It was a valiant effort on the road for the ‘Cats.
The ‘Cats suffered yet another brutal loss on Sunday.
Northwestern fell 80-76 in overtime at the hands of Michigan, dropping to 2-5 in conference play after nearly pulling off a massive road upset. While the locker room was undoubtedly full of disappointment after the close defeat, there were still many bright spots to be had. Here are three takeaways from the Wildcats’ latest dramatic affair.
Jalen Leach is continuing to improve as the season progresses
Leach is a player who has received relatively modest fanfare during his time at Northwestern. The Fairfield transfer entered the season largely as a mystery, as it was tough to evaluate how his play would translate to the Big Ten. However, Leach has gradually improved throughout the season, and he turned in an especially efficient performance against the Wolverines.
Leach finished the Michigan game with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field, including 3-of-5 from three-point range. He also added five assists, marking his third straight game with four-plus helpers. Leach was more inconsistent as a ballhandler in comparison to his solid performance against Maryland, but he has shown that he can bring the ball up at times when needed.
Of course, Leach’s ejection on a controversial flagrant-2 foul cannot be overlooked. The foul was a costly mistake, but it was also a tough circumstance for Leach, who was trying to fight through a physical screen at the time. Still, the fact that Northwestern’s offense struggled at times following Leach’s departure demonstrated the impact that he’s had for the ‘Cats. Even the threat of additional scoring options behind Brooks Barnhizer and Nick Martinelli is something Northwestern has sought all season long. Leach has been there at times this season, but his gutsy road performance makes it seem like he’s truly rounding into form at the right moment.
Ty Berry should remain as the sixth man
This one may be controversial given that Berry has outplayed first-year Angelo Ciaravino since his benching, but these last two games have shown that Northwestern coach Chris Collins has found the correct formula (at least with Berry). The senior turned in his best two-game scoring stretch of the season following the lineup switch, scoring 12 against Michigan after putting up 15 against Maryland. Berry still hasn’t been super efficient from three (5-of-16 over the last two games), but he’s clearly more involved in the offense, representing a contrast from several games earlier in the year.
Oftentimes, when Berry has started games, he’s had a tendency to start flat and be completely phased out of the Wildcats’ offensive sets. Coming off the bench, he’s seemingly found much more of a spark, earning above 30 minutes of playing time against Maryland and Michigan as a result. Leaving Berry as the team’s “sixth man” allows Collins to make necessary adjustments on the fly, as he can confidently make an early sub with a struggling starter if he knows Berry will thrive.
Unfortunately for Collins, he is in a tough spot. Contrary to Berry’s success off the bench, Ciaravino has struggled in a starting role, failing to make a meaningful offensive impact. This brings the temptation to put Berry back into the starting five, but Northwestern should not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Ciaravino — being a freshman — needs time to adjust to the spotlight, as his explosiveness and defensive stature have stood out along with flashes of shooting ability.
The former two traits allow Ciaravino to make an impact beyond the box score, meaning that Collins and Co. shouldn’t get caught up in the basic numbers game. As the sixth man, Berry is in a spot where he can have success, and so far, he’s added much-needed consistency to the Northwestern bench. As long as he maintains his run of solid play, the ‘Cats should leave his role as it is.
The ‘Cats can compete with any Big Ten team if they win the rebound battle
The Wolverines represented a tough test for Northwestern in terms of rebounding, as they ranked 22nd in the country with a +7.6 rebound margin entering Sunday’s contest. Nonetheless, the ‘Cats still out-rebounded Michigan 41-to-39, led by a stunning career-high tying 16-rebound performance from Matthew Nicholson. For Northwestern, more of the same is needed from its center going forward.
Throughout this season, the Wildcats have relied (often disproportionately) on their guards to get rebounds. Having Nicholson show up against the Wolverines was an incredible gift for the team, as it allowed all of Northwestern’s efforts to come together against an elite opponent on the road. All of the boards allowed Northwestern to hang around against Michigan despite inefficient shooting performances from its two stars (Barnhizer and Martinelli combined to shoot 10-of-31 from the floor).
Such a performance was an awesome sign for the ‘Cats, especially given the lack of depth inside with Luke Hunger being inactive once again. Still, Nicholson needs to be consistent in the future. Otherwise, the ‘Cats risk uphill battles against the many Big Ten teams with elite big men.