The Wildcats dropped their third consecutive game on Saturday afternoon, falling to Ohio State in their Big Ten home opener, 86-82.

Now 0-2 in Big Ten play and 5-4 overall, Northwestern's season is at risk of looking a lot like last year's. Here were our three biggest takeaways from the 'Cats' most recent defeat:

Northwestern's paint defense is a problem

Three days after Wisconsin handed the Wildcats a death by a thousand cuts, Ohio State found similar success by gashing NU in the paint. The Buckeyes outscored the 'Cats down low by a 62-38 margin and ripped off 19 fastbreak points.

Ohio State also took advantage of the moments Arrinten Page was off the floor and frequently targeted 5-foot-10 guard Jayden Reid on switches. The fact that Northwestern's personnel is undersized is certainly an issue, with 6-foot-11 Page and 6-foot-9 Tyler Kropp being the Wildcats' two tallest players, but the problems still exist with NU's overall defensive coverage.

Northwestern isn't going to be able to score 80 points every game in Big Ten play. The Wildcats have to fix their defense soon, because the conference schedule will not be forgiving, come January.

The Wildcats can rely on their guard depth more than they have

Reid has had a lot on his plate as the key facilitator of Northwestern's offense. That worked well in the season's early going against lower-tier opponents, but it's been a problem of late. Reid turned the ball over a combined 13 times against DePaul, Virginia, South Carolina and Oklahoma State before shooting just 3-of-10 in Wisconsin.

Chris Collins has a backlog of guards who need playing time, and Jordan Clayton's return from injury makes that room even more crowded. But Clayton made his case for extended minutes against the Buckeyes with six points, and the Wildcats were +12 in his time on the court.

K.J. Windham provided a spark as well, contributing eight points and three assists off the bench. If Max Green finds his rhythm in a given game, Northwestern has three quality guards outside of Reid and Angelo Ciaravino that can reliably ease the burden for No. 4. That doesn't even include Jake West, either, who has shown flashes in his freshman season.

Nick Martinelli is a man of his word

After rising to stardom last season, Martinelli had the difficult task of becoming more outspoken in his leadership this year. The All-Big Ten forward has led by example, continuing his excellent senior campaign with 32 points on 10-of-16 shooting, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.

When Oklahoma State dominated the Wildcats on the glass on Thanksgiving, Martinelli called the team's performance embarrassing. Not only did the 'Cats outrebounded OSU on the offensive boards, 13-9, but Martinelli was responsible for six of them.

In his final collegiate season, Martinelli is both the player and leader Northwestern has needed. Even though he's not the biggest, Martinelli is always crashing the glass and putting his body on the line after a missed shot. Even though he's not the fastest or most versatile, Martinelli is battling with his on-ball defense and sprinting out in transition. His 110% effort will help bring along the rest of Northwestern's young roster and lead the 'Cats to victory this winter.

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