Northwestern Lifts Lid on 2017-18 Season Friday

11/9/2017 2:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Nick Brilowski

NORTHWESTERN BASKETBALL: GAME DAY INFORMATION
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	BROADCAST	LIVE STATS
Fri., Nov. 10	Loyola (Md.)	7:30 p.m.	Allstate Arena; Rosemont, Ill.	BTN Plus on BTN2Go	SIDEARM
Radio: 720 WGN (Dave Eanet and Joey Meyer) TV: BTN Plus on BTN2Go Social: Twitter (@NUMensBball and @NU_SportsLIVE) \| Instagram (@numensbball) \| Facebook Game Notes: Northwestern \| Loyola

Coach Collins Preview | McIntosh | Lindsey | Law

EVANSTON, Ill. – The wait is over.

No. 19/20 Northwestern returns to the hardwood Friday as it opens its 2017-18 season, hosting Loyola (Md.) at Allstate Arena in Rosemont. Tip time is set for 7:30 p.m. The Budweiser Brew House opens at 5:30 p.m. while gates to the arena open at 6:30.

Northwestern is 4-0 in season openers under Chris Collins. Last year, the Wildcats defeated Mississippi Valley State in the opener, 94-63. Vic Law led five NU players in double figures with 18 points. Northwestern has won its last nine season-openers overall.

Northwestern is coming off a school-record 24-win season in 2016-17, including posting a victory in the team's first NCAA tournament appearance in school history.

Friday's game opens a stretch of five games over a 10-day span to begin the season for the Wildcats.

The 'Cats are playing all of their home games at Allstate Arena in Rosemont this season while Welsh-Ryan Arena undergoes a complete $110 million renovation. NU is slated to return to Welsh-Ryan Arena for the 2018-19 campaign.

Northwestern returns four starters and 10 letterwinners overall. The Wildcats welcome back 85.5 percent of their scoring and 83.0 percent of their rebounding from a year ago. The returners are headlined by senior guard Bryant McIntosh and Scottie Lindsey, both of whom were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team. McIntosh was a unanimous selection to the team after being a consensus second-team All-Big Ten selection a year ago. He enters the 2017-18 season as the nation's active leader in assists with 551.

Scouting Loyola (Md.)
The Greyhounds posted a 16-17 record a year ago, including a 8-10 mark in Patriot League play, while reaching the quarterfinal round of the CBI. Andre Walker, a first-team all-conference selection a year ago, returns as the team's leader in scoring (14.9 ppg), assists (3.9), 3-point field goals (82) and free throw percentage (.863). Cam Gregory set a school single-season field goal percentage mark in 2016-17, making 63.8 percent of his attempts (134-of-210). G.G. Smith, the son of former Minnesota and current Memphis head coach Tubby Smith, is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Greyhounds.

Northwestern leads the all-time series, 2-0, with both previous meetings taking place in Evanston. The Wildcats overcame a 14-point deficit, including trailing 33-22 at halftime, to defeat the Greyhounds 74-59 in the most recent meeting between the teams Dec. 27, 2015. Bryant McIntosh scored a career-high 33 points while dishing out 8 assists to lead Northwestern which shot 65.6 percent (21-32) from the field in the second half.