Men’s College Basketball 2021-2022 Season Preview: Northwestern Wildcats

The Big 10 will be going through some changes in men’s college basketball up top this season, as household names like Ayo Dosunmu and Luka Garza are off to the NBA. There is still plenty of star power though, as Juwan Howard has brought in an elite recruiting class at Michigan, our guy Trevion Williams is back for his swan song season at Purdue. and even the bottom half of the conference has useful fantasy options sprinkled throughout.

Big 10 slates are a grind, so getting a head start on info about this conference will serve you well in putting you above the rest of the field. Join me on this journey as we preview the Big 10 teams from a DFS perspective.

In this one, Northwestern.

(Check out our full college basketball season preview!)

Northwestern Wildcats 2021-2022 Season Preview

2020-2021 record: 9-15 (6-13 Big 10), 12th in Big 10
Postseason: None

Key Departures | Northwestern Wildcats

• Miller Kopp (transferred to Indiana)
• Anthony Gaines (transferred to Siena)

Key Additions | Northwestern Wildcats

• Elyjah Williams (transferred from FDU)
• Casey Simmons (4 star recruit)
• Brooks Barnhizer (3 star recruit)
• Julian Roper (3 star recruit)

Returners | Northwestern Wildcats

• Boo Buie (10.3 PPG/2.3 RPG/4 APG)
• Robbie Beran (5.7 PPG/2.7 RPG)
• Ty Berry (5.1 PPG)
• Ryan Young (7.8 PPG/4.8 RPG)
• Chase Audige (12.3 PPG/3.7 RPG/1.5 SPG)
• Pete Nance (11.1 PPG/6.8 RPG)
• Ryan Greer (2.7 PPG)

Northwestern Wildcats Outlook for 2021-2022

Chris Collins continues to recruit at a fairly high level, but unfortunately for him the results just haven’t been there yet in terms of winning games. I think he continues to get a pass because of the talented rosters he keeps building. He has brought in three solid fringe top-100 players this year and already has one of their best recruits ever lined up for 2022. This season’s team is talented on paper but might lack the top-end player needed to make that extra push.

The highest-rated recruit in Northwestern history is Pete Nance, and he is all grown up now and entering his senior season. Nance is an elite level defensive rebounder and had a rate of 24.7%, which was top 60 in all of D1. He also increased his three-point efficiency, free throw efficiency and two-point field goal efficiency. I think this is finally the year Pete Nance becomes an all-conference performer.

Chase Audige and Boo Buie had the highest usage on the team last year at 27.1% and 24.2% respectively. Audige is the most valuable player on the team as a high-level scorer and a lockdown defender. Boo Buie was extremely inconsistent last season and at times looked like the best player on the floor but at other times he was completely invisible. If he can put it all together this year, we could be talking about a major fantasy asset.

This is a freshman class I’ve invested heavily in for my various dynasty league drafts, and I think they have major long-term potential. Brooks Barnhizer is my favorite of the bunch to be impactful right away and should provide much-needed scoring off the bench. Casey Simmons has the best long-term potential and is a player to stash away in your mind for later. Julian Roper is an attacker and is another scorer off the bench that could contribute at some point. Ty Berry is a second-year player to watch as well who had flashes of being a high end spot up shooter at times.

(Check out our rankings of the top 100 teams, top 100 players and top 25 impact freshmen for men’s college basketball in 2021-2022.)

Summary

There are plenty of pieces on this roster that could end up being viable when it comes to fantasy and DFS in general. Pete Nance, Chase Audige and Boo Buie are the names you’ll want to familiarize yourself with for the long haul. Meanwhile, Ty Berry and the freshman class all have longer upside that you’ll want to keep tabs on for later on.