The ‘Cats look to put out the flames of the red-hot Trojans.
Northwestern has been through its fair share of devastation in recent days. First, fans saw Wisconsin pull off a comeback victory in Welsh-Ryan Arena, bringing the Wildcat losing streak to three games. If that wasn’t enough for Northwestern fans, Chris Collins hit them with some devastating news in the post-game press conference: Brooks Barnhizer is out for the season with a foot injury. The ‘Cats will look for a bounce-back win at home against USC.
This is a Trojans squad coming off of arguably their biggest win of the season, a home victory against then No. 7 Michigan State. Eric Musselman’s team will look to string together another victory against the ‘Cats in hopes to thrust themselves into the conversation for an NCAA Tournament bid come March. This is a must-win game, as most experts have USC on the outside looking in should the season end today.
Controlling the Paint
The paint battle must be a point of emphasis for Chris Collins and the ‘Cats entering tonight’s matchup. USC is ranked last in the Big Ten in rebounding, and capitalizing on the glass could be the difference in a few extra scoring opportunities that Northwestern needs to win. Brooks Barnhizer was Northwestern’s leading rebounder and fourth overall in the Big Ten, so his presence will certainly be lost on the boards.Northwestern will need a big night out of Matt Nicholson and Nick Martinelli, who are each averaging 5.5 rebounds on the season.
Don’t be surprised if Nicholson is also a major offensive threat. 6’10” USC forward Josh Cohen started the Michigan State game on the bench for the first time all season. If Eric Musselman rolls out the same starting five, this means that Nicholson will have a 4-inch height advantage over any player on the court. We’ve seen Nicholson explode early in games with crucial dunks when teams don’t come in fully prepared. There could certainly be a world where this happens again.
Defense Wins… well let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, perhaps just Tuesday’s matchup
Northwestern is a perfect 10-0 on the season when keeping opponents to 70 or fewer points, and this feat seems difficult, if not achievable against a USC team averaging 76.2 points per game this season. For the ‘Cats, this means the increased minutes for defensive wizard Justin Mullins, especially without Barnhizer prowling the perimeter.
This will be especially important given the profile of USC’s Desmond Claude, a point guard who loves to pass the ball but is certainly prone to mistakes. While he’s top 10 in the Big 10 in assists, he also has the lowest Assist/Turnover ratio of any of his fellow top 10 passers.
After starting out the season as a 6th man of sorts for Chris Collins, Mullins saw his minutes take a drastic hit during conference play. After the Barnhizer injury, however, Mullins came into Sunday’s matchup with Wisconsin with renewed energy, spending 25 minutes on the floor. They’ll need to feel his presence if they want a chance to hold USC’s shooting at bay.
Which versions of Northwestern’s guards are we getting?
With both Ty Berry and Angelo Ciaravino likely starting against USC for the second time this season, the question of their inconsistencies on the season must be raised. Berry’s struggles post-injury resulted in him spending five games coming off the bench, and while he is averaging 13.6 points per game on a 44.4% clip from three in his last six, Northwestern fans could be forgiven for maintaining their skepticism.
Similarly, while the young first-year Ciaravino was able to have some major highlight-reel performances off the bench, he’s yet to be a major contributor since entering the starting five. With both of them likely to be starting on the court, there’s no time left for these inconsistencies if NU wants any off-chance at a trip back to the big dance. At least one, preferably both for Northwestern fans, need to be major contributors against the Trojans. The time is now.
This game is proving grounds for two teams looking to launch themselves deeper into the crowded wilderness that is the Big 10 and the NCAA tournament. There’s certainly not a clear path for either, but if Northwestern is able to rise to the occasion in its second game without Brooks, the upcoming West Coast road trip becomes a little more interesting.