Northwestern basketball 2015-16 minutes projections

Northwestern open its 2015-16 season Friday against UMass-Lowell. A day before the campaign commences, we're getting ready for the return of hoops. We've released our season predictions, discussed various storylines in a preseason edition of Wildcat Shootaround, and put together scouting reports for every scholarship player.

However, less than a week before the season opener, the Wildcats were dealt a huge blow when Vic Law and the program decided that the sophomore would undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

Law's absence will significantly alter coach Chris Collins' rotation. Law played over 24 minutes per game last year, and we had him projected for a slight increase in his sophomore season. Where those minutes go will be a major storyline to follow throughout non-conference play.

Based on last year's rotation, conversations with those close to the program, our own analysis, and other factors, here's how we see playing time being distributed in 2015-16:

More analysis can be heard on the Thursday edition of our podcast, Pound The Talk. It will be released Thursday afternoon.