Northwestern heads to West Virginia this weekend for its biggest test of the young season, matching up against the Virginia Cavaliers and the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Greenbrier Tip-Off.
NU enters the showcase 4-0 after an 81-79 nail-biting victory against DePaul last Friday, led by the terrific play of Nick Martinelli and Arrinten Page. The Wildcats now head to their first neutral-site game of the season to face their toughest competition thus far.
The Wildcats open Friday at 4 p.m. CT against a revitalized Virginia team. Following Tony Bennett’s surprising retirement ahead of last season, the Cavaliers chose to go with Charlottesville native Ryan Odom after the team went 15-17 a season ago with interim coach Ron Sanchez. Odom, who spent the previous two years at VCU, also was the head coach of the No. 16-seeded UMBC Retrievers that upset the No. 1-seeded Cavaliers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2018.
Though it’s only been four games, the Odom hire has appeared successful. While not nearly as effective as Bennett’s disciplined defense, these Cavaliers have held their own on that end of the court and have paired it with more shot-making and a skillful frontcourt.
Virginia has opened with one of the more efficient starts offensively in the country. In four games, thanks to a healthy blend of spacing and interior finishing, the Cavaliers have a 59.1% effective field goal mark, which ranks 23rd in the nation.
A major reason behind the jump is the new additions to the UVA frontcourt. Forward Thijs De Ridder, who’s technically a first-year despite playing professionally for two years in Liga ACB, has emerged as a centerpiece in the Cavaliers’ offense while shooting efficiently both inside and out and providing matchup flexibility. In his four games as a Cavalier, De Ridder has averaged 17.3 points on 54.2% from the floor and 45.5% from deep, along with six boards and two assists.
Kansas State transfer Ugonna Onyenso also gives Virginia a true interior threat with his 7-foot frame. Look for Onyenso to take advantage of the smaller Wildcats on the offensive boards, as he’s anchored the unit that ranks second in the country in offensive rebound percentage with an unreal 48.3%. The transfer also ranks 25th, bringing down 19.0% of the available offensive boards himself.
In the backcourt, UVA is composed of reliable guards who complement the skill set of the frontcourt well. North Dakota State transfer Jacari White provides experience as a senior and shoots a reliable 40.9% from outside, while Malik Thomas gives reliable downhill finishing, and first-year Chance Mallory has shown sparks of promise despite his small frame.
Defensively, Virginia resembles the framework set in place when Bennett took over in 2010. Onyenso’s rim protection limits clean looks on the inside, and opponents as a whole have shot under 40% on effective field goals: a top-10 figure.
Combined with the potent offense, this Virginia team has morphed into a more balanced, dangerous group that is capable of making some noise in the ACC.
Northwestern’s second opponent of the weekend is another 4 p.m. tipoff on Sunday, Nov. 23, against an almost brand-new South Carolina team. Coming off the departure of ninth overall pick Collin Murray-Boyles, fourth-year coach Lamont Paris has revitalized the Gamecocks through modernized spacing and dynamic guard play.
In their first four games of the season, the Gamecocks have capitalized further on Paris’ perimeter-driven approach, jumping up to 39.5% of their points coming from 3-pointers, which ranks 38th in the nation. Even with the improvement, the Gamecocks have still shot considerably better compared to last season, rising from 31.6% to 36.0%. South Carolina also shares the ball exceptionally well, with 68.4% of its makes coming off assists.
On the other side, the team allows the exact opposite, with opponents having just 17.8% of their points coming from beyond the arc: the seventh fewest in the country. In the same breath, opponents have shot just 24.6% from long range, which is the 23rd fewest.
The Gamecocks’ backcourt is where the offense really takes off. Meechie Johnson, who’s returned to Columbia after a year at Ohio State, leads the way averaging 14.5 points thanks in large part to his efficient shooting from deep, where the redshirt senior has shot 40% on 25 attempts.
First-year guard Eli Ellis has emerged as a go-to guy when Johnson is on the bench and as a complementary piece alongside him. Ellis has posted 13.5 points per game on 50% from the floor and 33.3% from range, and he’s averaged 3.8 assists per game.
The frontcourt isn’t nearly as dominant as Virginia’s, but it gives good size and skill beside the previously mentioned guards. Senior Mike Sharavjamts doesn’t get the ball nearly as much as his guard teammates but has taken full advantage of the opportunities he does get, shooting an efficient 11.5 points on 57.1% from the floor and 46.2% from deep on 2.9 attempts.
Between Johnson, Ellis and Sharavjamts, South Carolina has enough 3-point power to compete with many teams in the country. Its offensive identity allows the Gamecocks to put points up in a hurry thanks to their fast pace and efficient shooting. One thing is clear with this team: if the shots fall, they’ll be hard to beat. If not, it’s unclear where they’ll find life on offense.
This weekend is ultimately a test for Northwestern to prove to critics how good it really is. The Wildcats have not yet seen a frontcourt as physical as Virginia’s or a perimeter attack as explosive as South Carolina’s, and these matchups give coach Chris Collins a real measuring stick for both the long term rotation and the team’s overall ceiling.
