Northwestern University Athletics
Three Storylines to Watch: Northwestern vs. New Orleans
11/8/2018 11:46:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Wildcats will face New Orleans on Friday at 7 p.m. at the new Welsh-Ryan Arena for their first game of the regular season. Here are three storylines to watch as the 'Cats welcome the Privateers for the third time since 2015.
- In Friday's exhibition against McKendree, the 'Cats shot a strong 51.5 percent from the field, including nine three pointers. Northwestern topped McKendree by 39 points and were led by senior forward Vic Law's 14 points. NU was able to share the ball effectively in the exhibition, as four players notched double-digit points, and nine Wildcats had at least five points. Two of the four NU players to notch at least double-digits are newcomers to the program — graduate Ryan Taylor (12 points) and first-year Pete Nance (12 points).
- The Wildcats are welcoming six new players to the team this season, including first-years Ryan Greer, Miller Kopp, Ryan Young and Pete Nance, along with transfers Ryan Taylor and A.J. Turner. With this large new cohort, the 'Cats are able to to maximize their length and speed and have a formidable bench to rotate into each game. Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins has said he wants to move the team away from a pick-and-roll offense to focus more on off-ball movement, cutting and low-post play to utilize the team's strengths.
- Pete Nance, the 6-foot-10 first-year, impressed Wildcat fans with his strong performance on Friday against McKendree. Nance put up 12 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and had three blocks, already proving his value on the court. Nance comes to Northwestern after an impressive high school career in Akron, Ohio, in which he was ranked No. 67 in the nation by Rivals and No. 79 by ESPN.com, making him the highest-ranked recruit in Northwestern history. The rookie is following the successful career of his father, Larry Nance, who played 13 seasons in the NBA, and his older brother, Larry Nance Jr., who was drafted 27th overall to the Los Angeles Lakers and currently plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers. After Friday's game, Collins noted that Nance "has a chance to be a special player" and will be one to watch as the Wildcats head into the regular season.
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