Men’s Basketball: How can Northwestern fix its late game problems

Since the beginning of the season, the close-game struggles have been a glaring concern for Northwestern.

Against Virginia in November, the Wildcats led by seven with 14 minutes remaining. The Cavaliers erased the deficit and retook the lead within five minutes. Though the Wildcats rallied to create another four-point cushion with six minutes left, they watched it slip away in the final three minutes and never got it back.

That script has repeated itself throughout the season. Now sitting 8-6 overall and remaining winless in the Big Ten (0-3), Northwestern’s postseason hopes are in spiraling. What we’ve seen is a team capable of competing with quality opponents but incapable of finishing strong. What’s gone wrong, and how can the Wildcats fix it?

Defensive Breakdowns and Second-Half Collapses

The Wildcats have actually played decent first-half basketball against quality opponents. Against Oklahoma State and Ohio State, Northwestern won the opening 20 minutes. Against Minnesota on Saturday, they tied at halftime. Then everything fell apart later.

Defensive lapses plague Northwestern in late-game situations. Too many miscommunications occur when possessions matter most. The Wildcats’ defensive rotations don’t look mature when responding to opponents’ running screens and cutting for quality shot opportunities, resulting in their difficulty in switching defense effectively and staying disciplined in one-on-one situations as the pressure mounts.

To address the defense, Northwestern could simplify rotations down the stretch. The Wildcats need to stay connected on defensive switches to help each other. Against teams that space the floor and cut aggressively, the Wildcats must have someone in the front court talk constantly and set up commands to monitor the defensive shape.

The Wildcats also need to lock down the paint and improve their transition defense. Against Butler, Ohio State and Minnesota — all winnable games — opponents outscored Northwestern in the paint. Two of those three (Ohio State and Minnesota) also dominated in transition, capitalizing on Northwestern turnovers and missed shots to generate easy baskets when the Wildcats needed stops most.

Free Throw Efficiency

Battling in late games, a free-throw fest will be inevitable, but it has become an aspect of the game that Northwestern can’t firmly secure most. The Wildcats shoot 73.94% from the line (112th nationally per NCAA stats), a mediocre but not elite index for closing games strong. Northwestern has played faster and taken drives to the rim, which has generated more free-throw opportunities. But failing to convert those hustle plays into points from the charity stripe undermines late-game momentum.

Rebounding Deficiencies

Rebounding woes also haunt Northwestern in late-game situations. Against Virginia, Northwestern was dominated on the glass 49-25, including 21-6 on offensive boards. That gave the Cavaliers extra possessions exactly when Northwestern needed to shorten the game. Against Minnesota, the Wildcats lost the rebounding battle 19-10 in the second half alone, allowing the Golden Gophers to extend possessions and generate second-chance points.

When leads evaporate, securing defensive rebounds becomes critical. Northwestern consistently fails this test, watching opponents crash the offensive glass and create additional scoring opportunities that fuel comebacks.

Rotation and Shot Selection

Maybe it’s time to set him free.

K.J. Windham has hit some big time shots in the clutch against Virginia and Ohio State, but he was DNP’d on Saturday against Minnesota.

According to EvanMiya, Windham has a third-best performance rating behind Arrinten Page and Nick Martinelli despite a his limited. While Windham has yet to prove his value consistently this season, having another offensive weapon in crunch time would provide Northwestern with another option when the majority of defenses focus on others.

Northwestern also needs to improve its ball movement in the final minutes. Too often, the offense devolves into starters taking contested shots in poor positions. Sharing the ball and generating open looks through movement could produce better shots than forcing difficult isolation attempts.

The Path Forward

Northwestern’s talent isn’t the issue, but winning close games requires improved execution on defensive, rebounding and from the free throw line. What lies ahead for the Wildcats is how to apply their efforts in practice. 

With more Big Ten battles ahead and the margin for error essentially gone, Northwestern must buckle up immediately. There’s no way back if these issues persist. The Wildcats face No. 9 Michigan State on Thursday — their first top-10 matchup and another opportunity to either prove they can finish or fall further in the conference slate. If Northwestern wants to turn the season around and salvage postseason hopes, it must improve in the moments that matter most.