Inside NU - Northwestern basketball 2017 season in reviewRoll Damn 'Catshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52532/insidenu_fav.png2017-03-25T16:03:29-05:00http://www.insidenu.com/rss/stream/147880412017-03-25T16:03:29-05:002017-03-25T16:03:29-05:00Northwestern's season COMING TO A TV NEAR YOU<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/NUMensBball/status/845739823432380417">Northwestern's season COMING TO A TV NEAR&nbsp;YOU</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>This is awesome.</p></p></div>
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/3/25/15061466/northwesterns-season-coming-to-a-tv-near-youZach Pereles2017-03-25T09:01:01-05:002017-03-25T09:01:01-05:00Northwestern basketball 2017 player reviews: Jordan Ash
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Purdue at Northwestern" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JZNezt4IysiGb4zRP06E3iPWof4=/0x0:2784x1856/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53890773/usa_today_9933170.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Going into his junior year, the lefty guard has yet to find an opportunity to show what he can really do.</p> <p id="2bDjkI">Exiting his sophomore year at Northwestern, Jordan Ash remains something of an unknown. The 6-foot-3 point guard out of Bolingbrook, IL saw extremely limited playing time this season, even more limited than in his freshman campaign. This can be attributed in part to the ascension of Bryant McIntosh to folk-lore hero and in larger part to the emergence of Isiah Brown, who took on the bulk of back-up point guard responsibilities as a freshman. Ash was Chris Collins’ fourth option at the guard position and really only saw extended run early in the season or when teammates were in foul trouble. There’s no doubt, though, that he’s an athlete who has shown the ability to defend competently at this level.</p>
<p id="1Kn8Im"><strong>Stats</strong></p>
<p id="nJZu7X"><em>Numbers courtesy of </em><a href="http://kenpom.com"><em>kenpom.com</em></a><em> </em></p>
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<p id="IY5Fd0">There’s not a ton of value to take away from these statistics, given Ash’s limited opportunities; his minutes dipped from 6.8 per game in his freshman season to just 3.8 per game as a sophomore. His offensive rating plummeted almost thirty points, his effective field goal percentage dropped almost 11 percent and his turnover rate rose nearly five percent. His assist rate also fell. Ash did boost his three point percentage by nearly seven percentage points, but the difference between shooting 4-for-15 and 5-for-15 on threes over the course of a full season is negligible. The sophomore guard didn’t make a two-pointer in the 2017 season and made zero trips to the charity stripe. </p>
<p id="mGxxZt">Again, the sample size is too small to take much away from this table, but he didn’t get much run in 2016 either and those numbers look substantially better in almost every category. </p>
<h1 id="ITuhel">Shot Distribution </h1>
<p id="9fmFPW">Stats via <a href="http://hoop-math.com"><em>hoop-math.com</em></a></p>
<div id="065Mk5"><div data-anthem-component="table:368815"></div></div>
<p id="0z4laX">Even in times when Ash’s number was called, he wasn’t generally tasked with leading the offense or dominating the ball. He hasn’t shown an ability to create his own shot — only 15 percent of his field goal attempts in 2017 came at the rim — and, as displayed above, he didn’t convert a single attempt from inside the arc on the season. 75 percent of his looks came from deep, on which he shot 33 percent, but, if extrapolated to a larger sample size, that’s a contribution you’d probably be happy with off the bench if you’re Chris Collins. Four of his five three-point makes were assisted. </p>
<h1 id="y5PL1b">The Good</h1>
<p id="n7whfK">Ash showed a few flashes of offensive and defensive potential in isolated contests this season. He knocked down two of his five three-pointers for the season in Northwestern’s opener against Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 11 and logged three straight games with double-digits in minutes against Wake Forest (1 block), DePaul and New Orleans (2 steals, 2 assists). Once conference play began, though, his playing time diminished. </p>
<h1 id="GBIxRl">The Bad</h1>
<p id="7ahH9Z">As I’ve mentioned, Ash really didn’t play at all this season and when he did he wasn’t much of a factor. McIntosh had a career year and registered almost 35 minutes per night and with Isiah Brown assuming ball-handling duties behind the junior guard, there wasn’t much room for Ash to assert himself. Also, with talented shooting guard recruit Anthony Gaines on the way, Ash stands to potentially be buried even deeper in the rotation.</p>
<h1 id="DwNFtU">Offseason Focus</h1>
<p id="G1M19D">Ash’s playing time and production both appear to be on the downswing at the moment, but all is not lost for the sophomore guard. Injuries plagued Northwestern this season and they very well could do so again, meaning Ash will have to be ready if he’s called upon to contribute more next year. </p>
<p id="73KtrA">If he can continue to build on his progress as an on-ball perimeter defender and refine his three-point shot he’ll certainly have value as a role player for Chris Collins. Ash should focus on becoming a threat off-the-ball offensively as well, given that he’ll likely continue to play behind or alongside McIntosh and Brown, two ball-dominant guards. Remember, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsCJ-Ld6CJU">the athleticism is certainly there</a>. Ash just needs to become more skilled on both ends if he wants to crack a spot in the rotation.</p>
<h1 id="8orYWb">The Bottom Line</h1>
<p id="HOkaDK">The reality is, Ash was the tenth man on a team that typically only went eight or nine deep this year. His destiny may be as a three-and-D energy guard off the bench, and if he works hard this offseason to develop these two skills, he could be a reliable role player option and veteran presence for Northwestern in the 2017-18 season.</p>
