Northwestern guard Ty Berry will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery Tuesday for a torn meniscus, coach Chris Collins announced Wednesday. Berry has started 23 games for the Wildcats (17-7, 8-5 Big Ten) this season and logged 110 appearances over four years in the program.
Berry's injury will test the depth of a team that is among the nation's lightest in terms of bench contributions. The Wildcats rank No. 338 in bench minutes, per KenPom, with starting guards Brooks Barnhizer and Boo Buie already leading the Big Ten in minutes played.
Northwestern ranks No. 7 nationally in 3-point percentage at 39.5%, thanks in large part to Berry's team-best 43.3% mark on 5.5 attempts per game. The 6-foot-3 senior was averaging 11.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. He has produced some of his best efforts in Northwestern's biggest moments this season, such as a 21-point outing in a December victory over Purdue.
Berry missed Sunday's 68-63 win over Penn State, a game that saw Northwestern's bench total only 26 minutes and three points. Northwestern was well under its season average for both 3-pointers and 3-pointer attempts. That could become a new normal for the Wildcats without Berry.
Northwestern is projected as a No. 10 seed for the NCAA Tournament in Jerry Palm's Bracketology but is still considered as a bubble team. The Wildcats are trying to make the Big Dance in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history after reaching the second round as a No. 7 seed last season.
Doing so without Berry will be a challenge, especially as Northwestern plays four of its final seven games away from home, starting with a Thursday trip to Rutgers.
