When it was announced that Alex Olah was out indefinitely with a fracture in his foot, Northwestern lost the anchor to its defense. Sure, he's not the most mobile big man around, but his mere (massive) body makes finishing at the rim far from easy for opponents. Dererk Pardon and Joey van Zegeren have done their best to fill the void, but their lack of offensive prowess has stagnated movement on that end and has made things more difficult for Northwestern's perimeter players. It's on that side of the ball that Olah's absence has been felt most profoundly.
Northwestern's three-point explosion against Minnesota was a byproduct of the Gophers' decision to play a two-three matchup zone, which freed up wings to create needed separation.