Northwestern had multiple opportunities to tie or win the game at the end of a 61-58 loss to Butler over the weekend. Tre Singleton's foot was on the line for a crucial three. The 'Cats failed to get an offensive rebound after a missed free throw during the fouling game. It was a difficult loss to stomach for a team that has had quite a few heartbreakers over the past couple seasons.
Ultimately, Northwestern couldn't get the job done at the Indy Classic without leading scorer Nick Martinelli in the lineup. Obviously, that was a huge loss, and it drastically changed the offensive output of a team that has been regularly scoring 80+ points.
Here are three takeaways from the loss that brought the Wildcats' record to 7-5 on the season:
Arrinten Page needs Martinelli on the floor
The transfer big man has had a season that is difficult to evaluate. On one hand, he has offensive capabilities that we haven't season in Evanston for quite some time. He's show the ability to knock down the three-ball. He has a seemingly unlimited bag of post moves.
On the other hand, he's struggled defensively, and he doesn't make much of an impact when his offensive game isn't humming. That was the case on Saturday. Page finished with seven points on 3-of-8 shooting and corralled just three rebounds. That latter number is a serious problem for another day, but the scoring is what I want to talk about here.
Butler was hounding Page all day. He couldn't get away from double-teams, and it was a clear-cut strategy to keep the Wildcats off the board. Without Martinelli, it was a lot easier for the Bulldogs to control the paint, and it made life really hard on Northwestern's second-leading scorer.
Hopefully, Martinelli's concussion doesn't keep him out for much longer. Northwestern needs him out there to take on defenders and open the floor up for players like Page who thrive with a little space.
Chris Collins is starting to trust Max Green
The sophomore sharp-shooter played 26 minutes against Butler, a season high. At the beginning of the year, Green looked a little bit uncomfortable out there, and Collins was adamant that he needed some time to learn how to be a cog in the system and not the number one option.
It seems like he's starting to figure that out, and Collins is noticing. Of the two best three-point shooting options -- Green and K.J. Windham -- Northwestern's head coach is clearly favoring Green at this point.
Windham did finally get some minutes without Martinelli in the rotation, but Green's role is growing on this team. Collins knows he needs to find some consistent shooting from long distance, and Green is hopefully the man for the job.
The defense made strides
Last time we saw Northwestern play against power-conference opponents, it gave up 85 points to Wisconsin and then 86 points to Ohio State. Holding Butler to 61 is a good sign.
After those early Big Ten games, Collins was adamant that they had to figure things out on the defensive end of the floor. It was a little difficult to judge progress against Jackson State and Valparaiso, but the Bulldogs were a real test.
Teams will shoot better than the 38% mark Butler posted in this game, but it was clear that strides were made. To me, there are still serious question marks surrounding Northwestern's ability to handle athletic guards and elite post players. But it does feel like the young guys and the transfers are starting to understand the Collins system a little better. That's a step in the right direction.