It's happened understandably under the radar, but Northwestern has put together a couple nice wins so far in the NIT. First, in a rare postseason home game, the Wildcats used some surprising tactics--namely, offensive rebounding and solid defense--to outlast Wisconsin Milwaukee by a 70-61 score. Despite a big size advantage, Northwestern shot just 42 percent on twos, but they compensated by retrieving 45 percent of their misses and making a third of their numerous three point attempts. The result was a solid 1.15 points per possession.

At the other end, the Panthers shot well but couldn't hold onto the ball. Their 26 percent turnover rate was the fifth highest forced by Northwestern all season, and it kept Milwaukee from getting above a point per trip. 

John Shurna and Michael Thompson combined for 45 points on 31 shots. Luka Mirkovic finished with 4 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and no turnovers. 

The second round figured to present a much greater challenge, as the Wildcats travelled to Chestnut Hill to face former bubble team Boston College. This was a matchup of teams with great offenses and bad defenses, with a bit of an Ivy League style thrown in. Northwestern exploded from the field for an 85-67 win that spanned 62 possessions. The Wildcats shot 73 percent on twos and 42 percent on threes, resulting in a 66.9 effective field goal percentage that matched their second best shooting game of the season. Their best shooting game? The home matchup against Georgia Tech. Northwestern needs to lobby to join the ACC. 

The Wildcats scored 1.37 points per trip, a lofty output that Boston College had only allowed to one team all season (North Carolina). Northwestern's defense wasn't anything special, but it usually won't matter if you're scoring like that.

Thompson and Shurna combined for 42 points (32 shots), 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and just three turnovers. Mirkovic had another fantastic game with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and no turnovers. This guy is making up for lost time after missing last season's NIT loss.

Northwestern moves on to the NIT quarterfinals with a late road game at Washington State (10pm CT Wednesday, ESPN2). The Cougars have been on quite the offensive roll lately, scoring 1.07 ppp or more in five of their last six games, so this could be another high-scoring affair. Junior guards Klay Thompson and Faisal Aden each take a third of their team's shots when on the floor, so stopping those two guys has to be the main concern. With Aden, that isn't so daunting--he posted a 39.9 eFG percentage in Pac 10 play--but Thompson is a legitimate scorer, especially from three. It's a battle of the Thompsons, Klay vs. Juice, with a trip to Madison Square Garden on the line.

- Posted by Mike Portscheller