<p id="AUZAY5"><strong>Grade: </strong>INC</p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/3/25/15029302/northwestern-basketball-2016-2017-player-reviews-jordan-ash-stats-shots-opportunity-chris-collinsRob Schaefer2017-03-25T08:02:01-05:002017-03-25T08:02:01-05:00Northwestern basketball 2017 player reviews: Gavin Skelly
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament-First Round-Northwestern vs Vanderbilt" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/diU94DqveqkNU4YKW5a6UY4s-OQ=/0x405:3868x2984/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53890239/usa_today_9947635.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Skelly provided valuable energy off the bench, though he experienced extended shooting struggles.</p> <p id="qnwDTI">When you picture a sixth man for a basketball team, you probably don’t picture <span>Gavin Skelly</span>.</p>
<p id="bic7x8">You probably picture a player who generates offense as soon as he enters the game or a sharpshooter, someone in a Jamal Crawford or a Jason Terry mold. You probably picture a guard or a wing. </p>
<p id="CmLvTM">Gavin Skelly is not that. What Skelly is, though, is an instant burst of energy off the bench, a combination of hustle, enthusiasm, size and skill that can impact the game in a number of ways. Some games it’s his shooting, some games it’s his interior defense and some games its his effort on the glass that affects games. Some games his contributions are positive, and some games they aren’t. What remains every game is Skelly’s activity, his tireless workrate on both ends of the floor.</p>
<h3 id="Xwo1SD">Stats</h3>
<p id="OYdKne">These numbers are taken from <a href="http://kenpom.com">kenpom.com</a>.</p>
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<p id="DG6psE">Skelly’s minutes increased from 12.5 per game in his sophomore season to 17.7 per game in his junior season, and, in turn, his efficiency fell (his effective field goal percentage went down from 64.8 in 2015-2016 to 52.3 in 2016-2017). He scored 5.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, but his production dropped significantly in conference play; his offensive rating was 106.1 for the season, but just 92 in conference play. </p>
<p id="rzybWT">The Westlake, Ohio native was a high-energy contributor off the bench, as is evident in his above-average offensive rebound and block rates (9.2 and 7.5 percent, respectively). Skelly’s energy didn’t always work to his advantage, though: He averaged 6.3 fouls committed per 40 minutes. He also fouled out four times this season. </p>
<h3 id="F1Wxab">Shot Distribution</h3>
<p id="OWVTvx"><em>Stats via </em><a href="http://www.hoop-math.com"><em>hoop-math.com</em></a><em>.</em></p>
<div id="SxzwUH">
<table border="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Name</td>
<td>FGA</td>
<td>TS%</td>
<td>eFG%</td>
<td>% shots at rim</td>
<td>FG% at rim</td>
<td>% assisted at rim</td>
<td>% shots 2pt J</td>
<td>FG% 2pt Jumpers</td>
<td>% assisted 2pt J</td>
<td>% of shots 3pt</td>
<td>3FG%</td>
<td>% assisted 3s</td>
<td>FTA/FGA</td>
<td>FT%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gavin Skelly</td>
<td>155</td>
<td>57</td>
<td>52.3</td>
<td>40.6</td>
<td>65.1</td>
<td>70.7</td>
<td>20.6</td>
<td>40.6</td>
<td>100</td>
<td>38.7</td>
<td>30</td>
<td>100</td>
<td>44.5%</td>
<td>75.4</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
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<p id="iIe3W3">Skelly doesn’t operate a whole lot in the midrange — nearly 80 percent of his field goal attempts come at the rim or from three-point range. He also doesn’t create most of his own looks. All of his made jumpers were assisted and over 70 percent of his makes at the rim were assisted. </p>
<h3 id="lwfQhJ">The Good</h3>
<p id="8ltV73">When Northwestern needs a spark off the bench, Skelly can do the job. His energy and passing ability as a big are what make him valuable, and he can stretch the defense with his shooting (at times). His two late threes helped the Wildcats stave off a potentially costly late-season loss to Rutgers, and he played big minutes in several games while <span>Dererk Pardon</span> was out with a hand injury.</p>
<p id="uu2pUS">He does a little bit of everything as a big, and he’s versatile enough to play as a power forward or be a small-ball center. He’s difficult matchup for most centers because they have to respect his shot, at least to some degree. When Skelly’s shot is falling, he adds a pick-and-pop element to the offense that isn’t there otherwise (at least it wasn’t while <span>Aaron Falzon</span> was out). He’s also a good shot blocker — he averages 1.2 rejections per game — especially for someone who’s 6-foot-8.</p>
<h3 id="F3ptNN">The Bad</h3>
<p id="dATpJ9">When things aren’t going well for Skelly, they <em>really</em> aren’t going well. There are just some games when the matchups just don’t suit his game. He had a high turnover rate this past season (22.1 percent), and it seemed like he forced his three-point shot at times (see the Minnesota game). Defensively, he’s prone to fouling a lot, which really hurt Northwestern in several games, especially the loss against Michigan State Though he can hold his own as an undersized center, it isn’t ideal for him to guard Big Ten-Caliber centers, and he also has trouble guarding stretch-fours or more perimeter oriented players (see <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2017/2/2/14479978/northwestern-purdue-three-pointers-vince-edwards-caleb-swanigan-dakota-mathias-blowout-loss">the Purdue road game</a> and Illinois home game). </p>
<h3 id="dUCMel">Offseason Focus</h3>
<p id="m27hI3">Improving his three-point shot has to be priority No. 1 for Skelly. If he can shoot close to 40 percent from three, which is a big ask given he shot 30 percent this past season, he becomes a much more difficult cover offensively. Having another reliable outside shooter, especially a big, would make the Northwestern offense more diverse and less prone to long stagnant periods. Another shooter would open up the floor and make things easier for <span>Bryant McIntosh</span> & Co. </p>
<p id="XNZVGv">On the defensive end, Skelly should work on his lateral quickness. Being able to cover more mobile players out to the perimeter will help keep him on the floor next season. Though he likely won’t ever be as good of a defender as <span>Sanjay Lumpkin</span> was, being able to fill a similar sort of role in the defense will be important next season once Lumpkin is gone. </p>
