Why am I optimistic about the Wildcats?

A 77-75 win over USC is a step in the right direction, but the sense of hope transcends the 2024-25 season.

Overall, the past 10 days of being a Northwestern basketball fan have been atrocious. In a three-game span, Northwestern got walloped by its in-state rival, became a highlight package for a top-3 NBA pick and lost its best player for the rest of the season. After the Wisconsin loss, Northwestern’s March Madness dreams officially felt like a quickly-vanishing flickering light. Simply put, it was an emotionally exhausting stretch for anyone who loves the Wildcats.

But after Northwestern’s 77-75 win over USC, I feel strangely optimistic about this Northwestern team. Don’t get me wrong — I still think it’s highly unlikely this team is going on a magical run to sneak into the NCAA Tournament. Heck, I’m not even sure if Northwestern will go .500 the rest of the way (especially depending on the prognosis of Jalen Leach, who suffered a scary-looking injury in the second half).

So, why do I feel so much hope?

Before you shout allegations of recency bias at me, let me tell you my optimism isn’t because Northwestern escaped with a narrow victory against USC on Tuesday night. In all honesty, in my time at Northwestern, I don’t think I’ve seen a less repeatable winning formula than what Northwestern pulled off against the Trojans.

The ‘Cats are not going to outrebound their opponents by 16 in any game the rest of the season — I can personally guarantee it. Nor will the team secure 23 offensive boards. Or win many games where Ty Berry scores 0 points in the second half. Or be able to rely on the other team missing their best offensive weapon. This game was an anomaly. But it was also a culture win and a testament to the long-term health of this program.

My initial feelings of optimism actually go back to after the Wisconsin game. I walked out of Chris Collins’ press conference, where he tearfully announced Brooks Barnhizer would be out for the rest of the year, genuinely moved by Collins’ display of emotion for his star player. Maybe I’m too sappy, but I don’t see how a potential recruit and their parents could see a coach like that and not want to play for him. Coach Collins can be a character (and we on this site take great fun in breaking down his animated reactions that range from scoffs to full-blown meltdowns), but you would be hard-pressed to find a single coach in the country who cares more about developing his players, both as athletes and as people, than Chris Collins. This realization, combined with what I felt was a very admirable effort against a top-25 Wisconsin team, had me feeling strangely secure in Northwestern’s long-term chances of competing.

Three days later and those feelings have only intensified. This team showed an unparalleled level of resilience against USC. Justin Mullins and Keenan Fitzmorris put up season-highs in scoring and gave the team a tremendous amount of energy off the bench. When Jalen Leach went down and all momentum was with USC, Northwestern still found a way, largely thanks to Nick Martinelli, who left it all on the court, posting 27 points and 13 rebounds as he once again played all 40 minutes and sunk the game-winner.

Despite being 3-8 in conference play and losing the team’s captain and leading rebounder, Northwestern played perhaps its most physical game of the season. With heartbreaking losses, questionable officiating and brutal injury luck, this team could have rolled over. Instead, this team’s give-a-sh*t factor (for lack of a better term) is at an all-time high. That means something. That is a sign of a healthy program.

Not to mention, this program has earned the benefit of the doubt. I’m biased, but I wholeheartedly believe that Boo Buie, Brooks Barnhizer and Nick Martinelli are three of the best cases of internal development we have seen in the Big Ten in the past half-decade or even longer. None were ridiculously high-profile recruits. Each got better year after year. In an era dominated by the transfer portal, all three are as loyal to Northwestern as Forrest was to Bubba. This is why Northwestern fans need to continue to show patience with the current first-years, and why with a historically good recruiting class waiting in the wings, Northwestern is right where it needs to be long term. The irony is not lost on me that Northwestern’s win came against USC, a team largely built through the transfer portal. That will never be Northwestern, and that’s a good thing.

I’m never going to say that the results of the remaining eight games on the schedule aren’t important — they absolutely are — but I think it’s important to maintain perspective when analyzing the Wildcats. And the last few days revealed that as long as Chris Collins is Northwestern’s coach, and as long as the culture that was on full display Tuesday night remains consistent into future iterations of this team, Northwestern is on the right track. This year’s record in conference play might look similar to those from a previous era of hapless Wildcat hoops, but don’t be fooled — these are not the same old Wildcats.