Another brutal one.
Yesterday was insult to injury. Literally.
For a long time in Sunday afternoon’s matchup with Nebraska, it appeared as if Northwestern was finally going to get its fifth conference victory. Leading by 20 early in the second half, the game had all the makings of a confidence-building rout. Then, disaster struck again, and the ‘Cats slowly but surely let the lead slip away. The result was a 68-64 loss that left fans in purple shuffling at a snail’s pace (figure it out, WRA) out of the arena wondering how this season could possibly get any more painful.
Here are three takeaways from the loss:
Screw efficiency
Ty Berry shot a whopping 15 threes yesterday, making six of them. That’s not the most efficient performance ever, but it is what we should expect for the remainder of the season. He’s going to be chucking up a lot of threes, and he should. Martinelli floaters and Berry threes feel like the only good offensive options very often during these games with this shorthanded roster.
Berry scored 23 points, tied with Martinelli for the most on the team against the ‘Huskers. If NU is going to get a spot in the Big Ten Tournament, then it’s going to need him to continue scoring the basketball at a similar clip. It’s a tall task for the 10 points per game scorer this season, but if he gets to shoot 15 threes all the time, it gets a lot easier.
Martinelli also shot 11-of-25 from the field yesterday. That many shots feels ridiculous, but what else are the ‘Cats supposed to do offensively? The bottom line is that this Northwestern team isn’t going to win any more games if those two guys aren’t scoring. So, screw it. The whole building knows they’re gonna shoot it, but it doesn’t matter. Shot selection? Pfft. Overrated.
Northwestern fans really hate Big Ten refs (and that’s fair)
The ref show yesterday wasn’t terrible. It also wasn’t great. There were some pretty bad foul calls and some equally missed foul calls. Most notably, Matt Nicholson got clocked on the head and there was no foul called after a review which is pretty funny since I was under the impression that any incidental contact results in a flagrant II. Maybe I don’t understand the rules.
But in an arena that was far from full, the boos and complaints were still loud. The message was loud and clear: Northwestern fans hate the refs. Personally, I’m not usually one for blaming refs. And it’s exceptionally hard to argue that this team would be in a different spot if it weren’t for all the bad calls. Injuries are the biggest factor in this team’s demise when it comes down to it. They’ve also been terrible in late game scenarios all season long, struggling from the line and lacking diverse clutch scoring options.
So, don’t go full Chiefs hater, ‘Cats fans. There’s no conspiracy. The refs aren’t throwing Northwestern games in the other team’s favor. A lot of this has been self-inflicted or simply bad luck. However, there have been an alarming number of missed calls against the ‘Cats this season. That is an objective truth. I say, let ‘em have it, so long as you keep the allegations reasonable.
Justin Mullins looks different
Mullins only had four points against Nebraska, but both buckets came on impressive drives on which he looked like a real slasher. Of late, we’ve also seen him start to knock down the three-ball more consistently. The results have been better, and Collins is noticing, trusting the junior with 33 minutes of action yesterday.
The biggest difference, though, is in his demeanor. He just looks way more confident in everything he does on the court. Last season, Mullins rarely saw playing time, and his body language was nothing short of terrible. He looked depressed and many of us speculated about a potential transfer.
He elected to stick it out for another season, and it was the right decision. He’s emerged as a good on-ball defender with the size to guard in the post as well, and his offensive game is slowly coming along. But the confidence appears to have skyrocketed in recent weeks.
This is a fantastic development for Northwestern long-term as we start to look ahead to next season. If Mullins can develop into a consistent scoring option for the ‘Cats in his senior year, that could be incredibly important. Especially recognizing that depth was a serious issue for this year’s squad, Collins and co. know they can’t have that problem again next season. Mullins’s play down the stretch will be important to watch as they determine how to solve the issue.