Northwestern Basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Wildcats

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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MARCH 18: Head coach Chris Collins of the Northwestern Wildcats argues with the official against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 18, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Overview and Ranking

Northwestern should be a staple in the top-25 polls this season. The Wildcats have a quality point guard in Bryant McIntosh, two quality two-way wings in Scottie Lindsey and Vic Law, a floor spacer in Aaron Falzon, and an interior presence in Dererk Pardon. All these players have starting experience and will be entering at least their third season with the program.

The Wildcats will also have a solid bench since multiple players have experience playing consistent roles. Isiah Brown and Gavin Skelly were key rotation players last season and should thrive in similar roles this season. Barrett Benson could become a reliable third bench player as he showed great promise last year. His shot blocking potential could be a huge asset for Northwestern.

With this mix of veteran talent and quality depth, I have Northwestern as the No. 11 team in the country. Northwestern should be ranked in a similar spot to Seton Hall and Minnesota. All three finished in similar spots last season, are veteran laden, and return their best players. I understand if you think these teams should be in the early 20’s or late teens, but there is no logical argument for omitting them from the top 25.

As a No. 8 seed last season, Northwestern was essentially ranked between 29-32. A team that was ranked just outside the top-25, returns their top 5 scorers and adds a starting caliber player is absolutely a top-25 team and should be close to the top-10. People are underrating Northwestern because of their history, but this roster is legitimately talented and last season was no aberration.

Next: Predicting the Big Ten rankings

In terms of their placement in the Big Ten, I have Northwestern finishing third behind Minnesota and Michigan State. As I mentioned above, Minnesota and Northwestern should be ranked comparably, but Michigan State should be in a tier above.

Overall, Northwestern is poised for their best season in school history and, with a quality 2018 recruiting class in hand, the future looks awfully bright in Evanston.

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