You can criticize Northwestern for its record, which stands at 12-15 overall and a ghastly 3-13, dead last in the Big Ten. You can blame the Wildcats for having the worst offense in the conference at 66.2 points per game and being the worst-shooting team in the league at 40.6 percent.

But you can’t fault them for their effort.

When a team suffers the type of season that Northwestern has this year, it will often fold and fail to battle each night. The 2018-19 Wildcats, however, have not fallen into that hole.

Faced with a typical grueling Big Ten schedule and currently mired in an eight-game losing streak, head coach Chris Collins’ team has fought hard every time it has stepped on to the court. Although it hasn’t resulted in many victories, it is a source of light in a dark season of despair.

Northwestern has been reeling since beating Indiana at home on Jan. 22, losing all eight Big Ten games since. Some of losses were dreadful.

The Wildcats gave Penn State its first Big Ten win of the year in Evanston. They blew a 14-point lead in the final four minutes against Iowa. They failed to break 60 in five of the contests and 50 in three of them.

It hasn’t been pretty, yet you wouldn’t be able to tell when you observe the energy that the Cats bring to the floor each and every night. After falling to Wisconsin on Saturday, Collins made sure to note that point.

“I’m not down about the way we played,” Collins said. “I’m down about the result.”

“I thought we played incredibly hard. We didn't play perfect because basketball is not a perfect game, but to have 17 assists and only three turnovers, and block seven shots and get six steals … We just kept battling, kept fighting…”

“I thought our guys left their hearts on the floor.”

While effort doesn’t necessarily lead to offensive success, it has translated into consistent, elite defense. Offense is more about skill, while defense often comes down to effort and will more than anything else.

During its eight-game losing streak, Northwestern has held each of its opponent below its average in points per game. The Wildcats are also the best team in the Big Ten at defending 3-pointers, allowing teams to convert just 29.4 percent of their shots beyond the arc.

But it's difficult to win with the 25th-ranked defense in the country when you also have the 321st-ranked offense that's better than only one major conference team, Georgia Tech.

The Wildcats’ tenacious approach in the face of futility has garnered respect from some of coaches in the conference.

Ohio State’s Chris Holtmann noted that he was impressed with “[Northwestern’s] ability to make you grind on the offensive end.” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard emphasized how tough it is to play a team like Northwestern, emphasizing that “you have to bring it.”

It isn’t uncommon for coaches to praise their opponents, but the Wildcats can be proud that their attitudes and efforts are being noticed, even as they sink to the bottom of the conference standings.

If you are a Northwestern fan, it would be much more worrisome to see a team produce on the offensive end and falter with regards to effort. While the team’s production isn’t where it needs to be, it’s clear that Collins and his staff have not lost this team; they have continued to play hard while very little has gone their way over the last month and a half.

Team leaders like Vic Law and Dererk Pardon, seniors who deserved a far better final year than this one, continue to lead by example. Pardon, especially, gives maximum effort on every possession and continuously tries to pump up his teammates on the floor as the clock runs out on his career. If nothing else, Law's and Pardon's play is a lesson for the younger players on the roster who will take the program into the future.

Northwestern is guaranteed just five more games in this season. The Wildcats have four more games remaining in the regular season, and then they’ll almost certainly open their Big Ten tournament campaign on Wednesday at the United Center, most likely as the 14th seed.

The Wildcats may not win any of those games, but it almost certainly won’t be due to a lack of effort. If the previous games are any indication, this team will continue to battle until the clock hits triple-zeroes in Chicago.