Bracketology 2021: 10 biggest winners from opening month of season

2. Northwestern

Back in 2017, head coach Chris Collins led the Wildcats to their very first appearance in the NCAA Tournament, which at the time was a phenomenal achievement. In the years that have followed, the Wildcats have been a cellar dweller as the Big Ten has toughened considerably. This season, the script appears to be changing for the Wildcats again.

Northwestern was picked to finish dead last in the Big Ten this season. They’ve beaten up on a few mid-majors, but lost at home to Pittsburgh at the beginning of the month. What’s transpired in the two weeks since has completely flipped the script.

Northwestern knocked off #4 Michigan State by double-digits, went to Bloomington and beat Indiana, and then toppled #23 Ohio State at home this past weekend. They’ve won their first three Big Ten games and are now the 19th ranked team in the nation.

Whether it be Miller Kopp (23 points against Ohio State) or Boo Buie (30 points against Michigan State), the Wildcats have been getting some eccentric performances and this roster appears far more talented than even the most optimistic pundits thought when the season began.

This team was a complete afterthought mere weeks ago, especially after a loss at home to Pittsburgh, but it’s funny how quickly a team’s potential can be realized. However, we still need to see consistent play from a Wildcats team that will have a ton of tough games in the coming weeks, with many outside of Evanston.