It is not time to hit the panic button yet, Northwestern fans.

Believe me when I say it was frustrating to watch the Wildcats struggle so much in what was the most important game of the season to date. However, it’s only the team’s seventh game of the season.

This team is more equipped to handle the Big Ten than any team in the past five seasons. Freshman center Alex Olah and redshirt freshman Mike Turner will grow into their roles as they get more experience. Yes, Alex Len came in and dominated the paint and the glass, but is that any different than what the Cats saw in Jared Sullinger last season?

I’m not saying NU will all of a sudden dominate the inside in conference play because even I know that sounds as farfetched as Maryland’s football uniforms. I’m not going to say these sorts of game won’t happen in the conference season because the Cats still have to face Cody Zeller. But I’m also not going to say NU will get dominated by the big guns in the Big Ten because NU showed glimpses of its ability to shut down the inside presence in the first half against the Terrapins.

If you don’t believe me that’s fine, but let’s look at some stats that I can almost guarantee won’t become the norm in Evanston.

The Cats were outrebounded by 28 boards, even NU knows it’s better than that on the glass. NU shot less than 25 percent from behind the arc, something we know won’t happen again with the amount of great shooters the Cats have on their roster. In addition, the Cats shot an abysmal 34 percent from the field while still being mired in a shooting slump. NU missed 7 free throws, which is something that can be easily corrected with an extra half hour in the gym.

Let’s be real here, we all knew NU was going to throw up a stinker at some point this season. Look at what happened last year when Baylor came to Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Bears came in and destroyed the Cats on the boards and in the paint while NU had one of its worst shooting games of the season. At the time, it looked like NU wouldn’t sniff a good record in Big Ten play, but low and behold the Cats were in almost every single conference match-up.

This team is young and inexperienced, and it’s showing early in the season. Coach Bill Carmody said throughout the preseason and even earlier this week that his team will continue to mature and grow as the season progresses and the fans must wait patiently to see the fruit of his labors.

The point is as much as we want to take one game and say the pattern will follow NU the rest of the season, history won’t back us up. The Cats will be fine with a loss to a good team in November on their resume. As long as they continue to integrate the new players and everyone progresses as they should, NU will be in the thick of things come February and, who knows, may even sniff the you-know-what.