<h3 id="cp1SuE">The Bottom Line</h3>
<p id="PlS51o">Skelly was a solid contributor off the bench this season, and proved important in several games. He plays with incredible energy, and can impact the game in different ways, depending on the game and the matchup. When things aren’t always going well for Northwestern, Skelly can often give the team a jolt with by taking a charge, blocking a shot or grabbing an offensive rebound. It’ll be interesting to see how Aaron Falzon being back and Sanjay Lumpkin being gone next season affect Skelly’s minutes.</p>
<p id="rdcaEj"><strong>Grade: C+</strong></p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/3/25/15057220/northwestern-basketball-2017-player-reviews-gavin-skelly-stats-chris-collins-dererk-pardonCaleb Friedman2017-03-24T15:02:59-05:002017-03-24T15:02:59-05:00Northwestern basketball 2017 player reviews: Nathan Taphorn
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament-Second Round-Gonzaga vs Northwestern" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sJ5f2wBEQVhEcXB2g3Ij-Ezt7tc=/0x0:3108x2072/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53883473/usa_today_9953796.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Taphorn marked his final season as a Wildcat with astonishingly efficient long range shooting, but “The Pass” is what he will be remembered for.</p> <p id="Wh5PdJ">Way back in late November, Northwestern was 20.6 seconds away from sealing a massive, potentially season-defining, statement win. The Wildcats were up 66-65 on the undefeated <a href="https://www.onefootdown.com/">Notre Dame Fighting Irish</a> in the final of the Legends Classic in Brooklyn and inbounding the ball from under their own basket with two timeouts still in their back pocket. All the Wildcats had to do was successfully get the ball in play, hit their free throws and the whole college basketball world would be on notice that this could potentially be “The Year”. </p>
<p id="dM5b7B">Senior Nathan Taphorn, who had played a huge part in staking his team to their late lead with four second-half threes, was tasked with executing the inbounds pass. As he received the ball from the referee, his teammates made their cuts and the five second count started. Nobody in white was able to free themselves and Taphorn panicked. He frantically pumped the ball over his head searching for a pass. As the official’s count approached five and he still saw none available, he froze, forgot about the timeouts, and tossed the ball into no man’s land around half court.</p>
<p id="MKQMso">Irish point guard <span>Matt Farrell</span> scooped it up and turned to attack the rim. He had a free lane. Taphorn was the only one back. Shell shocked, he tried to slide in to draw a charge as <span>Farrell</span> laid the ball up, but was too late. And-one. Notre Dame in the lead. Opportunity squandered. Was this going to be the same old story for Northwestern basketball?</p>
<p id="W4igz0">Just over three months later, on a Wednesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena, Taphorn found himself once again with the ball in his hands on the baseline with just seconds remaining, and took this opportunity to ensure that that would not be the case.</p>
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<p id="ta4B0K">His pass to <span>Dererk Pardon</span> all but clinched Northwestern’s first ever <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/march-madness">NCAA Tournament</a> birth, and cemented Taphorn’s place in program lore. It was an appropriate capstone to the sharp-shooters four years of hard work and dedication in Evanston.</p>
<h2 id="hAuGNa">Stats:</h2>
<p id="dIcD2B"><em>Numbers taken from </em><a href="http://KenPom.com"><em>KenPom.com</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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<p id="zCLWMI">Taphorn’s offensive rating of 125.3 was by far the highest mark of his career and was fueled by his astounding three point shooting numbers. In a career high 83 attempts from beyond the arc, he made an astounding 47% of them, a clip which would have been good for 16th best in the nation if he had the required amount of shots to qualify. Even more incredibly, those numbers jumped way up in important games against quality opposition, as ‘Tap’ logged a 62.5% rate of success from deep against opposition in the RPI Top 50 rankings.</p>
<p id="GWbzVB">Overall, his 2016-17 numbers show that he was better able to stick to and emphasize his strengths as a three point specialist this year in comparison to his previous three years. He was able to play more minutes at a career low usage rate but shoot more shots at a higher efficiency while also limiting his fouls and turnovers.</p>
<h2 id="I29Krx">Shot Distribution:</h2>
<p id="SOJAmB"><em>Stats via </em><a href="http://hoop-math.com"><em>hoop-math.com</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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<p id="aGJfiO">Taphorn’s true shooting percentage of 66.3 led the team in 2016-17. This was mainly due to his team leading 47 percent success rate from behind the line.</p>
<p id="VOr9Kz">These numbers underscore how strictly the senior stuck to his role as a catch-and-shoot three-point specialist. He was the only player on the team with more than 20 attempts to have over half of them come from three-point range, with his proportion sitting at a whooping 75.5 percent. Additionally, only <span>Gavin Skelly</span> ranked above him in terms of percentage of assisted baskets in all categories.</p>
<h2 id="cqLhnU">The Good:</h2>
<p id="8uoA1a">There is an old adage in sports: “Do your job.” Nate Taphorn was the personification of that old adage for Northwestern this season. He was so consistently lethal with his long range jump shot that Inside NU’s Zach Pereles compared the automatic nature of his stroke to that of two-time NBA Most Valuable Player <span>Stephen Curry</span> on a podcast back in December, and it was a claim that was very hard to argue. Night in and night out, Tap performed his niche role on the offensive end about as well as he possibly could have, plain and simple.</p>
