Northwestern vs. Texas player grades

At the Legends Classic, the Wildcats came up with an impressive 77-58 victory over the Longhorns on Monday night at the Barclays Center. Led by junior Bryant McIntosh, Northwestern dismantled Texas on both ends of the floor. Here’s how each individual played against the Longhorns.

Bryant McIntosh: A-

20 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover on 7/18 FG, 2/7 3FG, 4/4 FT in 37 minutes

McIntosh had his best game of the season. While his shooting numbers look ugly, he put immense pressure on the Longhorn defense, getting to the basket at will. This is the kind of performance that the Wildcats will need from their leader if they want to defeat Notre Dame. To only turn it over once against full court pressure is really impressive, too, and he had several nice finds in the half-court sets.

Scottie Lindsey: B+

16 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 4 turnovers on 6/12 FG, 3/7 3FG, 1/1 FT in 29 minutes

Despite a quiet second half, Lindsey put his stamp on this game with a terrific start. In the first half, he dropped 13 points, keeping Northwestern ahead of its ranked opponent. He struggled against Texas’s pressing defense, but other than that, Lindsey had a great night.

Dererk Pardon: A-

10 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers on 4/7 FG, 2/5 FT in 36 minutes

Going up against a big frontline, Pardon was going to have to do the dirty work in order for the Wildcats to stand a chance. He did just that, and then some. Pardon’s double-double, which included six offensive rebounds, showcased his potential as an anchor for the team on both ends of the court.

Vic Law: C

9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 turnovers on 2/4 FG, 1/2 3FG, 4/4 FT in 19 minutes

After a hot start to the season, Law struggled with foul trouble against the Longhorns. Still, he remained effective, helping the team jump out to an early 11-0 lead. Getting a meaningless technical that clearly upset Chris Collins at the end of the game didn’t help his grade.

Sanjay Lumpkin: B+

5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover on 2/3 FG, 1/1 3FG in 26 minutes

Lumpkin continues to be rock-solid for Northwestern this season. He held up pretty well against Texas’ big men, and even canned a rare triple. Lumpkin’s vision was also on display, as he threw a lob pass to Law early on in the game.

Isiah Brown: B

10 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3 turnovers on 4/8 FG, 2/5 3FG in 20 minutes

Brown appears to be settling into his bench scoring role nicely. He had his most efficient night of the season, and showed some serious range on his jump shot. His offensive output helped the Wildcats pull away from the Longhorns late. He still forces a little bit, but his aggressive takes to the hoop and timely threes were huge.

Nathan Taphorn: B

3 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist on 1/2 FG, 1/2 3FG in 16 minutes

With Law in foul trouble, Taphorn stepped in and provided solid support off the bench. He didn’t step on any toes offensively, and he contributed on the boards. The senior showed that while he’s not a big piece of the team, he’s still ready to play at any given moment.

Gavin Skelly: B

2 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block on 0/1 FG, 2/2 FT in 13 minutes

Skelly didn’t put up big numbers, but his presence was felt. He cleaned the glass against Texas’s frontline and showed off his passing on the other end. Skelly’s energy has been a huge factor in Northwestern’s success thus far.

Barret Benson: INC

2 points, 1 rebound on 1/1 FG in 4 minutes

In his short stints, Benson didn’t do anything spectacular, but he also looked more comfortable than he did in his first couple games. That’s a good sign moving forward, as the Big Ten features several teams with a plethora of big men. Giving Benson some run now will help him in the longterm.