Buie had a poetic end to a storied career in Evanston.
After five years, the Boo Buie era at Northwestern has drawn to a close. In a season that saw him break the school’s all-time scoring record and lead the ‘Cats to a second consecutive March Madness berth despite injuries to two starters, Buie made his case to go down as the GOAT of Northwestern basketball.
Stats
2023-24 Statistics: 36.9 minutes per game, 19.0 points per game, 5.0 assists per game, 3.3 rebounds per game, 2.3 turnovers per game, 43.8% FG, 43.4% 3PT, 85.8% FT
After a stellar senior season that culminated in being named to the first team All-Big Ten, Buie set career highs in nearly every major category as he continued his run as the face of Northwestern basketball.
Buie’s FG% increased by nearly three points from last year, but perhaps his most dramatic improvement was his 3PT%, which soared to 43.4% after sitting at 31.8% in 2022-23. Additionally, his 2.6 threes per game was good for second in the conference, only behind Iowa’s Payton Sandfort. When combined with Ty Berry’s three-point prowess, the development of Buie’s triple made the ‘Cats one of the most dangerous teams in the country from deep.
Buie’s 2.3 turnovers per game were more reminiscent of the 2.4 he posted last season and less so of the 1.9 he recorded in his junior year. Though his turnover rate remained up, this can partially be attributed to the fact that he simply played more than anyone else. His 36.9 minutes per game were the most in the entire conference.
Shot Distribution
From CBB Analytics:
Buie was hot from three at nearly all areas of the court. His hot spot was from the center and left wings of the arc, shooting 42.9% and 47.9%, respectively, for a combined 65-of-173. He was also particularly hot from the left corner, shooting 46.2%. However, he only took 13 shots from that location all season, which amounted to just 2.6% of his total shots.
From the area in between the three-point line and the charity stripe, Buie shot fairly well, with his FG% in these regions ranging from 25.0% to 38.9%. However, this region was not a point of emphasis for him, as only 11% of his shots came from there.
From just inside the foul line, Buie shot 44-of-124 (35.5%), which made up over a quarter of his total shots. This is where he often inflicted damage on his opponents with his signature floater, which teams could do little to prevent. Buie also shot 63-of-108 (58.3%) from just below the hoop, largely layups or close-range jumpers. This spot was the source of 22% of his total shots.
The Good
I could go on for paragraphs about all the ways in which Buie positively contributed to the ‘Cats’ success this season, but I’ll keep it relatively short. Let’s start with his scoring. Buie’s 19.0 points per game were the fourth most in the Big Ten, only behind Zach Edey, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jahmir Young. His nearly two-point increase from his average last season was spurred in large part by his aforementioned jump in 3PT%.
Buie showed out in some of Northwestern’s biggest wins of the season. He went 10-of-20 from the field on his way to his season-high of 31 points in NU’s improbable upset of then-No. 1 Purdue. The next month, he dropped 29 to push Northwestern over the edge in a thrilling overtime victory over then-No. 10 Illinois.
Buie’s 5.0 assists per game was also a career-high, up half an assist from last year. In addition to his direct contributions to the scoreboard, he also excelled at giving his teammates good looks and setting them up to score.
Though his key impact was on the offensive side of the ball, Buie made some slight defensive improvements as well. His 1.4 steals per game were up slightly from his 1.1 last season, and he recorded five in the tournament win over FAU.
The Bad
Though difficult to find knocks on Buie’s fantastic season, one area of struggle for the guard was scoring efficiently on the road. Buie certainly fed off the energy at Welsh Ryan Arena, which led to some masterful performances against some of the best squads in the nation. His 20.9 points per game at home is representative of those big-time performances, but he only scored 17.1 per game in away contests. Additionally, his FG% dropped from 49.8% at home to just 38.7% on the road.
For instance, in a road loss to Nebraska, Buie only mustered nine points on 2-of-15 shooting. He struggled similarly in wins over Penn State and Indiana, in which he shot 4-of-14 and 3-of-14, respectively. Additionally, Buie was marginally sloppier with the ball on the road with 2.6 turnovers per game, a little higher than the 1.9 he averaged at home.
The Bottom Line
This season, Buie cemented himself as one of the best in college basketball, leading the ‘Cats to two top-ten victories in the regular season and a trip to the second round of March Madness following a victory over FAU. His success did not go unnoticed, as he earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for the second straight year. He also received the Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Honors, given to the top defensive player in Division I basketball.
Buie concludes his college career having sparked a renaissance for Northwestern basketball that put the ‘Cats on the national stage once again. His presence will instantly be missed by coaches, teammates and fans as NU looks for a guard worthy of spearheading the post-Buie era. But despite a possible short-term regression, Agent Zero’s legacy will be felt in Evanston for years to come.