. For now, without question, Chris Collins and his guys deserve massive credit. The fact that Northwestern’s early success is rooted in defense, rather than, say, a month’s worth of lights-out 3-point shooting, makes their long-term stock a little easier to buy. Also, snagging early marquee road wins at Michigan State and Indiana allows for some margin of error.
The key now, as it is for every Big Ten team, is protecting the home court. Northwestern has to win in Evanston. Back in 2016-17, when Collins’ team made its memorable NCAA Tournament run, it went 5-4 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Wildcats haven’t posted a winning league home record in a season since. Overall, they’re 19-31 at home against Big Ten foes in the span.
NU fans would be crazy to not be getting excited about this season, but I can’t help but already think about the precipitous dropoff after 2016-17. Buie, Beran, and Audige are all seniors and it seems like there’s another hard reset coming. What should the floor be for Collins to keep his job this year, and what steps does he need to take to turn the program into a consistent threat and not a flash in the pan every 5-6 years? — Augustine S.
First, let’s worry about success this year before thinking about sustained success. Northwestern’s next four games are versus Rutgers, at Michigan, at Iowa and against Wisconsin. The Cats could be 3-5 in the league two weeks from now. One game at a time, as they say.
But to take a stab at your question, first — be clear, Boo Buie, Chase Audigeand Robbie Beran all have remaining post-COVID eligibility. They can all return to Northwestern in 2023-24, if they choose. They can also, as you know all too well, opt to spend their final college seasons elsewhere.
Beyond those three, the hope in Evanston needs to be that Ty Berry and Matthew Nicholson are ready to step into even larger roles next season, and that the program’s young guys are developing in the wings. Julian Roper and Brooks Barnhizer were each borderline top-150 recruits in 2021. As a high schooler, Nick Martinelli led the state of Indiana with 32 points a game in 2020-21. Center Luke Hunger brings size and potentially the ability to stretch the floor.
Fact is, a program like Northwestern has to be self-sustained. Identify talent, incubate it, develop it. Collins is not going to magically start bringing in waves of top-100 recruits. Nor is Northwestern, considering its enrollment standards, likely to be a swinging-door transfer portal destination. Winning in Evanston essentially has to be a grassroots operation. Same as it ever was.
NU fan here. I thought we would be last in the conference, and this has obviously turned out to be insanely fun so far. The question here is, though I love Young and Nance and rooting for them from afar … Is there some Ewing Theory potential here? We are playing to an identity more than we ever have, and I’m not sure that’s true if they’re still around. — Wade A.
OK, last one on Northwestern. We all focus on the program losing Pete Nanceto North Carolina and Ryan Young to Duke, but it’s worth remembering the Wildcats did return four starters for the third consecutive season. Collins’ returnees accounted for 56 percent of last season’s scoring and 58 percent of the assists. Yes, Northwestern lost notable names, but it didn’t embark on a rebuild. While Buie and Audige might have some shortcomings, they do at least bring some backcourt cohesion, which is more than most programs can say nowadays.
Is Indiana in trouble? Can Northwestern keep on winning? Big Ten mailbag
Brendan Quinn answers your questions on the latest in the Big Ten.
theathletic.com
