In last season’s tipoff against Chicago State, coach Chris Collins unveiled a defensive renaissance that eventually spurred his program’s first March Madness trip in six seasons to a fractionally filled Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Flash forward 364 days and Northwestern is a secret no more, with students filing into their seats as early as two hours before the Wildcats’ season opener versus Binghamton on Monday.
While graduate student guard Boo Buie buried NU’s inaugural seven points, the preseason All-American’s supporting cast failed to pick up the offensive slack early in the half, with the ‘Cats falling behind 27-16 midway through the frame — courtesy of a 14-2 away run.
NU’s (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) backcourt trio of Buie, junior guard Brooks Barnhizer and graduate student guard Ryan Langborg helped the ‘Cats claw right back into contention, but the Bearcats (0-1, 0-0 America East) carried a 39-36 advantage into the halftime break.
Just under nine minutes into the second half, Langborg and Buie converted consecutive shots, helping NU reclaim its first lead since the matchup’s opening five minutes.
Powered by Buie’s 27-point display, the ‘Cats never looked back from there, securing a 72-61 win.
“We’re a work in progress,” Collins said. “We’re not nearly where we need to be. … Hopefully you can learn lessons from winning games. In the second half, we got back to playing like we can play defensively.”
Here are three takeaways from NU’s opening night victory over Binghamton.
1. Hey freshman, welcome to the NCAA
Just six minutes into the matchup, freshman guard Jordan Clayton checked in for his first collegiate action to spell Buie. The 6-foot-2 guard, by way of Medford, Massachusetts, missed the team’s exhibition game against McKendree due to injury.
Although the three-star recruit was one of Collins’ most highly touted gets in the 2023 recruiting class, few would’ve expected Clayton to feature so early in his career for the ‘Cats.
His first showing wouldn’t last too long, with the freshman picking up two fouls that sent him back to the bench in three minutes. Nonetheless, the coaching staff showed a commitment to implementing the young guard into the rotation, as he logged significant minutes off the bench Monday night.
“I was really impressed by Jordan (Clayton),” Buie said. “He was literally one of the best guards on the defensive end tonight. I really think without his contribution, we don’t win that game.”
2. Sloppy first half display leaves NU on upset alert
Although the ‘Cats converted 52% of their first-half field goals, struggles on both ends of the court left NU down three points at halftime to an opponent it was expected to cruise past by double digits.
Chalk it up to first-game jitters or growing pains, but the Bearcats looked the better of the two teams in large stretches.
“They really had us on our heels,” Collins said. “They were getting the ball out fast; they were pushing the ball. We were getting cross-matched in transition. They were getting quick drives, they were getting to the basket, they were getting 3s.”
The departure of the team’s defensive anchor in guard Chase Audige appeared to adversely impact the defensive system, as lethargic rotations loomed large, especially on Binghamton’s 14-2 flurry.
Offensively, turnovers and miscues marred what would’ve been solid shooting stretches. With nonconference foe Dayton entering Evanston Friday, these missteps must be shored up.
3. Langborg to the rescue
During the second half of NU’s exhibition game, Langborg caught fire offensively, extending his points output to 13.
With the ‘Cats in dire need of a second offensive option to Boo Buie — especially given Barnhizer’s streaky shooting clip — the Princeton transfer once again rose to the occasion, knocking down a go-ahead score to put NU back in the driver’s seat.
Despite struggling to get the lid off the basket from downtown, Langborg’s mid-range consistency handed the ‘Cats a much-needed spark, fueling the team’s second-half turnaround.
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