What Northwestern men’s basketball has to do to get back to the NCAA Tournament

As the Wildcats’ regular season approaches, the pressing question is: how far can they go?

• By
  
  Miguel Munoz
  
• on November 2, 2023 12:13 pm

Northwestern Wildcats basketball returns with high expectations after a successful 2022-23 season. The Wildcats finished with a 22-12 record (12-8 in the Big Ten), including four top-20 wins during the regular season. Fans eagerly anticipate another outstanding season, but several important factors must be considered before predicting NU’s basketball season.

Find a replacement for Chase Audige

The departure of star guard Chase Audige leaves a significant gap in Northwestern’s 2023-24 squad. Audige was a key contributor last season, ranking second in scoring and assists and earning the Big Ten’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year award. After being named to the All-Big Ten Second Team, Audige moved on to the NBA Draft and now plays for the Washington Wizards’ G-League team. With Audige’s absence, Northwestern must identify a new number-two option alongside guard Boo Buie. One potential candidate is Brooks Barnhizer.

Barnhizer showed promise during his sophomore year, making significant improvements in various statistical categories. If he continues to develop in his third season of Big Ten basketball, he could greatly impact Northwestern’s offensive capabilities, even without Audige.

Keep the home-court advantage

Northwestern’s success last season was partly attributed to their impressive home wins against top-ranked teams like Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Purdue. The Wildcats went 13-5 at home, and recreating that magic in the upcoming season could be a game-changer.

A strong home-court advantage is a hallmark of successful Big Ten programs. Northwestern can draw inspiration from other teams’ electric home environments, such as Purdue’s Mackey Arena, Rutgers’ RAC, and Indiana’s Assembly Hall. Harnessing the power of a home-court advantage could lead to more memorable victories for the Wildcats.

Dominate the turnover game

Despite not excelling in major statistical categories like scoring and rebounding, Northwestern thrived in the turnover game last season. They led the conference with a +4.29 turnover margin, thanks to their talented and agile guards like Buie, Audige, Barnhizer, and Ty Berry. With three of their rotational guards returning and the addition of Denver transfer Justin Mullins, who performed strongly in his freshman year, Northwestern has the potential to maintain their success in this area.

While there are no guarantees for another magical season, head coach Chris Collins and his team have the opportunity to create something special once again. The Wildcats’ success last year was unprecedented, and with the right circumstances, they could replicate it.

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