It was nothing short of a breakout year for the fan-favorite junior.
Currently, Brooks Barnhizer is testing the NBA draft waters, but assuming he makes a return to Evanston for his senior season, he is bound to be a vital part of a new-look post-Boo Buie Northwestern team. Despite the ups and downs, Barnhizer proved he can be a sufficient replacement for arguably the greatest guard in Northwestern history.
Stats
2023-24 Statistics: 36.7 minutes per game, 14.6 points per game, 2.6 assists per game, 7.5 rebounds per game, 1.5 turnovers per game, 42.9% FG, 34.8% 3PT, 76.6% FT
In his third season under head coach Chris Collins, Barnhizer really came into his own. His numbers were boosted considerably in nearly every category (except for free throw percentage), and thus he quickly saw himself become a part of a “big three” alongside Buie and Ty Berry.
A big improvement from the 6’6” wing came in the rebounding department. Barnhizer averaged just 0.7 rebounds his freshman year and 4.9 his sophomore year, but clearly learned how to use his size in a much more effective way in his junior campaign. He led the Wildcats in the category over taller big-men like Matt Nicholson and Luke Hunger.
Despite an assist-to-turnover ratio which was worse than desired, Barnhizer still did a solid job distributing the ball this past season, finishing second on the roster in assists per game, only behind the aforementioned Buie.
Shot Distribution
From CBB Analytics:
Beginning with his outside shot, Barnhizer clearly had a hot spot. Taking a look at his field goal percentage by region of the court, when he took corner threes, he was lights-out. Barnhizer shot a combined 17-of-37 (or 46%) from the corner, much better than his nearly 35% three-point shooting on the whole. He would often find himself open in the corner on drive-and-kicks from fast guards like Buie and Ryan Langborg, giving him great looks.
Unfortunately, the rate at which he took such shots was shockingly low: just 32% of his three-pointers and 9% of his total shots came from these areas. Learning ways to take advantage of this regional hot shooting will be crucial in determining whether Barnhizer can take another big step forward in his final season.
Looking inwards, Barnhizer was automatic from just below the free throw line, often bullying smaller guards into the post before getting into his signature fadeaway, which rarely missed. Just as he learned to use his body more efficiently on the boards, he did the same on the offensive side in the post.
The Good
Speaking of his offensive impact, it cannot be understated just how much the Lafayette, Indiana native improved Northwestern’s scoring ability. At the season’s beginning, Chase Audige’s departure left serious concern that Boo Buie would have to work alone as the sole offensive weapon. Barnhizer, though, filled his shoes admirably.
After a 29-point outing in NU’s scrimmage versus D-II McKendree to start the season, expectations were high. Barnhizer did not disappoint by any means when it came to scoring, reaching double figures in all but four of his 34 appearances.
Barnhizer’s stamina also improved noticeably, as he saw his minutes jump to nearly 37 per outing, and played over 40 minutes in big overtime wins against 10th-ranked Illinois and Florida Atlantic in the ‘Cats’ first round March Madness matchup.
Looking at the defensive side, Barnhizer was a menace, racking up nearly two steals per game and holding his own even when forced into mis-matches against bigger power forwards and centers.
The Bad
Though Barnhizer was surely reliable in one sense offensively as a double-digit scorer, he could be just as inconsistent when it came to his efficiency. At times throughout the season, Barnhizer seemingly disappeared from the offense (including in crucial losses against Illinois and Rutgers on the road and against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament) and simply could not buy a bucket.
A lot of this variability can be chalked up to poor shot selection. In spite of having major cold spots on the wings and the top of the key from three-point land, Barnhizer still took a substantial amount of treys from those respective areas. His relatively flat shot is simply not designed to provide consistency from that range, making a higher-arcing shot a point of emphasis for this offseason.
The Bottom Line
In its entirety, Barnhizer’s season definitely exceeded expectations, and is sure to make next year’s expectations all the more lofty. His achievements this year did not go unnoticed, either, ending in an Big Ten All-Defensive Team award for the junior and nationwide recognition as a two-way force.
As Chris Collins and the Wildcats look to make their third straight tournament appearance, another spike in production is going to be key. Now, with the return of both Ty Berry and Matt Nicholson, Barnhizer is still going to have much of the core from this season by his side. But at the end of the day, he has a chance to become the man in Evanston.