Northwestern will look to prove its resilience after a 36-point thrashing by Texas Tech in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Championship on Sunday. It was the largest margin of defeat for the Wildcats since a 42-point loss to Virginia in 2007.
Sacred Heart should be a friendlier matchup than the Red Raiders. The Pioneers come to Allstate Arena with a 2-3 record, including losses to Holy Cross (that’s BILL CARMODY’S Holy Cross!), Boston College (by 20), and Saint Peter’s (by nine). For comparison, Sacred Heart is ranked No. 316 by KenPom while Northwestern’s previous non conference foes Loyola (Md.