NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS MEN'S BASKETBALL
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Northwestern's men's basketball program operates in the shadow of conference powerhouses while competing from Welsh-Ryan Arena on its Evanston campus, home to 22,801 students since the university's founding in 1851. Head coach Chris Collins leads a 15-player roster that has struggled both inside conference play and on the road, posting a 10-16 overall record with only 2 wins against 9 losses away from Evanston. The squad manages 74.0 points per game while allowing 73.0, a near-even scoring margin that masks the team's 0-6 Big Ten conference record highlighting significant gaps against league competition.
Home games offer the Wildcats their only reliable venue advantage: Northwestern sports an 8-7 record at Welsh-Ryan Arena compared to its dismal 2-9 road showing, though the 0-6 conference mark indicates systematic issues rather than situational problems. Scoring efficiency sits marginally above opponent output, suggesting the core problem lies not in execution but in defensive intensity and Big Ten-level competition adjustment. Collins' program faces a rebuilding challenge typical of Northwestern's historical standing, where the school competes in a conference dominated by traditional basketball powers while balancing the academic demands of Big Ten membership.
KEY FACTS
| School | Northwestern University |
| Sport | Men's Basketball |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Division | D1-FBS |
| Location | Evanston, Illinois |
| Venue | Welsh-Ryan Arena |
| Head Coach | Chris Collins |
ROSTER (2025-26)
| # | Name | Pos |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | Cade Bennerman | F |
| 44 | Angelo Ciaravino | G |
| 11 | Jordan Clayton | G |
| 13 | Phoenix Gill | G |
| 10 | Max Green | G |
| 54 | Gus Hurlburt | F |
| 1 | Tyler Kropp | F |
| 2 | Nick Martinelli | F |
| 20 | Justin Mullins | G |
| 22 | Arrinten Page | F |
| 4 | Jayden Reid | G |
| 8 | Tre Singleton | F |
| 43 | Blake Smith | G |
| 3 | Jake West | G |
| 24 | K.J. Windham | G |
SEASON RECORD
15-19
Overall
11-8
Home
4-11
Away
2-9
Conference
73.1 PPG / 72.0 Opp PPG
SCHEDULE (2025-26)
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 4 | Mercyhurst Lakers | W 70-47 |
| Nov 7 | Boston University Terriers | W 76-52 |
| Nov 11 | Cleveland State Vikings | W 110-63 |
| Nov 15 | DePaul Blue Demons | W 81-79 |
| Nov 21 | Virginia Cavaliers | L 78-83 |
| Nov 23 | South Carolina Gamecocks | W 79-77 |
| Nov 28 | Oklahoma State Cowboys | L 81-86 |
| Dec 4 | Wisconsin Badgers | L 73-85 |
| Dec 6 | Ohio State Buckeyes | L 82-86 |
| Dec 13 | Jackson State Tigers | W 93-53 |
| Dec 17 | Valparaiso Beacons | W 86-70 |
| Dec 20 | Butler Bulldogs | L 58-61 |
| Dec 30 | Howard Bison | W 80-60 |
| Jan 3 | Minnesota Golden Gophers | L 78-84 |
| Jan 8 | Michigan State Spartans | L 66-76 |
| Jan 11 | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | L 75-77 |
| Jan 15 | Illinois Fighting Illini | L 68-79 |
| Jan 17 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | L 58-77 |
| Jan 22 | USC Trojans | W 74-68 |
| Jan 24 | UCLA Bruins | L 64-71 |
| Jan 30 | Penn State Nittany Lions | W 94-73 |
| Feb 1 | Washington Huskies | L 62-76 |
| Feb 5 | Illinois Fighting Illini | L 44-84 |
| Feb 8 | Iowa Hawkeyes | L 70-76 |
| Feb 12 | Michigan Wolverines | L 75-87 |
| Feb 14 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | L 49-68 |
| Feb 19 | Maryland Terrapins | W 78-74 |
| Feb 25 | Indiana Hoosiers | W 72-68 |
| Feb 28 | Oregon Ducks | W 63-62 |
| Mar 5 | Purdue Boilermakers | L 66-70 |
| Mar 8 | Minnesota Golden Gophers | L 66-67 |
| Mar 10 | Penn State Nittany Lions | W 76-66 |
| Mar 11 | Indiana Hoosiers | W 74-61 |
| Mar 12 | Purdue Boilermakers | L 68-81 |
ANALYTICS
+1.2
Pt Diff
L1
Streak
56.3%
SOS
#51
T-Rank
Barthag: 0.8194
110.3
Adj O
96.7
Adj D
OTHER SPORTS AT NORTHWESTERN
BIG TEN CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL PROGRAMS
- Indiana University, Bloomington Hoosiers
- Michigan State Spartans
- Pennsylvania State Nittany Lions
- Purdue Boilermakers
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- California Bruins
- Illinois Urbana-Champaign Fighting Illini
- Iowa Iowa
- Maryland Terrapins
- Michigan Wolverines
- Minnesota Minnesota
- Nebraska-Lincoln Cornhuskers
- Oregon Ducks
- Southern California Trojans
- Washington Huskies
- Wisconsin-Madison Badgers
MORE MEN'S BASKETBALL IN ILLINOIS
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Illinois Men's Basketball ProgramsFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What conference does Northwestern Men's Basketball compete in?
- Northwestern Wildcats Men's Basketball competes in the Big Ten Conference conference at the NCAA D1-FBS level.
- Where does Northwestern play men's basketball home games?
- Northwestern Men's Basketball plays home games at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, IL.
- Who is the head coach of Northwestern Men's Basketball?
- The head coach of Northwestern Wildcats Men's Basketball is Chris Collins.
- When was Northwestern Men's Basketball program established?
- The establishment date for Northwestern Men's Basketball is not currently available.