‘Cats show signs of struggle in a rollercoaster week.
In a week that carried a lot more pessimism than optimism for Northwestern, the end result was on par for expectations. The ‘Cats traveled to Dayton on Saturday evening as 4.5-point underdogs and lost by 5. A slow offensive first half against UIC on Tuesday scared the Wildcat faithful but the floodgates opened during a 52-point second half as NU handled business at home.
A few themes recurred this week, so we’ll be breaking down some struggles offensively against the press as well as how to get Ty Berry going offensively. The third theme of the week was problematic second half defense, but there isn’t enough space for everything and I prefer to highlight the good defense that was more common in Northwestern’s two contests.
Offense
Press offense
The first clip is a microcosm of everything that went wrong for Northwestern down the stretch against Dayton. The ‘Cats were road dogs but came out hot and led 51-41 with about 10 minutes to play in regulation. Dayton, which had been pressing for parts of the entire game, ramped up the intensity of its full court defense and Northwestern couldn’t handle the pressure, finishing with 16 turnovers and giving away its 10 point cushion, ultimately losing by five.
At this point, Northwestern had already lost its lead and needed to score quickly. Martinelli is forced to walk the ball up the floor. As well as he is playing right now, he will never be a guy who can blow by a defender in an open court with dribble moves, and probably was the wrong guy to be advancing the rock over the timeline. He almost loses the ball when the first defender gambles but corrals it and passes ahead to Windham.
Instead of giving it back, Windham holds the ball at the top of the key and directs the offense. Martinelli, instead of asking for the ball back, goes and sets a screen for the true first-year. While Northwestern needed a quick basket, Windham forcing a tough, off-the-dribble, contested three was never going to be a good look. Unsurprisingly, he missed and the Wildcats went one-and-done when Dayton collected the rebound.
Northwestern turned the ball over 16 times against the Flyers on Saturday, many of them coming against the press. Just as large an issue was its offense after breaking the press. The ‘Cats must have been tired because the off-ball movement was nonexistent. Nobody was creating separation and outside of Martinelli and occasionally Angelo Ciaravino, the entire team looked flat and uninterested in scoring the basketball for the majority of the second half.
Getting Ty Berry going
The other concern after two games was Ty Berry’s slow start. The fifth year recorded a respectable 10 points in the opener on poor shooting splits before registering a goose egg in the points column against Dayton. While Berry has never been and will never be a dynamic on-ball scorer, his lack of shooting through the first two games was cause for concern.
This offensive set is one that Northwestern should look to replicate over and over to get Berry open looks. Coming off of a torn meniscus, Berry is going to be hesitant shooting around screens. That shot requires a full stop after moving at high speeds and the threat of a trailing defender running into the shooter. Although he is fully healthy, Collins said in his postgame press conference after UIC that Berry needs to get back to 100% “on the mental side.” A leg injury to a shooter is always tough to return from and will take time. In the meantime, Berry needs more looks like this one.
In this set, Berry is the weak side corner shooter. Justin Mullins initiates the play by setting a flex screen on the opposite wing for Martinelli, the team’s (and the conference’s) biggest offensive threat through three games. Mullins’ effective screen combined with Matthew Nicholson clearing the paint means that Martinelli is going to be all alone for an open layup. Berry’s defender spots this and does the right thing, crashing in help defense. The problem is that Mullins’ original man, who switches with the guy tasked with guarding Martinelli, doesn’t see this. He also crashes on Martinelli leaving the forward double teamed along the baseline and Berry all alone in the opposite corner. Martinelli, who had no assists in the first two games, identifies the miscue and swings it to Berry for a stand-still, practice-level three. The more times coach Collins can leave Berry in positions to be the weak side, secondary action shooter, the more effective he will be.
Defense
Defensively, it was a tale of two halves for the ‘Cats in each game. Against Dayton, Northwestern silenced the Flyers to the tune of 24 first half points but allowed a shocking 47 in the second half. The UIC game was similar, with the Flames scoring 29 in the first half and nearly keeping pace with NU by dropping 45 in the second frame.
Given my limited space and the fact that Northwestern’s turnover problems allowed parts of both of those second half explosions, I am choosing to highlight a good defensive clip over a bad one.
This play really highlights the defensive chops of the two returning grad students, Berry and Nicholson. The play starts in transition, where UIC thrives, with 17-point-per-game scorer Javon Jackson charging at Berry. The fifth year deters him with good foot movement and forces Jackson to pass and relocate to the near corner. Saša Ciani, the recipient of the Jackson pass, is not a willing shooter (one attempt in his first two games) and hesitates to pull the trigger.
The chemistry between Berry and Nicholson, who came into the program at the same time and are now playing together for the fifth straight season, is evident. Nicholson’s man is Ciani, while Berry needs to find Jackson. However, Berry first runs Ciani off the line. Nicholson never budges from the paint, knowing that his teammate is going to contest a jumper. When Ciani puts the ball on the floor, Berry shows his trust in Nicholson by running to the corner. He never stops the ball, trusting in his center to pick up Ciani. Meanwhile, Nicholson does the same by staying home instead of rushing to guard Jackson. The result is UIC unable to find any size, speed or leverage mismatches and Ciani attempting a tough hook shot and Northwestern gaining possession.
Coach Collins Clip of the Week
The Collins clip for this week comes from the second half of the Dayton game, during Dayton’s extended run against his ‘Cats.
Watch Collins at the top of your screen. He starts near half court by calling a play, but when Mullins is in the wrong spot he charges down the length of the bench to yell in his ear. Collins is never shy to let his guys know what they’re doing wrong, whether they’re on the court or not. As soon as Mullins is in position and Collins is mollified, Windham turns the ball over. As the camera pans, you can see Collins put his hands on his head, just like every Northwestern fan watching the play at home.