There are really only two words that can accurately describe the success Northwestern saw last night in its highest scoring output since Dec. 2020 against Chicago State: heat check.
Every basketball player
has had it at one point or another, for better or for worse. Sometimes, you end up like Denzel Valentine, becoming a never-ending meme to basketball fandom everywhere.
Other times, though, that hot hand doesn’t get cold. Max Green might have been the best example of that. With the ‘Cats already up big in the second half against Cleveland State, head coach Chris Collins checked the Holy Cross transfer in for the first time after he had sat on the bench for the previous 30 minutes of game action. What followed did not disappoint.
Green proceeded to rattle off a ridiculous scoring run for the Wildcats over just nine minutes of action. After a early breakaway dunk got him in the scoring column, Angelo Ciaravino would find Green the very next time down the court on the trail, and he would knock down a triple from the top of the key. Once he saw a shot go down, it seemed, there was nothing the Vikings defense could do but hope.
Just a minute later, Green found some space on the left wing after an NU offensive rebound and once the ball found his hands, there was no hesitation from the sophomore, who calmly knocked another down. Now with just about all the mojo you could ask for, Green started pulling up from Steph Curry land, knocking down 40-foot triples on back-to-back possessions to stretch Northwestern’s lead to a ridiculous 46 points.
“My kind of guy,” Coach Collins said postgame. “Just keep firing, man.”
Much of Northwestern’s night on the offensive end could be encapsulated by that five-minute explosion from Green. Shots were falling left and right (it shot 60% from the field and 52% from three), the ‘Cats were moving the ball well (26 assists to seven turnovers) and they got out in transition for easy layups and dunks (NU had 31 total fastbreak points on the night).
Collins mentioned postgame that a big emphasis from his coaching staff to the team was on “taking good shots.” Easy buckets and good ball movement would go a long way. For the ‘Cats, that was clearly the case. Early penetration inside — 30 of Northwestern’s 53 first half points came in the paint — collapsed Cleveland State’s defense as the game wore on and opened up outside shooting as a result.
But more than just the scoring output, Collins raved most about the effort his team gave for all 40 minutes of that game. From making CSU’s backcourt uncomfortable and forcing turnovers to going after every missed shot, Northwestern put maximum effort from tipoff to the final buzzer, no matter who was on the court. Collins pointed to one player in particular who fueled that energy.
“When the biggest guy is getting on the floor for loose balls, it sets the tone,” he said of center Arrinten Page postgame.
In a day when everybody got to eat, Northwestern’s identity as both a tough, hard-nosed defensive team and smart, fast offensive team was best exemplified by two of its transfer additions in Green and Page. More than anything, Northwestern has proven through its first three games this season that it won’t just be relying on the heroics of star forward Nick Martinelli — oh, by the way, 21 points and seven rebounds on the night — but has options.
And that makes these ‘Cats dangerous.
