Northwestern plays Illinois State tonight in the second official exhibition game before the regular season begins next week. The 'Cats start at home in Welsh-Ryan Arena against Mercyhurst on Monday.

I thought it would be a good time to get down to brass tacks and discuss realistic expectations for this team.

Last year, the 'Cats failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three seasons, but it didn't feel like a failure, at least not fully. That team was scrappy. It did its best to overcome injuries, heartbreaking losses and, yes, Big Ten refs.

The university thought so, too, rewarding head coach Chris Collins with a contract extension in the offseason. The 'Cats didn't make it to March, and that certainly was the hope headed into the season, but it still didn't feel like a failure.

If something similar occurs this year, then I think fans have to be content. Expecting a Buie-less, Barnhizer-less Northwestern team to make the tournament in year one is probably unfair. Make no mistake, this is a young team that will need time to grow and gel.

It's led by last year's Big Ten leading scorer, Nick Martinelli, but the rest of the lineup will be made up mostly of transfers (many with multiple years of control) and freshmen (the highest ranked class in program history).

So, here's the standard. It isn't about how far this team makes it. It's about whether they still feel like the 'Cats. Do they still play with the same grit and will to win that the last three teams have so obviously possessed?

This seems like a subjective measure, but it really isn't. We'll know. Northwestern has had a distinct attitude the past few years. It plays up to higher-level competition, never bowing down. It tires you out on the defensive end. It dives for loose balls and fights for boards. It emphasizes team chemistry, and players speak in pressers about their love for the program.

If all of that is still happening, it means that the new players have bought in, and that's what matters long term. The future is incredibly bright, but in the transfer era, that "buy-in" is crucial. The 'Cats have done incredibly well retaining talent compared to the rest of the country. It needs to stay that way for the future to remain bright, and it starts with this season.

A successful season is one in which the team slowly gels. Freshman Tre Singleton emerges as a budding star in the conference. K.J. Windham takes another step as a scorer. Arrinten Page proves he can master the Matt Nicholson spot on defense. Jake West and Tyler Kropp carve out roles. (whispers: Nick Martinelli flippers his way into an NBA Draft pick)

Could this team make a tournament? Absolutely. Who are we to doubt Collins at this point? But if it doesn't, the season isn't necessarily a failure. It's only a step back if the bottom completely drops out, and players choose to leave.

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