Northwestern heads into this season fresh off a historic 2016-2017 campaign. The Wildcats broke the school record for wins in a single season and made their first NCAA tournament appearance. But that’s all old news now.
With four starters and their top five scorers all returning, Chris Collins and his team are focused on reaching new heights this season. Ranked No. 20 in the preseason edition of the USA Today Coaches Poll, and 18th in KenPom, a Top 25 ranking is likely coming when the initial AP Poll is released in the coming days.
We're familiar with the Big Ten foes that lie ahead for the Wildcats this season; Michigan State, with the unexpected return of sophomore forward Miles Bridges, a pre-season national player of the year candidate and likely 2018 lottery pick, is ranked No.