Northwestern men’s basketball starts in mere hours, and two familiar faces are set to make their long-awaited returns to Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Graduate student guard Ty Berry and graduate student center Matt Nicholson suffered season-ending injuries last year. They will return to the court Wednesday night for the Wildcats’ exhibition game against Lewis.

After starting the year on a heater, shooting a career-high 43.3% clip on three-point attempts, Berry missed the team’s final 11 contests after sustaining a torn meniscus in a win over Nebraska. The guard’s presence was sorely missed for the ’Cats’ March Madness run, where the team shot nearly 8% below their regular-season average from beyond the arc.

Nicholson’s impact in the paint was similarly absent in NU’s final game against UConn after he suffered a foot injury in a duel with Iowa three weeks prior. Once the Michigan native knew the scope of his rehab process, there was no question about where he would spend his graduate season.

“There’s no place I’d rather play. This has been my home for four years, why not make it a fifth?” Nicholson said.

With senior guard Brooks Barnhizer sidelined for the opening game, Berry and Nicholson will be the only upperclassmen from last year’s team to play in Wednesday’s exhibition. Coach Chris Collins spoke highly of his returning graduate students and the importance of the two making their debuts, especially with what they bring to the locker room.

“The culture we’re trying to drill here, you have to have the older guys, so that when new players come into the building, they see how we do things, they see how hard we train,” Collins said.

Collins said roster continuity and veteran leadership define a team’s culture.

“That’s going to be our motto going forward … to keep veteran leadership in the program,” Collins said. “And you see that with Brooks and Matt and Ty and Nick Martinelli.”

The focus on maintaining a veteran presence comes at a much-needed time, with the graduation of Boo Buie and Ryan Langborg and the potential for four newcomers to play substantial minutes this season.

It will be difficult to replicate the success of the past two seasons, but continuity in the coaching staff and starting lineup — with three of five primary starters returning — will certainly help.

The identity molded and upheld by Collins has gone a long way in revitalizing the basketball scene at Northwestern and fostering an environment that seniors want to return to. The realignment of the Big Ten ensures competitive conference play will continue, and the team will need graduate students like Berry and Nicholson in the future.

The impact of their presence in the program and university community is immeasurable.

“Evanston. Welsh-Ryan. It’s been everything I’ve ever wanted,” Nicholson said.

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