The Northwestern basketball program has never been good. The Wildcats have made as many NCAA Tournaments as your high school team, and they've languished at or near the bottom of the Big Ten for most of their history.
No more. Northwestern isn't elite, but the Wildcats are a formidable opponent and one of the better teams in the Big Ten. They'll host Maryland on Saturday night in what could turn out to be one of Maryland's most challenging games of the season. That's partially because there are no gimmes on the road in the Big Ten and partially because the Wildcats, at long last, have a handful of very good players.