Pregame Glance: Northwestern

Sometimes you just have to submit to the fact that Nerds got it going on. Despite losing to it’s only two ranked opponents in non-conference play, the Wildcats enter the Big Ten season at a sizzling 10-2. In the pre-season, we took a closer look at the Wildcats with the belief that they could contend in the Big Ten just one year after arguably their best season in the last decade.

Hope and aspiration turns into reality tomorrow night, as the Wildcats meet the Ohio State Buckeyes to open up B1G play in Columbus.

Opponent Overview:

Buckeye fans get ready for another defensive challenge, as they will face the Princeton offense for the first time this season. It’s the backdoor cuts, constant passing, and interior motion of the Wildcats that gave the Buckeyes trouble at the end of the season last year. First, it was the one point win in the regular season, followed by an overtime game in the Big Ten Tournament. Though the Wildcats return to Value City Arena without Juice Thompson, who was the mastermind of their offense a year ago, this team might be even more athletic and better in the Princeton. The Wildcats are 8th in the country this young season at properly dishing off the basketball.

The gritty John Shurna continues to lead the Wildcats in his senior year. He is scoring nearly 20 point a game while shooting 45% from the floor and downtown. His game of the season came against LSU earlier this season when he scored 37. He has the heart and soul to lead this squad, but as witnessed in the Wildcat’s last action against Creighton — he needs some type of support in order to be successful. If you can hold him in some kind of check, and play perimeter D, you can beat Northwestern. The fact of the matter is, at times this team only has two players that can take over a ballgame in terms of putting the biscuit in the basket.

Shurna had a respectable 18 points, while bringing down a game leading 9 rebounds last time out. Guard Drew Crawford had one of the best games in Northwestern individual history. He shot 13/17 from the field and scored 34 points, all while driving to the hoop and using possession after possession effectively, despite being in foul trouble all second half. The great folks at Lake The Posts break down his performance at Creighton even further. It was obvious that Crawford was continuing to improve at the end of the year, and now he is coming through big time. For once, a loss heading into Big Ten play for the Wildcats could mean momentum solely on the way they played.

Despite the loss, It’s scary to think that this team is heading into Wednesday’s game off a 50% shooting percentage, a player gaining confidence off of driving to the hoop and shooting off of screens with ease. Worst off all, they are coming off a 47% three point performance. The Buckeyes might have to make early adjustments in this one. If they don’t, they could find themselves lost on the court throughout the night.

Mismatch Match-Ups:

Freshman Point Guard Dave Sobolewski has been given the reigns to control the offense early and though he hasn’t had a bad start to his career, he could be overwhelmed by Aaron Craft on Wednesday. The youngster is averaging 33 minutes per game and nearly 8 points, 4 assists and a steal. Yet swapping .8 steals per game, he is averaging .8 turnovers every single contest. He had a career high 8 assists last time out and kept a good handle on the basketball. Even though he’s turning up his game, it can’t be denied that Craft will give him trouble on the court. The only question is will Thad Matta match him up with the point guard with Crawford being on such a roll.

One of the most intriguing match-ups will be who John Shurna is assigned. Luka Mirkovic has the size to cover Jared Sullinger, but the question is does he have the heart. Early, he should get the nod — which means Northwestern’s top defensive go-getter could be assigned to Deshaun Thomas. Thomas, who has been fire as of late, would be overshadowed by two inches.

Another match-up to watch will be William Buford and Drew Crawford. Despite the huge game he had against the Blues Jays, it was his foul trouble that ultimately led to their loss on the road. He had to sit out six minutes early in the second half with four fouls. It was then that Creighton went on it’s game defining 16-5 run. Crawford has been known to be aggressive on driving opponents, so look for Buford to get to the hoop a bit more than he has all season.

Buckeye Notes:

• Purdue Head Coach Matt Painter told CBS Sports this week that Ohio State is still the favorite to win the Big Ten Regular Season. Of course, Painter threw in the proverbial “There are a lot of good teams in this conference” line. Nebraska head coach Doc Sadler called the Big Ten, “The Best league in the Country.” The Rating Percentage Index would agree with the Cornhusker lead man.
• This is the 100th season the Buckeyes have competed on the hardwood in the Big Ten. Most outlets have the Buckeyes favored, including the Dispatch, which have Ohio State finishing 14-4 in league play.
• Despite short playing time, big man Amir Williams is already making his presence known. The freshman leads the team with 12 swats on the year. Only 42 more to go to match Dallas Lauderdale’s mark a year ago….
• William Buford told media after the Miami game that despite being 12-1, it’s time to “pick it up ” heading into Big Ten play. After a 7 point effort against Lamar, Buford shot 8/16 from the field and scored 18 points with 4 assists. Thad Matta added to Buford’s sentiment, saying that the concerns far outweigh what he’s pleased with in non-conference play.
• Charlie Coles had the quote of the year after his RedHawks struggled on the 23rd. “How do you tell your team ‘Merry Christmas’ after the game? God, I wanted to choke everybody in the locker room. But I had to say, ‘Merry Christmas guys. Merry Christmas'”