Coach Chris Collins and his seniors have been here before. 

They’ve dealt with the gauntlet of Big Ten basketball, but have come out on the losing end more often than not. They’ve also started a Big Ten season hot in 2020-21 — subsequently earning national praise — before spiraling just as quickly as they had ascended.

But this year’s team is looking to change that. With victories on the road at Michigan State and Indiana combined with a home win over Illinois under their belt, the Wildcats (12-3, 3-1 Big Ten) are rolling hot and heavy in early January. 

“It’s exciting, but the season is still early,” senior guard Boo Buie said of NU’s start. “It’s good to start out 3-1, but I’ve been here before and it’s turned around in a way I didn’t want it to. We’ve just got to stay humble, stay hungry and stick to the formula that’s gotten us here.”

Now, the focus turns towards Rutgers on Wednesday. The Scarlet Knights (11-5, 3-2) are a battle-tested bunch boasting wins over then-No. 1 Purdue, Indiana and Maryland. Before its loss to Iowa, Rutgers was riding a five-game win streak.

Here’s what to look out for as the Cats play host to the Scarlet Knights.

1. Battle between two elite defenses

Two of the top-10 defensive teams in the country, per KenPom’s defensive efficiency metric, will take the court Wednesday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Rutgers and NU are the Big Ten’s two best defenses, holding opponents to 56.2 and 58.9 points per game, respectively. The two squads account for five of the top-six players in steals per game in the conference — redshirt senior guard Chase Audige leads the way with an average of 2.8. Scarlet Knights center Clifford Omoruyi averages 1.8 blocks per game, third in the conference, while junior center Matthew Nicholson averaged 1.4 per contest, currently sixth.

The two teams mirror each other in many respects — notably taking the old adage “defense wins championships” to heart. Both the Scarlet Knights and Cats boast elite defenses paired with methodical and middle-of-the-road offenses. 

Overall, Wednesday’s battle is going to be a slugfest, which Buie and the Cats are preparing for.

“It’s gonna be a physical, scrappy game,” Buie said. “They’re a really good defensive team and they play hard … We’ve just got to come and match their physicality.”

2. 60 is the magic number for the Cats’ offense

Nearly halfway through its season, one number can loosely define NU’s on-court success: 60. 

When the Cats have met or eclipsed the 60-point threshold in games this season, they’ve won — simple as that. Ahead of the midweek clash with Rutgers, NU is undefeated in the 12 matchups it has reached that mark.

But the Scarlet Knights are the Cats’ toughest defensive matchup to date, holding opposing squads to an effective field goal percentage of 42.9, good for ninth in the country. For an NU offense which doesn’t play particularly fast — the Cats have an adjusted tempo of 66.9, according to KenPom, which ranks sub-200 nationally — nor shoot the ball particularly well — 43.6% from inside the arc and 31.6% from deep — making possessions count will be critical.

The Cats are expecting Wednesday’s contest to be a brawl, which could very well result in a low-scoring affair. Collins lauded Rutgers’ toughness and is expecting a physical matchup.

Still, basketball, for all of its complexity at times, is a simple game: take a ball and put in the hoop. If the early season sample size is any indication though, NU doesn’t have to score in droves because 60 points may be all they need.

3. The impact of the student section boost

Three certainties arose following the conclusion of the Cats’ game against Illinois last week. First, every player on NU’s roster got their first career win over the Illini. Second, the Welsh-Ryan student section, draped in white, filled to the brim. Third, large swathes of orange and navy blue still littered the upper and lower bowls of the arena.

The game may as well have been at a neutral site at times. Illinois fans came in hordes to Evanston and made their presence heard. 

One couldn’t deny the importance of NU’s dedicated students cheering on the Cats, though. But despite the increased support, many students were denied entry, with NU Athletics citing capacity concerns in the student section.

There was outcry on social media and in-person — especially considering the number of empty purple seats within the arena at tipoff.

After the fallout, NU Athletics answered the calls with 200 additional seats for the student section ahead of Wednesday’s game against Rutgers. The boost in potential attendance is a welcomed addition, senior forward Robbie Beran said, regardless of whether the noise is influenced by potential chicken sandwiches. 

“It’s huge,” Beran said of the impact of Welsh-Ryan crowd noise. “When we see (students) coming in (with) school spirit, it’s a great feeling. It’s great to have them behind us making noise. I know they’re making noise for Chick-fil-A … but (we’ve) been through ups and downs, and just to give (the fans) a good show is wonderful.”

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Twitter: @CervantesPAlex 

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