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Northwestern Basketball: Northwestern Wildcats 2015-16 Season Preview

By Beaumont Rand

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Northwestern Wildcats

2014-2015 Record: 15-17 (6-12, B1G) 
Postseason: None

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No matter the last season’s record, or the one before, or even the 2009-10 Wildcats went 20-14 and cracked the top 25, only one number persists through any iteration of Northwestern basketball: 67. Since the classification of teams into Division I in 1948 and the birth of the “modern” NCAA tournament, Northwestern has stared at the promised land through deserts of losing seasons, and some oases of NIT finishes.

Last year’s team, who finished 9-4 in the non-conference (but lost every game of note), was crippled by a ten-game losing streak than began the second game of B1G play and ran all the way through January. A four-game February rebound was not enough as they were bounced by Indiana in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago.

Chris Collins enters his third year in Evanston looking to do what no coach has done in his lifetime. The good news is very little of their production is departing, as three seniors graduate and two freshmen transfer, none of which averaged more than seven points per game last season. Their top four scorers and top rebounders return along with a solid recruiting class to key an experienced squad with hopes to finally break through what has become a steel ceiling.

Newcomers

F – Joey van Zegeren (RS-Sr., Transfer from Virginia Tech)
F – Aaron Falzon (UNR)
F- Derek Pardon (UNR)
G – Jordan Ash (UNR)

Key Non-Conference Games

Nov. 23 vs North Carolina (in Kansas City) – Just four games into the regular season, the Wildcats will tangle with the likely preseason top-three Tar Heels. It will be a battle of experience versus experience- though Carolina’s experience will be in much higher regard talent wise. Though Roy Williams’ UNC squads have dropped games early when ranked high (see Santa Clara in 2004), it will take a perfect storm for Northwestern to pull off an early-season upset. Certainly Chris Collins will hope for a strong showing in this game for confidence moving forward.

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    • Nov. 23 @ Virginia Tech – Though Buzz Williams has the Hokies’ on the rise, this one is certainly winnable even on the road. A squad experienced in B1G road environments (many of which are some of the toughest to play at in college basketball) could take a step forward, even if it is against a lower middle-to-bottom ACC squad. A win at Virginia Tech (barring a massive upset against UNC) could be the high point of the non-conference campaign.

    Dec. 19 @ DePaul – DePaul has been in many ways more hapless than Northwestern in the past decade- they have struggled to find their way out of the basement of the Big East pre and post the Catholic 7 migration. This showdown between Chicago area teams may not have much clout nationally, but could go a long way if either school wants to have any sway or foothold on Windy City recruiting whatsoever. Out of all of the strong non-con games, this is a must win for the Wildcats.

    Key Players

    G – Tre Demps – Most famous for his clutch shooting to sink Michigan late last season, the senior guard returns to key Northwestern’s backcourt. Averaging a little over 12 points per game in the previous season, Demps will be challenged to add to that scoring average while getting other guards involved.

    C – Alex Olah – The seven-foot 270 pound Romanian center definitely has pro-size. As Northwestern’s leading rebounder, he and Joey van Zegeren will have to make their presence known down low if the Wildcats want to sniff contention in the B1G. Chris Collins’ will certainly need more scoring out of his senior center.

    Season Outlook

    Northwestern has some opportunities (sans Carolina, realistically) to make small statements in the non-conference schedule that can go a long way toward gaining confidence in conference play. But the senior leadership on this team in Demps and Olah cannot let that wither as they did last January- the Wildcats will host Maryland, Ohio State, and Wisconsin in ten days’ time this January. Most certainly, it is imperative that Chris Collins keeps his squad focused on one game at a time- climbing up the steep B1G standings will be very difficult.

    Yes, a tournament berth would be nice, and maybe it would exorcise the ghosts of 67-years’ past. However, the conference is tough and despite the experience, Northwestern will struggle to score against the bigger, stronger and faster teams in the B1G. 20 wins is doable, but being on the other side of .500 and maybe a small run in the conference tourney would suffice.

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