<p id="hTpQcp">It also deserves recognition that, despite being perceived throughout his career as one of the quieter, less-colorful guys on the team, Tap unmistakably assumed a leadership role in his final year as a Wildcat. He was confident and level headed in all situations, content with however he was used, never afraid of stepping up and excelling in big moments and big games (think Wisconsin, Michigan and Gonzaga), and undeniably set an example for younger role players on the team to follow.</p>
<p id="1sbewT">Also this:</p>
<div id="bfOwm6"><div><div style="left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f4gugzAwJfg?wmode=transparent&rel=0&autohide=1&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" style="top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div></div></div>
<h2 id="wvXyQ9">The Bad:</h2>
<p id="5ZqXnn">Despite flashes like his tip dunk against New Orleans or his two crucial blocks at home against Rutgers, Taphorn did not manage to meaningfully expand his game beyond the three point shot. He had the worst field goal percentage of any player on the team on attempts at the rim; had rebounding rates well below what would be expected of a 6-foot-7 forward; and was still neither quick enough to stick with any perimeter player without help or strong enough to bang with any post player down low.</p>
<p id="aojVIr">He did a good job of playing within himself, executing well in team defensive schemes, and scrapping in the paint for lose balls and hustle plays when possible, but it cannot be ignored that he was severely limited as a player and those limitations made it hard for <span>Chris Collins</span> to leave his shooting out on the floor for extended periods.</p>
<h2 id="QhvdBI">Offseason Focus:</h2>
<p id="Ohdk4U">Bask in all the hard earned residual glory from this historic season and get that degree!</p>
<h2 id="dQPkJN">Bottom Line:</h2>
<p id="x3Y6kG">There was realistically no better way that Nathan Taphorn’s Northwestern career could have ended. His pair of threes that sparked the Wildcats’ valiant second half fight back against Gonzaga in what would turn out to be his last game in purple and white were emblematic of the special and vital role that he played in this historic season. “The Pass” will rightly be what his lasting legacy is, but his invaluable leadership and incomparable dedication to and execution of his role should not go unnoticed.</p>
<p id="beL3MZ"><strong>Grade: A</strong><strong>-</strong></p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/3/24/15032090/northwestern-basketball-2017-player-reviews-nathan-taphorn-northwestern-stats-graduationIsaac Bushnell2017-03-24T11:00:52-05:002017-03-24T11:00:52-05:00Northwestern basketball 2017 player reviews: Barret Benson
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament-Second Round-Gonzaga vs Northwestern" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/COZ2xEBqhKm9XgK3oQTm9eIWnVI=/0x0:2568x1712/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53876217/usa_today_9953429.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The center provided a post presence off the bench and improved on both ends of the floor.</p> <p id="57wY4J">Northwestern’s Barret Benson generated a lot of intrigue in the lead up to his Freshman season. When he arrived on campus in Evanston, Wildcat fans knew that their new center had a lot of size and a lot of hair, but did not know much else. As the season got underway, Benson showed himself to be incredibly raw and limited early in non-conference play. However, an injury to starting center Dererk Pardon seven games into the season thrust the rookie into the starting lineup and afforded him significant minutes and opportunities to gain experience and adjust to the college game.</p>
<p id="9waK39">He did just that, improving steadily throughout the year on both ends of the floor to the point that he became a reliable option for Coach Chris Collins off the bench when his team was struggling with size and/or fouls. He still rarely played double digit minutes or was on the floor in important moments, but the vast growth that he showed from Mississippi Valley State to Gonzaga—where he had four points in eleven minutes—bodes very well for the rest of his career as a Wildcat.</p>
<h2 id="bwoRuK">Stats:</h2>
<p id="1b65Tl"><em>The following numbers are taken from </em><a href="http://KenPom.com"><em>KenPom.com</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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<p id="PGXs7l">Benson’s defensive presence in his limited minutes is what stands out in his season numbers. His outstanding block percentage of 8.0 led the team, while his steal percentage of 2.1 was also second on the team to Isiah Brown. Any problems that Benson had defensively arose from the foul trouble that he tended to get himself into, displayed in his 7.8 fouls committed per 40 minutes which led the team.</p>
<p id="AXfsSv">Benson’s numbers also point to his massive offensive improvement as the season went on. In conference, his offensive rating, as well as his assist and usage rates, saw a significant increase, while his turnover rate saw a dramatic dip.</p>
<p id="wyPQvX">Overall, the freshman was the Wildcats’ second least used player offensively, and played the team’s second-lowest percentage of minutes ahead of only Jordan Ash.</p>
<h2 id="OxGEyn">Shot Distribution:</h2>
<p id="joT42X"><em>The following numbers are taken from </em><a href="http://hoop-math.com"><em>hoop-math.com</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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<p id="U8BLxh">First of all, it should be noted that Benson’s 44 field goal attempts, while still more than Ash managed, were well less than half of the figure that anyone else on the team put up this past season.</p>
<p id="hoUfil">Of his limited offensive work, Benson did a surprising amount of it in the midrange, with 47.7 percent of his attempts coming from that area. He was not only active, but also highly effective in his in between game, making a team high 57.1 percent of his shots from there. Additionally, the fact that a bit under half of his midrange baskets were unassisted shows the merits of the rudimentary post-up game that the Freshman worked to develop throughout the year.</p>
