Guard Ty Berry, Northwestern’s top 3-point shooter and No. 4 scorer, will miss the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery, coach Chris Collins told reporters Wednesday.
Berry had surgery earlier this week to repair a torn meniscus suffered during a first-half collision Wednesday against Nebraska, Collins said.
The 6-foot-3 senior started the first 23 games this season and averaged 11.6 points and 3.9 rebounds in 29.7 minutes. His 55 3-pointers and 43.3% accuracy behind the arc are both team highs.
His loss is a costly blow to the depth-challenged Wildcats (17-7, 8-5 Big Ten), who have only six players averaging more than 10.6 minutes. Boo Buie, Brooks Barnhizer and Ryan Langborg are averaging more than 34 minutes apiece.
Sophomore forward Nick Martinelli moved into the starting lineup in place of Berry in Sunday’s 68-63 victory over Penn State, while freshman guard Jordan Clayton is likely to see his minutes increase.
The Wildcats return to the court Thursday at Rutgers (5:30 p.m., BTN) looking to strengthen their NCAA Tournament resume. ESPN’s bracketology currently projects them as a No. 9 seed, and their four Quad 1 wins are tied for 15th in the country.
Northwestern, which reached the Round of 32 last season, never has made two consecutive NCAA Tournaments.
Berry, a career 8.2-point scorer in 110 games, could return for one more season of college eligibility via the NCAA’s COVID-19 waiver.
