When former Duke star and assistant Chris Collins took Northwestern to its first-ever NCAA Tournament in 2016-17, everyone around the Wildcats program was ecstatic. It seemed like something impossible had been accomplished.
And then the program slid again. In 2017-18, the Wildcats finished 15-17. The year after? 13-19. And last year? 8-22.
This year Northwestern is off to a much better start. However, the competition hasn’t been impressive.
The Wildcats beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Chicago State, and Quincy, losing to Pitt by one point.
The competition got better Sunday night - and Northwestern stepped up, beating #4 Michigan State 79-65.