<h2 id="DbYXbs">The Good:</h2>
<p id="TZ9u3j">Benson’s all-around growth throughout the season was notable and constant, but it was mainly at the defensive end where he was able to truly make an impact as the Wildcats made history. With his size and physicality at 6-foot-11 and 240 pounds, he was someone that could be used off the bench to help neutralize some of the more menacing post threats of the Big Ten and elsewhere. When Pardon was either suffering from foul trouble or needed a breather, he was Collins’ first option for post defense off the bench. As he played more minutes, Benson became better and better at maintaining his discipline and verticality, being alert in his rotations, and being a consistent factor around the rim defensively.</p>
<h2 id="CNi5Gi">The Bad:</h2>
<p id="12kSNK">In his first year playing at the college level, Benson was simply not quick enough or skilled enough to be a major contributor. He struggled to keep up with the pace of the game, cover the pick and roll, stay in front of quicker bigs without fouling, and on offense. He was only able to function as an impactful defensive player because he was given the luxury of eating up fouls at a high rate knowing that he would only play limited minutes, and although he was able to feature and contribute to a small degree on the offensive end by the end of the year, he went through large periods of not even being able to be trusted simply catching the ball as part of a set for fear that he would turn it over.</p>
<h2 id="zIJIVG">Offseason Focus:</h2>
<p id="924PSn">Benson needs to work on his quickness and overall athleticism to become a player capable of spending extended minutes on the floor in Big Ten play, and improvement in that area will come from rigorous offseason workouts to improve his core and lower body strength and his conditioning. Some toning up and revamping of his physique would go a long way towards making him a more dynamic athlete and allow him to more effectively utilize his sound defensive instincts and soft touch offensively to be a contributor on both ends for this team next year.</p>
<h2 id="p6JAAq">Bottom Line:</h2>
<p id="BzcBro">Considering how limited he was and how little he brought to the table in the first few games of his college career, Benson’s freshman season can be considered a success. He became a reliable defensive option for Chris Collins to use in big games against elite post players, and developed a nice understanding of how to fit into the offense on a rudimentary level and take his shots with confidence when they presented themselves from midrange. Benson certainly has a lot of potential, and with hard work in the weight room and on his overall fitness this offseason, he could be prepared to occupy a far more significant role for the Wildcats next season.</p>
<p id="bTrKyy"><strong>Grade: B</strong></p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/3/24/15045558/northwestern-basketball-2017-player-reviews-barret-benson-chris-collins-wildcatsIsaac Bushnell2017-03-23T10:02:00-05:002017-03-23T10:02:00-05:00Northwestern basketball 2017 player reviews: Isiah Brown
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Big Ten Tournament-Northwestern vs Maryland" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sJHARGtU9ZvJl9RSu0khtHiJXQ4=/0x0:4403x2935/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53833567/usa_today_9932326.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The offensive-minded freshman had his role fluctuate throughout the year.</p> <p id="zWvD43">From the first time he set foot on the Welsh-Ryan Arena floor, dropping 18 points off the bench in an unofficial scrimmage against UI-Springfield, Isiah Brown showed what he wanted to do and could do very well at times: score the basketball. With his quickness, slick handle, and supremely confident scorer’s mentality, the freshman combo guard from Seattle looked primed to bring a scoring punch off the bench in his first collegiate season.</p>
<p id="eWFxZe">In his rookie season as a Wildcat, it was that exact explosive confidence that made him both a player that electrified and frustrated in equal measure. He experienced a number of high peaks and even more low valleys and seemed to be a player as capable of completely losing Chris Collins’ trust as he was of quickly gaining it back.</p>
<p id="clZLmy">Brown frequently showed he could be a source of instant offense off the bench when his team needed it throughout the year, but also lacked the poise and experience to be counted on consistently in big games. Overall, he certainly played his part in the Wildcats making history and earning that elusive first NCAA Tournament birth, but he saw his role fluctuate and remain largely diminished in the season’s stretch run.</p>
<h4>Stats:</h4>
<p id="CnSVSe"><em>The following numbers are taken from </em><a href="http://KenPom.com"><em>KenPom.com</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/y0_A5KLge-p7_EQ0ZyyVO2SLcJE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8201733/Brown_KenPom.png">
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<p id="citLg9">The number that jumps off the screen immediately from Brown’s season is his usage rate, displayed as "%Poss" and showing the percentage of Northwestern offensive possessions where he was on the floor that he ended with either a shot or a turnover. His mark of 27.6% was good for the highest on the team, above even Bryant McIntosh, and combined with the small percentage of minutes that he played (36%), shows the freedom that he was allowed to attack — or at least decided to attack — offensively in the spurts where he was on the floor.</p>
<p id="PevFjW">Unfortunately, this high usage rate was not accompanied by high efficiency. In offensive rating and all metrics of field goal percentage displayed (effective field goal %, true shooting %, 2-point field goal % and 3-point field goal %), Brown’s marks rank the lowest by a significant margin of any Northwestern player who played more than 10 percent of the team’s minutes.</p>
