Here’s how the ‘Cats can escape UD Arena with a win.
Northwestern men’s basketball will face its first true test of the season when it goes to nearby Ohio to play Dayton. The two squads are set to face off Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. CST at UD Arena in Dayton, marking Northwestern’s second game of the week after its 90-46 blowout win over Lehigh in its opener on Monday.
Last season, the Wildcats and Flyers faced off at Welsh-Ryan Arena in what turned out to be a back-and-forth classic, ending in a 71-66 win for NU. Since just last season, both rosters have completely transformed, but nonetheless should produce another nail-biting result. Here’s what the ‘Cats need to do on Saturday to stay undefeated:
Getting off to a hot start
It might sound painfully obvious, but the Wildcats proved just how important a good start can be to setting the tone for the game on Monday against the Mountain Hawks: Northwestern quickly built a double-digit lead, following it up with a 20-3 run that allowed head coach Chris Collins and Co. to remain in cruise control for the rest of the game. Things won’t be that smooth in a road game against Dayton, but a quick start from Northwestern could end up making the difference in whether it can walk out with a win. Hot starts are tremendous in helping to take the crowd out of the game. On that note, nerves simply can’t be an issue early in this game, as the Wildcats will need to be locked in from the opening tip-off to take control of momentum.
Luckily for Collins, he has an embarrassment of riches to put to use for such a scenario. Northwestern’s extensive experience throughout the lineup — four of five starters from Monday’s game were upperclassmen — should provide ample reassurance for the ‘Cats as they look to weather the storm. If veteran guys like Ty Berry, Matt Nicholson and Jalen Leach can calm the squad, Northwestern will have a great opportunity to win.
Matt Nicholson’s Defense
Heading into his fifth season, Big Matt has been such a positive for Northwestern in large part due to his size and defensive ability. Against Lehigh, he locked down the Mountain Hawks’ big men in dominant fashion. Although he didn’t make a big impact on the offensive side, tallying just two points on two shots, the Wildcats are fortunate enough to have a plethora of scorers already on the roster. Both for this coming game and for the rest of the season, Nicholson’s biggest value comes in the paint, where he can affect shots and match up well against other strong big men.
His job becomes even more important on Saturday, as the Flyers themselves have a trio of forwards — Ohio State transfer Zed Key (6’8”), and freshmen Amael L’Etang (7’1”) and Jacob Conner (6’10”) — who can all take the game into their own hands if they wish to. With all the size the Flyers are sporting, Nicholson’s job is straightforward: keep them off the board and out of the paint.
Staying Consistent from Beyond the Arc
Last season, one of Northwestern’s strongest attributes — and one of the main attributes that got the team to the NCAA Tournament — was its three-point shooting. The Wildcats boasted a 39% mark from three last season, good for second in the Big Ten, trailing only national title runner-up Purdue. Coach Collins looks to have emphasized that same identity to this season and the team showed it against Lehigh. In the opener, the Wildcats shot 9-for-20 (45%) from beyond the arc and were looking for long-range shots all game long.
The Flyers will be ready, though: they held St. Francis (PA) to just under 29% shooting from deep in a 30-point victory on Monday, and held opponents to just 32% three-point shooting last season. To escape that constricting Dayton defense, the Wildcats will need to move the ball well as they did Monday night, getting it into the paint via Nicholson and Nick Martinelli, with shooters like Leach, Berry and rising-star freshman K.J. Windham readily available at the perimeter. If the shots can fall, it should be enough for the Wildcats’ offense to earn a second straight win.