Thursday, November 28
Tempe, Ariz.
6 p.m. CT
Northwestern
vs
Butler
Photo by: David Dermer/Northwestern Athletics
Northwestern Travels to Tempe for Arizona Tip-Off
11/27/2024 5:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball
TEMPE, Ariz. – Northwestern men's basketball heads to the desert for the Arizona Tip-Off, which will take place inside Mullett Arena in Tempe. The Wildcats (5-1) are set to take on Butler at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday, Nov. 28 to open the event, and will play either No. 25 Mississippi State or UNLV on Friday, Nov. 29 at 6 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. CT. Both games will air on CBS Sports Network with Jack Benjamin (play-by-play) and Matt McCall (analyst) on the call and WGN Radio 720 with Andy Masur (play-by-play) and Billy McKinney (analyst) describing the action.
Last time out, Northwestern led by as many as 24 points as it defeated Pepperdine 68-50 on Friday night (Nov. 22). Graduate student Jalen Leach's game-high 21-point effort marked his 15th career 20-point game and his second as a Wildcat. Junior Nick Martinelli's 20-point performance marked the fifth time this season he has scored at least 20 points, which is the most by a Wildcat in the month of November since Vedran Vukusic had six such games in 2005-06. Senior Brooks Barnhizer tallied 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals..
The Wildcats also held the Waves to 19 first-half points, their second time holding an opponent below 20 points in a half this season. The Wildcats held the Waves to a field goal percentage of 28.6% (16-56), their lowest allowed since holding Auburn to 26.0% (14-56) in the Cancun Challenge on Nov. 23, 2022. Northwestern did not have a turnover in the first half, marking Northwestern's first turnover-free half since March 9, 2024 against Minnesota.
Martinelli's 23.8 points per game leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally. He is the only player in the Big Ten that is averaging 20+ points and 6+ rebounds per game. Leach and Martinelli's effort marked the first time Northwestern has had multiple players score 20+ points in consecutive games for the first time since 2017, when Bryant McIntosh (24) & Vic Law (30) did it against Creighton and McIntosh (21) and Scottie Lindsey (20) did so versus LaSalle.
Over the last three seasons, Northwestern has won 49 total games, which ranks third among Big Ten schools, trailing Purdue (68) and Illinois (54). NU has won 24 Big Ten Conference games over the last two seasons, trailing only Purdue (32) and Illinois (25). Northwestern and Michigan State are the only two Big Ten teams to win at least one game in each of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 NCAA Tournaments.
The Wildcats lead the all-time series against the Bulldogs (4-1) 16-11, but Northwestern has not notched a win over the Bulldogs since 1984. The Wildcats are on a six-game losing skid to Butler, dating back to 1986. The teams last faced off in 2016 in Indianapolis, where the Bulldogs won 70-68 on a buzzer-beater.
In its last game, Butler defeated Merrimack 78-39 on Friday, Nov. 22 in Indianapolis. The Bulldogs have a trio of 14.0+ point per game scorers in Pierre Brooks (16.6), Jahmyl Telfort (15.2) and Patrick McCaffery (14.4). Brooks scored a season-high 23 points last time out against Merrimack.
The Wildcats have not won an MTE championship since the 2012-13 season when it won the South Padre Island Invitational in Texas by defeating TCU 55-31 on Nov. 23, 2012, and Illinois State in overtime 72-69 on Nov. 24, 2012. Under head coach Chris Collins, Northwestern is 11-11 in MTEs.
After its stint in Tempe, the Wildcats will open Big Ten action with a road test at Iowa on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. CT. The game will air on Peacock and WGN Radio 720.
Last time out, Northwestern led by as many as 24 points as it defeated Pepperdine 68-50 on Friday night (Nov. 22). Graduate student Jalen Leach's game-high 21-point effort marked his 15th career 20-point game and his second as a Wildcat. Junior Nick Martinelli's 20-point performance marked the fifth time this season he has scored at least 20 points, which is the most by a Wildcat in the month of November since Vedran Vukusic had six such games in 2005-06. Senior Brooks Barnhizer tallied 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals..
The Wildcats also held the Waves to 19 first-half points, their second time holding an opponent below 20 points in a half this season. The Wildcats held the Waves to a field goal percentage of 28.6% (16-56), their lowest allowed since holding Auburn to 26.0% (14-56) in the Cancun Challenge on Nov. 23, 2022. Northwestern did not have a turnover in the first half, marking Northwestern's first turnover-free half since March 9, 2024 against Minnesota.
Martinelli's 23.8 points per game leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally. He is the only player in the Big Ten that is averaging 20+ points and 6+ rebounds per game. Leach and Martinelli's effort marked the first time Northwestern has had multiple players score 20+ points in consecutive games for the first time since 2017, when Bryant McIntosh (24) & Vic Law (30) did it against Creighton and McIntosh (21) and Scottie Lindsey (20) did so versus LaSalle.
Over the last three seasons, Northwestern has won 49 total games, which ranks third among Big Ten schools, trailing Purdue (68) and Illinois (54). NU has won 24 Big Ten Conference games over the last two seasons, trailing only Purdue (32) and Illinois (25). Northwestern and Michigan State are the only two Big Ten teams to win at least one game in each of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 NCAA Tournaments.
The Wildcats lead the all-time series against the Bulldogs (4-1) 16-11, but Northwestern has not notched a win over the Bulldogs since 1984. The Wildcats are on a six-game losing skid to Butler, dating back to 1986. The teams last faced off in 2016 in Indianapolis, where the Bulldogs won 70-68 on a buzzer-beater.
In its last game, Butler defeated Merrimack 78-39 on Friday, Nov. 22 in Indianapolis. The Bulldogs have a trio of 14.0+ point per game scorers in Pierre Brooks (16.6), Jahmyl Telfort (15.2) and Patrick McCaffery (14.4). Brooks scored a season-high 23 points last time out against Merrimack.
The Wildcats have not won an MTE championship since the 2012-13 season when it won the South Padre Island Invitational in Texas by defeating TCU 55-31 on Nov. 23, 2012, and Illinois State in overtime 72-69 on Nov. 24, 2012. Under head coach Chris Collins, Northwestern is 11-11 in MTEs.
After its stint in Tempe, the Wildcats will open Big Ten action with a road test at Iowa on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. CT. The game will air on Peacock and WGN Radio 720.
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