Well, you couldn’t have dreamt of a worse start to the season than Northwestern’s 100-57 loss to No. 20 Oregon. The Ducks led from wire-to-wire, and looked like a top-20 team — dare I say a top-15 team — in nearly every way imaginable. However, losing by 43 is inexcusable for the ‘Cats, even if they’re adjusting to life without Veronica Burton. Here are three takeaways from Monday’s season opener in Eugene.

Northwestern needs a floor general, and fast

Veronica Burton is irreplaceable. That sentence has been repeated in nearly every piece published on this site over the last month previewing Northwestern women’s basketball, and it rang true against the Ducks.