Northwestern Basketball: 2021-22 season preview for Wildcats

Season outlook

Since the program’s historic NCAA Tournament appearance, Northwestern has gone back to being a bottom-tier Big Ten team. A similar fate likely awaits this year, although the upperclassmen that make up the entirety of their starting lineup could fix that.

While the core’s ceiling isn’t astronomical, its floor should be above the basement. Boo Buie, Chase Audige, and Pete Nance are all capable of being starters at many other Big Ten programs. They have the combined cache to carry the Wildcats to the middle of the conference.

The team doesn’t have much depth, though. Ty Berry and Elyjah Williams should be good contributors from the bench, but Northwestern is going to need more. Can Casey Simmons quickly live up to his billing?

The schedule does Northwestern enough favors. Two easy non-conference stretches and a manageable one in conference play should be enough to propel Northwestern back into double-digit win territory. A winning record may be too much to ask, though more help is on the way.

The Big Ten has been one of the toughest leagues in recent years. Northwestern could be a more middle-of-the-pack squad somewhere else, but the competition in the Big Ten might be too much to overcome.

Northwestern should be more competitive than they’ve been in recent years. The best postseason result fans should hope for, however, is the NIT.