<p id="OWG2xb">The free throw line was perhaps where Brown made his most positive impact. He shot close to 77 percent on the year and gave himself a lot of opportunities to use his efficiency there as well. His 5.5 fouls drawn per 40 minutes would have ranked ninth in all of the Big Ten if he had played enough minutes to qualify.</p>
<p id="cnJGcc">Brown’s activity in his limited minutes was not just limited to the offensive end. He led Northwestern in steal percentage at 2.2, but also lead all the team’s perimeter players in fouls committed per 40 minutes.</p>
<h4>Shot Distribution:</h4>
<p id="PHktUT"><em>Stats via </em><a href="http://hoop-math.com"><em>hoop-math.com</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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<p id="mej4aw">Brown’s numbers on 2-point jumpers provide interesting food for thought. He was the only player on the team other than McIntosh who did the majority of his work in the midrange, yet he shot a team low 26% from that area. The percentage of his 2-point field goals that were assisted, both from mid-range and at the rim, are very low, which shows that he heavily favored operating with the ball in his hands to create his own shot rather than operating off the ball.</p>
<h4>The Good:</h4>
<p id="dT6uD3">Brown brought something to this Northwestern team that was unique and often times much needed. He brought the ability to create his own offense off the bench in the half-court. He had a number of hugely important moments and performances that came in scenarios where the Wildcats’ half-court offense was at a standstill and points were hard to come by.</p>
<p id="ezgCp8">At Rutgers, he kept the team afloat during perhaps its worst first half of the year by manufacturing 10 points to ensure the margin remained within touching distance at halftime. The Wildcats went on to win and avoid the upset, and Collins later said "we don’t win that game unless we have Isiah."</p>
<p id="XwN2FB">At Ohio State two games later, his end of the shot clock offense yielded six crucial points in the final minutes as Northwestern claimed its first win in Columbus since 1977. Before Brown’s late insertion, the offense had been treading water with the lead and had been struggling just to get shots off, but the freshman’s crucial spark and ability to create his own helped see the historic result over the line.</p>
<p id="BYvlUs">There are more examples to go through (Nebraska at home, both meetings against Maryland, even the early season win over Texas), but the bottom line is that Brown’s dynamic skill set and fearless, attack-first mentality added a different wrinkle to this Northwestern team all season long. At his most effective towards the middle of conference play, he was a reliable and necessary option that Collins had in his crunch-time arsenal, and he played an indispensable role in a number of key wins.</p>
<h4><strong>The Bad:</strong></h4>
<p id="1OKQ32">To sum up the downside of Brown’s freshman season, you need only look at his line in his team’s most important game against Michigan: <em>DNP.</em></p>
<p id="1CBGwi">The young guard’s inconsistencies and unrelenting tendency to force the action offensively no matter what the situation meant that, for as many times as he played a key role in important moments, there were many more times where Collins simply could not afford to have him out on the floor. His turnover percentage, fouls rate, shot volume and shooting efficiency go to great lengths to explain this.</p>
<p id="JcGEVQ">For the latter half of the season, Brown’s struggles with letting the game come to him were what defined him. The high levels inefficiency and risk that he posed offensively combined with his lack of strength and size defensively, as well as Bryant McIntosh’s emergence as an elite isolation player, meant that Brown’s leash understandably became one of the shortest on the team come the stretch run of the season.</p>
<h4>Offseason Focus:</h4>
<p id="6AOXp7">Brown’s overarching focus should be on improving the necessary areas to allow him to make a bigger impact not just when he has the ball in his hands and is looking to score. Not only will that give Collins more reason to stick with him through his offensive inefficiencies, but it will also free him up offensively to play more effectively off the ball and thus limit said inefficiencies.</p>
<p id="Qd23Sg">Of the two major specific areas, on-ball defense is the first. Brown needs to work on being laterally quick enough and disciplined enough to guard for long stretches on the perimeter without running into foul trouble. On a few occasions this year when Brown was ticking offensively, particularly in non-conference, Collins was forced to limit his minutes due to foul trouble or defensive struggles. That cannot happen in his sophomore season.</p>
<p id="RJKKUE">The second area is his three-point shooting. Brown shot a team-worst 28 percent from deep this past year, nowhere near good enough to help bolster his minutes as an off-ball guard. Improving his ability to deliver in catch-and-shoot situations would increase his impact as a floor spacer offensively and also mean that he would not have to rely so much on his own dribble penetration to score. He could rely on his teammates more to help create some of his offense, and could get more points off of spot-ups and back cuts if he proved he could knock-down the outside shot at a consistent rate, thus making him a more useful and efficient offensive package.</p>
<p>The good thing is that a lot of the areas Brown has to work on are things that should improve as he matures and grows into the college game. He can still be aggressive — that's who he is — but he needs to be smarter on both ends.</p>
<h4>Bottom Line:</h4>
<p id="IvbQ90">Brown seemed to be turning a corner in terms of his patience, reliability, and comfort levels on both ends of the floor at the end of January in the middle stages of conference play, but Scottie Lindsey’s injury and Brown's subsequent insertion into the starting lineup seemed to throw him into a funk. Thrust all of a sudden into a more prominent role in the games against Purdue and Illinois, he did not perform well under increased minutes and increased responsibility, and he was unable to fully reassume the effective bench role that he had worked himself into upon Lindsey’s return during the remainder of the season.</p>
