Northwestern is off to a promising 3-0 start, most recently beating Boston University 72-55.
Sophomore guard Jake West has lived up to the hype, scoring at least 20 points in each game. Transfer guard LA Pratt has also been a reliable scorer, giving the ‘Cats a player who can attack the rim.
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Northwestern looks ahead to a matchup against a strong DePaul team that is also 3-0. This could be the ‘Cats’ first real test of the year. With Northwestern finding a groove, what does it need to do to keep it going? Here are three keys for Northwestern’s game against DePaul:
Need more threats
Most of Northwestern’s offense has come from West, Pratt and junior guard Angelo Ciaravino. Each of them took at least 13 shots against BU. While they were efficient and each scored in double figures, Northwestern can’t rely on them for all its offense.
Head coach Chris Collins is already running only an eight-man rotation, and he needs someone to step up and give more. Sophomore guard Phoenix Gill has been solid off the bench thus far for the ‘Cats, and when transfer forward Jack Karasinski returns from his concussion, that provides another option for Collins.
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Beyond the top five players, no one has provided a major spark. If forwards Aleksej Kostic and Colin Smith could get hot one night from behind the arc and have that momentum carry, that would be invaluable for the Wildcats when one of the top scorers goes cold.
Northwestern has its go-to guys, but the role players need to figure out their roles quickly.
Consistency from deep
After going 12-for 23 from deep against Stony Brook, Northwestern went just 6-for-26 against BU.
This is in large part due to West going 1-for-7 and Pratt going 2-for-8. While this connects back to the first point about needing more players to score and take 3s, there also needs to be more consistency from behind the arc.
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West went 4-for-9 against Stony Brook, while Pratt went 2-for-4. The up-and-down shooting will not cut it against stiffer competition, especially for a team that lacks strong interior scoring. West and Pratt have to knock down at least three 3-pointers per game at an efficient clip. Gill needs to continue to develop as a 3-point shooter, and someone else off the bench has to provide some sharpshooting.
The return of Karasinski will help, but until then, Northwestern needs to shoot better from deep.
Keep up the pressure
When previewing the BU game, I said the Wildcats needed to force more turnovers. They did exactly that, forcing 19 while committing only five. Northwestern needs to keep the pressure up.
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Because of the lack of size, the Wildcats have to resort to small-ball lineups. As a result, the offense has to be high-tempo with a lot of off-the-ball movement to create open shots. This has to continue and get down to a science, especially against more physically imposing teams.
Furthermore, the team needs to get out in transition and take advantage of every single fast break opportunity. Once a player like freshman Jayden Hodge joins the mix, his athleticism can provide yet another dimension for the ‘Cats.
Northwestern needs to overcome its size disadvantages by feeding into its strengths. Otherwise, things will fall apart.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
