Northwestern prepares for rivalry game against struggling DePaul | National

Northwestern senior guard Brooks Barnhizer begins a four-game double-double streak when DePaul visits Evanston, Illinois, on Saturday. He’s quick to point out that scoring isn’t always easy. If that’s the case, Barnhizer will take guidance from coach Chris Collins and remain committed to the other side of the floor to fuel his offense. “Coach does a really good job of just communicating to us that we’re all very confident basketball players and we’re all putting in the work. So if we miss a few shots, we have to stay true to who we are and play defense,” Barnhizer said. DePaul (8-3) hopes to face less resistance against Northwestern (8-3) than it did in Tuesday’s 89-61 loss at St. John’s. The Blue Demons couldn’t get comfortable from the perimeter, where they attempted a season-low 20 shots, or from anywhere else. DePaul shot just 39.2 percent overall. Reserve Layden Blocker led the way with 17 points and Conor Enright added 12. However, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino warns against any scouting report that underestimates the Blue Demons’ strength. “Our staff was sick because of this game,” he said. “We prepared like it was the last game of the season and we had to win it because of the way they shoot the ball.” Northwestern has a stranglehold on its recent rivalry with DePaul, winning six of its last seven games . Collins improved to 6-2 last season against the Blue Demons, with Nick Martinelli scoring a game-high 16 points off the bench in a 56-46 road win. DePaul leads the all-time series 21-16. Martinelli, Northwestern’s leading scorer at 20.4 points per game – a touch ahead of Barnhizer (19.7) – had 16 points in Sunday’s neutral-court win over Georgia Tech. He has scored in double figures in four straight games. “We’ll just find a way to figure it out offensively, you know,” Collins said. “We have a unique team. We have good players. And I’m still figuring out how to best use it.” –Field-level media