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Visualizing basketball through the numbers: Welcome to the national stage, Brooks Barnhizer

January 2, 2025 by Inside NU

Northwestern Athletics

No. 13 is a legitimate early season All-American contender.

Note: To optimally view the visualizations used below, access this article on a computer.

With every made basket, flash of quick hands or secured rebound, it feels like Brooks Barnhizer makes history.

“There are other great players in the country; I’m not sure anybody is affecting the game in that many ways — the way he does for us,” coach Chris Collins said after Barnhizer’s sixth consecutive double-double helped Northwestern fend off Northeastern 85-60.

The numbers are gaudy. Barnhizer is averaging 20.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, four assists, 2.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. He leads the Big Ten in steals per game. He’s second in the conference in rebounds per game and third in points per game. A true do it all unicorn, those numbers aren’t just Big Ten Player of the Year worthy; they’re All-American worthy.

Auburn’s Johni Broome, the running favorite for the Naismith Player of the Year Award, is averaging 18.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.6 blocks and 0.7 steals per contest. Those are pretty comparable to Barnhizer’s numbers. Other likely All-Americans like Duke’s Cooper Flagg (16.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks) or Marquette’s Kam Jones (20.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.7 steals) are in Barnhizer’s range too.

Good news is you don’t just have to sift through stat lines. The metrics back it up too.

https://public.flourish.studio/resources/embed.jsscatter visualization

PRPG! is a measure of points contributed over a replacement level player, adjusted for opponent, pace and usage, while D-PRPG is the defensive version. Essentially, they’re measuring offensive and defensive value compared to the average Division I hooper. Barnhizer is in the top ten of true high major players in offensive value and is by far the nation’s most valuable defender.

The aforementioned Broome and Jones impress too, way out to the right hand side as elite offensive players. Like Barnhizer, Flagg is an All-American level defender, but his offensive impact is significantly less — probably thanks to a relatively balanced scoring punch alongside Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor.

With team success likely part of the equation, Barnhizer won’t end up being the best player in college basketball, but he is firmly in the early mix for All-American consideration. Boo Buie last year and John Shurna in 2012 sniffed All-American recognition with honorable mentions, but the last Wildcat to take home the real deal was Evan Eschmeyer, who was a Consensus Second Team All-American in 1999.

Something Barnhizer has in common with Eschmeyer is stuffing the stat sheet. With his sixth straight double-double against the Huskies, Barnhizer became the first Wildcat to tally six straight double-doubles since Eschmeyer did in 1997.

https://public.flourish.studio/resources/embed.jschart visualization

Tied for third among true high major players in double-doubles, Barnhizer continues to join elite company. Even after missing Northwestern’s first four games, he leads the Big Ten in double-doubles, and more impressively is the only true high major guard with more than five. While Barnhizer has played nine games, nobody else listed above has played fewer than 12 games.

Since double-doubles were formally tracked in 1996, Barnhizer is the first Big Ten guard with six straight double-doubles, per Peacock’s broadcast Sunday. He’s averaging 20.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in that span.

And he’s beginning to get the recognition he deserves on a national level, earning Dick Vitale’s Player of the Week honors. However, more impactful than his double-doubles is his defense — the edge he has over college basketball’s best talent.

https://public.flourish.studio/resources/embed.jsscatter visualization

Shown above are the best all around defenders in college basketball. In other words, not just big men that rack up blocks, nor speedy guards that tally tons of steals. Of players in the top 150 of true high major steal and block percentage, Barnhizer continues to impress. Out of this crop, he’s tied for eighth in steal percentage and while he may not have the same numbers as Baylor’s freshman star V.J. Edgecombe, the numbers are still ridiculous.

Barnhizer is the only Big Ten player averaging more than two steals and one block per game, with his 2.7 steals per contest leading the conference. It’s not like he’s doing it against weak competition either with a three-steal, two-block performance against Illinois. That game kickstarted an active four game streak with three-plus steals, including tying a career-high five takeaways against Northeastern.

Averaging just 1.1 fouls per game, Barnhizer’s ability to lock down on the defensive end without fouling is borderline unserious. His last foul on the defensive end came with 8:13 left in the second half against Illinois — a slight push off Kasparas Jakucionis’ back while going for a defensive rebound. He’s played 128 minutes since, racking up 12 steals and seven blocks in that span — all without committing a defensive foul.

With that defensive effort paired with his offense and impact in every facet of the game, Barnhizer has the stats, metrics and passes the eye test for every major postseason award. Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Big Ten Player of the Year and All-American all seem more than possible.

Sure, Barnhizer’s report card isn’t perfect. For a player with his high usage, improved offensive efficiency would be desirable. But that’s tough for someone who relies so heavily on the midrange game. Averaging nearly two turnovers a game, he could also take better care of the basketball. He’s also played just nine games, a smaller sample size than players who have been available for the entire season thus far. But that’s all incredibly nit-picky.

Obviously there is loads of basketball still to be played, but if Barnhizer keeps even a semblance of this going, the postseason accolades and ensuing NBA opportunities are going to be historic for Northwestern basketball.

Filed Under: Northwestern

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