<p id="hLZBqE">Overall, the freshman was unable to stake himself to a key and consistent place in the rotation come the end of his first year of college ball, but did showcase a unique and tantalizing skill set that both helped the Wildcats throughout the course of the season and suggested that there was plenty of room for improvement in the future.</p>
<p id="SGjXtP"><strong>Grade: C</strong></p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/3/23/15017728/northwestern-basketball-2017-player-reviews-isiah-brown-stats-point-guardIsaac Bushnell2017-03-23T09:02:01-05:002017-03-23T09:02:01-05:00Northwestern basketball 2017 player reviews: Sanjay Lumpkin
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament-First Round-Northwestern vs Vanderbilt" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wWeA9vADTUHzALq_HWTL4ktYpmY=/0x9:2068x1388/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53847645/usa_today_9947413.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The senior’s offensive efficiency and defensive versatility helped guide the Wildcats to the Big Dance.</p> <p id="aD39ny"><span>Chris Collins</span> often referred to <span>Sanjay Lumpkin</span> as Northwestern’s “heart and soul.” Lumpkin embodied that role more quietly than others might have; he led by example, Collins says. He led by understanding and accepting his role, mostly with his strong defense and versatility. What Lumpkin did in his four years in Evanston didn’t always show up on the stat sheet, but it was important nonetheless, helping guide Northwestern to its best season ever. </p>
<h3 id="os4fhd">Stats</h3>
<p id="GoHoBi">These numbers are taken from <a href="http://kenpom.com">kenpom.com</a>.</p>
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<p id="vsmhlQ">Lumpkin had the lowest usage rate on the team (10.7 percent), but he made the most of his opportunities, though they were mostly dunks or layups. Lumpkin scored a career-best six points per game in his senior season, and was the most efficient offensive player on the team. His improvements on that end of the floor this season were in large part due to his crazy-high shooting percentage on two-pointers.</p>
<p id="k2BVQ1">He shot a scorching-hot 70.5 percent on twos in 2016-17, which was the sixth-highest mark in the country. This, coupled with his low turnover rate (14 percent), helped his overall offensive rating skyrocket to 125.4, the 51st best nationally and the highest of his career. This higher efficiency came despite his three-point percentage dropping from 36.1 percent in his junior season to 30 percent in his senior season. Lumpkin’s numbers dropped off slightly in Big Ten play, but not significantly.</p>
<h3 id="0lZ9YW">Shot Distribution</h3>
<p id="py3KCp"><em>Stats via </em><a href="http://hoop-math.com"><em>hoop-math.com</em></a><em>.</em></p>
<div id="LB7Z3b">
<table border="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Name</td>
<td>FGA</td>
<td>TS%</td>
<td>eFG%</td>
<td>% shots at rim</td>
<td>FG% at rim</td>
<td>% assisted at rim</td>
<td>% shots 2pt J</td>
<td>FG% 2pt Jumpers</td>
<td>% assisted 2pt J</td>
<td>% of shots 3pt</td>
<td>3FG%</td>
<td>% assisted 3s</td>
<td>FTA/FGA</td>
<td>FT%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sanjay Lumpkin</td>
<td>138</td>
<td>63.2</td>
<td>61.2</td>
<td>55.8</td>
<td>74</td>
<td>70.2</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>45.5</td>
<td>40</td>
<td>36.2</td>
<td>30</td>
<td>100</td>
<td>50%</td>
<td>68.1</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
</div>
<p id="uvC4sz">The numbers clearly indicate how Lumpkin fits into the Northwestern offense. Just under 56 percent of his shots come around the rim, and around 70 percent of his makes at the rim were assisted. Catch-and-shoot threes are also a significant part of his offense — they account for 36 percent of his shots — but, again, these attempts don’t come from Lumpkin creating offense for himself. </p>
<h3 id="ZkK5dV">The Good</h3>
<p id="SGVxO9">Lumpkin knew his role, and played that role well. He did a lot of the dirty work for the Wildcats, often guarding multiple players defensively and making significant contributions on the glass; for a team that lacked depth in the frontcourt, Lumpkin’s 5.4 rebounds per game and ability to guard bigger players — he defended 6-foot-10 NBA prospect <span>John Collins</span> admirably in the Wake Forest game, for example — was invaluable for Northwestern. He plugged lineup holes whenever Chris Collins had them, especially during Dererk Pardon’s eight-game absence. </p>
<p id="hP9xNs">Offensively, Lumpkin wasn’t a non-factor by any means, as he often was in past seasons. Though his usage numbers were extremely low, he was uber-efficent when he was used. He also showed the ability to put the ball on the floor on occasion (sorry, <span>Thomas Bryant</span>):</p>
<div id="oaqLbT">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sanjay Lumpkin puts Thomas Bryant on roller skates. <a href="https://t.co/s9wXD9fG6B">pic.twitter.com/s9wXD9fG6B</a></p>— Big Ten Geek (@bigtengeek) <a href="https://twitter.com/bigtengeek/status/825874066007535617">January 30, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<h3 id="ZdO8q0">The Bad</h3>
<p id="o0Jdaz">While he was efficient on the offensive end, Lumpkin was also limited. He couldn’t create his own shot, and struggled from three-point range, even though many of those looks were open. He also disappeared offensively for long stretches — he scored zero points in five games this season. Opponents could get away with helping off Lumpkin at times, which clogs the lane and likely contributed to some of the stagnant periods the Northwestern offense dealt with. Defensively, Lumpkin also has a tendency to foul. A lot. He averaged 4.5 fouls per 40 minutes, and fouled out of four games.</p>
<h3 id="PmuAwL">The Bottom Line</h3>
