Northwestern Basketball: Wildcats 2019-20 season review
By Karl Heiser
Northwestern’s Highs and Lows
Despite the less-than-stellar record posted by the Wildcats, there were still some memorable games that prevented the season from being a total wash. Here’s a look back at the notable highs and lows that NU endured this season.
High: Victory over Boston College in ACC/Big Ten Challenge
When your win column finishes in the single digits, it’s always nice when one of those wins is against a Power 5 opponent like Boston College. Led by 20-point performances from both Miller Kopp and Boo Buie, the Wildcats were the worst team to clinch a victory in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, which proved to be the difference in the Big Ten’s overall 8-6 triumph.
Low: Loss to Merrimack in season opener
Opening the season on a loss is never good, but it becomes all the worse when it comes against a team playing in their second-ever Division I contest. Merrimack made the jump from Division II this season, and although they were a solid team who won the Northeast Conference, losing by ten at home certainly wasn’t how NU envisioned the season beginning.
High: Win over Penn State in final home game
This was undoubtedly the Wildcats’ best win of the season and their only conference win that didn’t come against last-place Nebraska. Penn State was ranked 20th in the nation at the time and had won 9 of their last 13. By comparison, Northwestern had won 1 of their last 13. The score tied at halftime, NU pulled away in the second half for a decisive 80-69 win where Miller Kopp finished with five three-pointers and 21 points while the team shot 50% from beyond the arc. The seniors walked away from their final game at Welsh-Ryan Arena with a victory against one of the Big Ten’s best teams.
Low: Complete second-half collapse against Maryland
The Wildcats put the No. 17 Terrapins on upset watch after leaping out to a 14-point halftime lead. NU’s defense came out of the break and essentially stood and watched while Maryland poured in 51 second-half points and left Evansville as 11-point victors. After a dominant first half, the Wildcat shooters went cold and the defense allowed eight threes to an opponent that had six made field goals in the entire first half. The unbelievable Northwestern collapse made this one of the lowest lows of the season.
High: Finishing better than projected in the Big Ten
Slightly tongue-in-cheek, but Northwestern was projected by the preseason media poll to finish 14th in the Big Ten: dead last. They finished 13th, so at least the Wildcats weren’t as bad as the preseason poll predicted, right?