Northwestern is sitting at 5-2 and is set to begin Big Ten play on Sunday at Maryland.

With that in mind, we take a look at what we've learned about the Wildcats through the first seven games of the season.

The 'Cats have had a solid start at 5-2, but it is clear they still miss Chase Audige. Audige was the leading scorer for Northwestern last year, and his scoring pop would be welcome this year as well.

In Tuesday night’s overtime loss to Wake Forest, Boo Buie had an off night shooting and Pete Nance didn’t heat up until the second half. The Wildcats could have used Audige’s scoring. In Northwestern's other loss, to Providence, Nance and Buie cracked 20 but the rest of the box score was desolate.

The Wildcats can also look forward to Audige's impact on defense. He finished third in the Big Ten in steals last season, and will shore up Northwestern's perimeter defense. Nance and the other bigs have been a solid deterrent around the rim so far this season, but the 'Cats have had to count on young players like Casey Simmons and Julian Roper to pick up the slack until Audige can come back.

Nance is averaging 17.3 points per game, up from 11.1 in 2020, and Buie is averaging 16.7, up from 10.3 in 2020. Expect those to get deflated slightly as the competition gets stronger and the Big Ten schedule starts, but adding Audige to that mix could create a scoring triad that is hard to stop.

Buie has been much improved handling and distributing the ball this season. Last season, Buie averaged four assists and two turnovers for a flat ratio of 2:1. This season, Buie is just a hair under 3:1. He has held his turnovers almost constant, up to 2.3 per game, while bumping his assists up to a respectable 6.3 per game.

Buie has always been a score-first guard. He is the team's leader in shots per game and is second in points; that mentality still clearly holds. But his decision making has been a stark improvement. He has been more efficient, 41% from the field this year compared to 36% last year, and made the aforementioned jump distributing the ball.

His ability to control the game from the point guard position is markedly better in his junior season compared to his years as an underclassman.

The Wildcats still go as Nance goes. The 6-foot-10 forward is now in his senior season, and is playing the part. He is still the mismatch that the Wildcats can exploit when they run their offense through him. His scoring and rebounding numbers have improved every year on the team, and he is up to 17.3 and 7.9 a game, respectively, at the time of this article. The 'Cats need Nance at an All-Big Ten level if they want to compete in the conference and for a tournament berth this season, and so far he has shown signs that he plans on delivering.

If the 'Cats can keep him out of foul trouble and on the floor, he is the key to their offense and defense. His shooting splits border on the absurd just seven games into the season: he's shooting 52.8/45.5/85. Nance will likely cool off slightly, especially from three, where his previous career high is 36.7%, but he has shown a veteran poise and skill so far that should excite Northwestern fans. When Nance is on, the 'Cats are hard to stop.

This is part and parcel to Audige being out with injury, but the 'Cats have often struggled with dry spells on the scoreboard, just as they have the last for seasons.

In several games where Nance has gotten into foul trouble, or not been in a rhythm, defenses have keyed in on Buie, and the rest of the 'Cats have struggled to pick up the slack or make a dent in opposing defenses. When they can’t get out in transition, the half-court offense can become stagnant, and they have trouble generating good shots,

Ryan Young has had some solid stretches, against non-Power Five competition and Georgia, but the rest of the starters and bench have struggled to deliver consistently.

Head coach Chris Collins has given the bench an opportunity to show what it can do so far this season. The 'Cats rotation stands at a consistent nine with Young, Ryan Greer, Elyjah WIlliams and Roper all averaging 15 or more minutes per game off the bench. It's a deep squad, and Collins trusts the different looks and skills he can pick from on his bench.

Against Wake Forest, Collins ran lineups down the stretch that often featured Williams, Roper and Greer rather than going cookie-cutter and playing starters automatically down the stretch. Once Audige returns from injury, and with the possibility that Brooks Barnhizer becomes more acclimated to the college game, Collins could have plenty of cards to play this season.

Williams has been a quality add for Northwestern, who has been able to find value from a transfer yet again this season. The 'Cats welcomed Williams after four years at Farleigh Dickinson, and he has been an asset for Northwestern as a veteran presence off the bench. He can handle the ball and pass very well for a big man, and he brings a physicality under the boards that the Wildcats haven’t had in years.

His best game was his last one, against Wake Forest, where his savvy that got him 11 points and four boards in 19 minutes.

Williams won't win the 'Cats any games single-handedly, but he is a versatile player that can sub in for and play alongside any combination of Beran, Nance and Young in the front court. He will be a consistent option for Northwestern this year when they need someone to soak up hits on defense against Big Ten bigs and challenge the offensive and defensive glass.

Roper is off to a great start for the 'Cats, averaging nearly 20 minutes per game as a true freshman. Roper has not popped off the screen for his scoring, but has been a quality decision maker and shown incredible poise for such a young player. Against Wake Forest, and in several other games this season, Collins has trusted Roper to play late in clutch and closing opportunities.

The Detroiter has provided the 'Cats another reliable ball handler, which can be crucial when teams press late in games or key in on Greer and Buie. So far, he has just two turnovers so far this year.

On the opposite end of the floor, he is one of the 'Cats premier defenders. He averages 1.6 steals a game, .1 more than the tally that got Audige the honor of finishing third in the Big Ten last season.

After his first three seasons where he never averaged three points or more than 15 minutes per game, it was uncertain if Greer could find a suitable and sustainable role at Northwestern. But this year Greer has proved the doubters wrong, and has carved out a strong spot in the lineup. He is playing 24 minutes per game, fourth-most on the team despite coming off the bench.

Greer has provided a steady hand at guard alongside Buie down the stretch of several close games, giving Buie an opportunity to look for shots off the ball and save energy from breaking a press or starting the offense. he has relatively low attempt totals, but Greer has been a deadeye shooter as well this season. He is shooting 46.7% behind the arc and has not missed a free throw yet.

A 5-2 record is a welcome sight for the 'Cats, but they have still failed to definitively prove they are going to be competitive this season. They handled business with four straight wins against non-Power Five opponents to start the season, and have since lost that momentum a little bit. They are 1-2 in their last three, all against Power Five non-conference opponents.

The win against Georgia was a quality performance. The Bulldogs are currently ranked 161st in KenPom, but they upset Memphis this week. Besides, a win over a Power Five team is a win over a Power Five team.

The overtime loss to Wake Forest (90th in KenPom) is a little less sweet in the sunlight; the 'Cats had plenty of opportunities in crunch time to pull out a victory but came up short. On the other hand, they showed plenty of fight down the stretch against a possible tourney team in Providence (7-1, 59th in KenPom).

It has been a mixed bag for the 'Cats, and while they have taken care of business at points, some slow starts and scoring droughts have kept this from being the definitive statement early in the season that it could have been.

CBS’ Jon Rothstein has been adamant that the 'Cats are going dancing this year. It might seem far-fetched, but it is on the table for Northwestern this season.

They Wildcats are off to a steady and competitive start without one of their best players in Audige. Nance and Buie have both shown legitimate improvements from last year, and Collins is working the roster for serious depth that will give the 'Cats flexibility to matchup all across the Big Ten.

It is far from a sure, or even probable, thing, but this 'Cats team has the outside potential to break into March Madness. It is an experienced team with veteran leadership that has put it together for fits and spurts throughout their careers.

Now, with Nance as a senior, and Buie, Audige and Beran as juniors, Northwestern has their best shot to return the tournament for the first time since they made history with a berth in 2017.