<p id="Ibxv6V">As a leader on the team, the Minnesota native posted the best offensive season of his career. His defensive versatility and toughness helped the Wildcats become one of the better defensive teams in the Big Ten, which, in large part, propelled the program to its first-ever <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/march-madness">NCAA Tournament</a> appearance. Lumpkin has gone through a lot in his five years in the program, and he’s also come a long way as a player. He’ll be remembered as a captain and glue guy on the Northwestern team that made history.</p>
<p id="w6szCJ"><strong>Grade: B </strong></p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/3/23/15031354/northwestern-basketball-2017-player-reviews-sanjay-lumpkin-chris-collins-dererk-pardonCaleb Friedman2017-03-23T08:01:01-05:002017-03-23T08:01:01-05:00Northwestern basketball 2017 player reviews: Dererk Pardon
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament-First Round-Northwestern vs Vanderbilt" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/I1dOZHqkIWOHwzHI_5lvg4CqtcY=/0x30:3820x2577/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53844807/usa_today_9947657.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The sophomore became a vital member of the frontcourt.</p> <p id="OvhEf4"><span>Dererk Pardon</span>, a year after being a surprise contributor in a freshman season in which he was supposed to redshirt, saw his role increase even more as a sophomore. He played over 30 minutes a game and was a solid rim protector for a Northwestern team without much frontcourt depth behind him. He developed rapidly throughout the season in all aspects — especially on the defensive end — and was able to hold his own against bigger forwards/centers, even in Big Ten play. Oh yeah, and he hit The Shot that came off <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2017/3/1/14787002/dererk-pardon-buzzer-beater-northwestern-michigan-basketball-highlights">The Pass</a>.</p>
<h3 id="dqBfGh">Stats</h3>
<p id="eJb2U1"><em>The following numbers are taken from </em><a href="http://kenpom.com"><em>kenpom.com</em></a><em>.</em></p>
<figure class="e-image">
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<p id="RooW0D">Despite playing much more than he did last season, Pardon’s offensive usage rate (in the chart as %Poss) actually went down as his offensive efficiency went up. Much like <span>Sanjay Lumpkin</span>, Pardon plays within the offensive really well, mostly contributing on open dunks and layups — which often are the result of offensive rebounds. His rebound rates remained constant from his freshman year but his block and assist percentages went up, a sign of his improved interior defense and surprisingly adept passing skills.</p>
<h3 id="2dtjBX">Shot Distribution</h3>
<p id="7XjMBB"><em>Stats via </em><a href="http://hoop-math.com"><em>hoop-math.com</em></a>.</p>
<div id="ziXv34">
<table border="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Name</td>
<td>FGA</td>
<td>TS%</td>
<td>eFG%</td>
<td>% shots at rim</td>
<td>FG% at rim</td>
<td>% assisted at rim</td>
<td>% shots 2pt J</td>
<td>FG% 2pt Jumpers</td>
<td>% assisted 2pt J</td>
<td>% of shots 3pt</td>
<td>3FG%</td>
<td>% assisted 3s</td>
<td>FTA/FGA</td>
<td>FT%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dererk Pardon</td>
<td>167</td>
<td>60.5</td>
<td>61.1</td>
<td>70.1</td>
<td>69.2</td>
<td>56.8</td>
<td>29.9</td>
<td>42.0</td>
<td>47.6</td>
<td>0.0</td>
<td>---</td>
<td>---
<p> </p>
</td>
<td>40.7%</td>
<td>54.5</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
</div>
<p id="QZsI30">As expected, the vast majority of Pardon’s shots are at the rim, a good portion of which are assisted. An underrated aspect of this stat is that while they’re high-percentage opportunities, they aren’t possible without good movement from Pardon toward the hoop. The high pick-and-roll with <span>Bryant McIntosh</span> and Pardon usually worked well and led to so many of those game-opening dunks and layups we’ve become accustomed to.</p>
<p id="KLrqtj">Pardon did show off a semi-competent 15-foot jumper at times during the season, but it’s far from a reliable weapon just yet. However, if he can make that consistently, it could open up the paint even more. Also, hook shots in the lane became a part of Pardon’s repertoire, which were his go-to when making a move on the block.</p>
<h3 id="5u5IMR">The Good</h3>
<p id="PGpfBU">With the departure of <span>Alex Olah</span>, Northwestern had an enormous hole at center. It was unclear whether Pardon — at just 6-foot-8 — could fill that void. He proved up to the task, anchoring a relatively thin frontcourt well. His mobility as a smaller big allowed him to be an effective scorer when needed, and his athletic ability made him a potent defender (almost two blocks a game) and reliable rebounder.</p>
<h3 id="TrQSVp">The Bad</h3>
<p id="i9SH5t">There isn’t much Pardon didn’t do well this season, but one area of improvement could be him being more assertive offensively. A lot of this owes to Northwestern’s offensive gameplan — which didn’t utilize him enough on the block, even when he hit a few early shots — but part of it is on Pardon himself. If he can be more aggressive and look for his own shot, and maybe take some more free-throw line jumpers, he could become a double-double guy as a true junior.</p>
<h3 id="SEvLmc">Offseason Focus</h3>
<p id="f3YuoI">Free throws and jumpshots. Pardon won’t be a stretch five by any means — and won’t become the perimeter threat Olah was — but improved shooting at the charity stripe and a 15-footer or two a night would go a long way. He also could bulk up a bit, which would help against the likes of <span>Ethan Happ</span> and <span>Nick Ward</span>, despite the vast gains he made defensively and on the glass between his freshman and sophomore years.</p>
<h3 id="BAZw2V">The Bottom Line</h3>
<p id="uE7rtu">Pardon is a vital member of this team, and if his 2016-17 season is any indication, the sky is the limit for him. It’ll be interesting to see if he is integrated into the offense more going forward, but if not, an undersized center averaging around a double-double with a couple of blocks per game is all <span>Chris Collins</span> could ask for, or even need.</p>
<p id="snOZCP"><strong>Grade: A-</strong></p>
<p id="5Thskc"></p>
<p id="mCkKQy"></p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/3/23/15013658/northwestern-wildcats-basketball-2017-player-reviews-dererk-pardon-chris-collinsJosh Burton