Northwestern Shows It's More Than Boo Buie in Win Over Indiana

On a day when Boo Buie was stapled to the bench for most of the first half and made just three field goals all game, Northwestern still found a way to beat Indiana. It might be a sign that there's more to the Wildcats than just their senior guard.

Dustin Schutte | Feb 18, 2024

Northwestern Shows It's More Than Boo Buie in Win Over Indiana /

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Boo Buie is typically the first name that pops into someone's head when talking about Northwestern basketball. But in a Sunday afternoon win over Indiana, the Wildcats proved there's more to the team than just the senior guard.

Buie was essentially a non-factor in Northwestern's 76-72 win over Indiana, forcing others to step up in a big way on the road. They delivered.

Matt Nicholson and Nick Martinelli were impressive, both recording double-doubles in a critical road victory for the Wildcats. Nicholson scored 14 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. Martinelli was responsible for 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Ryan Langborg was the team's top scorer, ending the game with 26 points. He made four of his seven shots from 3-point range.

Buie picked up his second foul early in the first half, forcing coach Chris Collins to staple his star to the bench. At the time, Northwestern owned an 11-10 lead.

When the buzzer sounded at the end of the first 20 minutes, the Wildcats had extended their lead to 34-26 over the Hoosiers.

"First and foremost, I thought the defense was awesome during that stretch. I thought Ryan and Nick, during that stretch, kept us afloat offensively. I felt like those two guys were the ones scoring," Collins said of Northwestern's run without Buie.

"But there's no question, that stretch of the game — you're up one, Boo goes to the bench with two fouls and then Brooks gets his second. I'm not a coach who sits guys a whole half. I was gonna put those guys back in if need be. But that group played so well and we got a lead and we were able to rest those guys the rest of the half."

Yes, Buie still ended the game with 14 points and hit some critical shots down the stretch for Northwestern. But he ended the afternoon just three-of-14 from the floor and played only 28 minutes.

Just looking at Buie's stat line, it'd probably be safe to assume that Northwestern got ran out of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall — even by a struggling Indiana squad.

But Northwestern might have better depth than has been discussed. Remember, this is also a team without top 3-point threat Ty Berry, who will miss the remainder of the season with a torn meniscus.

To get a win at Assembly Hall with Berry out and Buie playing as ineffectively as you'll see all season? It was a good sign to Collins.

"Needless to say, this was a huge, huge win for our team. We've gone through a lot of adversity the last week-and-a-half," he said. "And to be able to come here on short rest against a team we really respect — the talent and the coaching. You're on the road, one of tougher venues to play in."

The conversation always starts with Buie when Northwestern basketball is discussed. It's well-deserved, too. The senior guard averages 19.2 points, 5.2 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game. He's one of the most clutch players in the Big Ten.

Buie is among 30 midseason candidates for the Naismith College Player of the Year award. He's a big reason why Northwestern is in position to reach the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season.

There's more to the Wildcats than just their star guard, though. On Sunday, we saw that Collins has assembled a complete team. One that can come through in big-time moments, even when adversity strikes.

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