Northwestern Basketball is not just your ordinary team. This is coming from someone who has supported them for years, through thick and thin, win or lose. It hasn’t always been easy being a Cats fan. But this year, after the season they just had, how could you not be? This is the breakdown of an unforgettable year for the Cats, a year where history was made.

First things first, Chris Collins. As Head Coach at NU, Collins was hired four years ago and has been transforming this team for the better ever since. How has he done it? By showing genuine love and support for his players. This is a coach who understands the game, understands his athletes and has never once doubted their potential.

Now, the players. Watching the Cats play all season long, one thing always stood out to me: each member can be consistently relied on to perform. Whether it’s starting point guard Bryant McIntosh weaving his way to the hoop for an easy layup, Dererk Pardon posting up off the rebound or Vic Law hitting his game-changing threes, one can feel safe knowing each of them are on the court doing what they do best.

After an exciting season, including a buzzer-beater win over Big Ten conference champ University of Michigan, the Cats finally made their way to the big dance, in other words, the NCAA March Madness tournament. This feat has never been done before in the history of Northwestern basketball. For Cats fans, this was a time to show what we’re made of, but for many, it was a reason for them to fail. Although NU lost in the second round to No. 1 seed Gonzaga, they by no means failed.

It began with an exciting first round game against No. 9 seed Vanderbilt. NU, a No. 8 seed, held the lead for the vast majority of the game. This stability didn’t last though, with Vandy taking a 66-65 lead in the last 17 seconds. After Vandy mistakenly committed a foul in the final moment, McIntosh took back the lead in two simple free throws. The Cats were still dancing.

The next game was up against No. 1 seed Gonzaga, a team known for its consistently strong program and top recruits. This was sure to be an uphill battle for NU, but they fought, and they fought hard.

The first half was rough. The Bulldogs displayed a nearly unbreakable defense and NU simply could not make their shots, shooting 1-for-11 three-pointers in the first half. The Zag’s strategy seemed to be shutting down McIntosh’s access to the net, a key strength that led to NU’s win over Vandy. With one of their top scorers unable to get to the basket, the cats seemed to lose sight of their capabilities, down at one point 12-32. This all changed at the half.

When the Cats came out of the locker room, the entire atmosphere of the arena changed. They regained confidence, and in turn, began making their shots. Junior Vic Law slowly turned the score around with some much-needed threes. NU’s rock-solid defense began closing in on the Bulldogs, forcing turnover upon turnover. Soon senior Nate Taphorn joined Law with the three-pointers, McIntosh regained access to the basket, and Pardon kept draining rebounds. They were back, down five points with only five minutes to go.

It was one call that shifted the momentum in these last five minutes. Pardon went up for a dunk and Gonzaga’s Zach Collins clearly stuck his hand through the hoop in attempt to block. It was blatant goal-tending. I saw it, the arena saw it, Coach Collins saw it, but the referees did not. Collins, in outrage, was hit with the technical foul thus handing the Bulldogs two free throws and newfound momentum after a swift NU comeback. Gonzaga finished with a 79-73 victory.

No one can take that win away from Gonzaga. They played phenomenally in that first half and NU simply wasn’t playing to its full potential. But that comeback is what defines NU basketball. They shocked the world with that comeback. NU is what I like to call a clutch team, knowing full-well how to handle high-stake moments at the end of big games.

It’s hard not to look back at that game and think of what could have been. If NU had sunk some of their shots in that first half, or if the refs had correctly called that goal-tending, maybe Northwestern could have beat the No. 1 seed. But why think that way? The Wildcats entered this tournament for the first time in school history and made a statement. NU is now a program that demands respect and no one will ever look at this group of men the same. After that Gonzaga game, the world knows that Northwestern is a team that cannot and will not be underestimated.

Law summed it up perfectly: “This isn’t the end, but the beginning of something special.”