Northwestern readies for the season with more questions than answers

Greg Svirnovskiy


Kirsten Mansfield surveys the field. The senior will need to have a strong season for NU to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Daily file photo by Katie Pach

Before last season, recent history had been kind to Northwestern, a program that won at least 13 games every season since 2012, reliably finishing at least .500 in Big Ten play during that stretch. Great coaching, elite offensive players, and a solid point differential helped put NU in elite territory, where long trips through Big Ten Tournaments and NCAA Tournament appearances seemed a formality.