With the season more than halfway complete, Northwestern has struggled to find its footing in the win column. A closer look at the Wildcats’ (8-10, 0-7 Big Ten) statistics helps explain those struggles, with much of the concern coming on the defensive end.

NU’s last decade of play has been inconsistent. The ’Cats most recently peaked in 2022-23 and 2023-24, though recent seasons have shown a decline in performance.

The team has historically struggled in conference play, rarely finishing above .500. Last season, the ’Cats went 7-13 in the Big Ten, and this year’s early results show a similar struggle. Northwestern has yet to record a single conference win this season, which has weighed heavily on its overall record.

NU’s offensive rating has seen substantial improvement over the past six seasons. As of Jan. 19, the ’Cats’ offensive rating is the highest it has been in the last decade at nearly 115 points scored per 100 possessions. Defensive performance, however, has been far less consistent, fluctuating year to year.

This year’s jump in offensive efficiency places the ’Cats in the middle of the pack among the Big Ten, with numbers similar to Michigan State and Wisconsin.

Defensively, however, NU ranks fifth-worst in the conference, ahead of only Maryland, Oregon, Penn State and Rutgers. This combination of a strong offense and middling defense limits their margin of error and makes winning a struggle.

NU’s shot distribution has remained stable across the past decade, with total field goal attempts consistently hovering in the high-50s per game.

This season, however, has seen a decline in three-point attempts, at 19.9 threes per game, its lowest mark since the 2019-20 season.

Increased shooting efficiency has driven the ’Cats’ improved offense this season. An apparent jump in both two- and three-point percentages can be attributed to a shift toward fewer three-point attempts and a greater emphasis on two-point shots.

Defensive inconsistency remains the ’Cats’ clearest limiting factor. Whether the team can bounce back from their current struggles will depend on their ability to string together stops as consistently as they score over the full 40 minutes.

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