Northwestern University Athletics
Wednesday, October 29
Evanston, Ill.
7 p.m. CT
Northwestern
vs
Illinois State (Exhibition)
Northwestern Set to Host Illinois State in Exhibition
10/28/2025 4:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern men's basketball takes the floor in Welsh-Ryan Arena for the first time in the 2025-26 season with an exhibition against Illinois State on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on B1G+ with Adam Beck (play-by-play), Ethan Segall (analyst) and Anna Watson (sideline) on the call and can be heard on WGN Radio 720 with Andy Masur (play-by-play) and Billy McKinney (analyst) describing the action.
The contest marks the Wildcats' second exhibition of the year after playing at No. 16 Iowa State on Sunday, Oct. 25. Northwestern fell to the Cyclones 80-72, as the hosts fended off multiple late comeback attempts by the Wildcats. Senior forward Nick Martinelli led the team in scoring with 20 points.
The Wildcats have reached the NCAA Tournament in two of the past three seasons and have posted a winning record in each of the last three seasons. Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins, the second-winningest coach in program history, has led Northwestern to 38 Big Ten wins over the past four seasons, equaling the four-year stretch from 1930-34 as the most over a four-season period in school history. Last April, Collins inked a multi-year contract extension through 2030.
Martinelli, a 2025-26 Preseason All-Big Ten selection, became the fourth Wildcat to lead the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 20.5 points per game in 2024-25. Martinelli's average marked the highest by a Northwestern player since Evan Eschmeyer (21.7, 1997-98). Martinelli's 676 total points broke the school's single-season scoring record, previously held by John Shurna (661, 2011-12).
The Glenview, Ill., product scored 15+ points in 18 straight games to close the campaign, the longest active streak by a high-major player in the country. Martinelli scored in double figures in 26 straight games, the longest streak by a Northwestern player since at least 2000. He played a league-high 37.7 minutes per game last season and was the first high-major player to post at least 20+ points, 5+ rebounds and 37.5+ minutes per game since Kemba Walker at UConn in 2010-11. Additionally, Martinelli is the fifth-leading returning scorer in all of college basketball this season, and is second among all scorers who are returning to the school they played at in 2024-25, joining Markus Burton (Notre Dame, 21.3 ppg).
The Wildcats return seven players, including several key contributors from last year's squad, in Martinelli, senior Justin Mullins and sophomores Angelo Ciaravino and K.J. Windham. Mullins started the final 10 games of the season for Northwestern. Ciaravino posted a 17-point performance in early January, while Windham notched two 20-point games toward the end of the season. Against Iowa State, Ciaravino played 28 minutes and posted eight points, two steals, and two blocks.
Northwestern welcomes eight newcomers, the program's most since the 2019-20 season (8).The first-year class was ranked as the No. 10 class in the country by 247Sports at the time of its signing, the highest rated class in the modern recruiting era. First-year Tre Singleton is the highest-ranked recruit in program history, and was rated in the Top 100 by 247Sports. Against the Cyclones, Singleton logged 14 points and five rebounds, knocking down all six of his free throw attempts. Cade Bennerman, Phoenix Gill, Tyler Kropp, and Jake West round out the class.
The Wildcats also acquired three transfers in sophomore Max Green and juniors Jayden Reid and Arrinten Page. Green was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 2024-25, posting team highs of 14.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game at Holy Cross. Reid logged 12.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game for USF last season after making the AAC All-Freshman Team in the 2023-24 season. Page, a former top-40 high school recruit, comes to Northwestern after stops at Cincinnati and USC. Green and Page tallied 10 points apiece in Ames this past weekend.
The ties between Northwestern and Illinois State run deep. It is the Alma Mater of Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Doug Collins, the father of Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins. Northwestern Special Assistant to the Head Coach Brian James also graduated from Illinois State in 1977, adding another tie between the two programs.
Northwestern will host its season opener when it welcomes Mercyhurst to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Monday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. CT. The game will air on B1G+ and ESPN 1000 WMVP.
The contest marks the Wildcats' second exhibition of the year after playing at No. 16 Iowa State on Sunday, Oct. 25. Northwestern fell to the Cyclones 80-72, as the hosts fended off multiple late comeback attempts by the Wildcats. Senior forward Nick Martinelli led the team in scoring with 20 points.
The Wildcats have reached the NCAA Tournament in two of the past three seasons and have posted a winning record in each of the last three seasons. Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins, the second-winningest coach in program history, has led Northwestern to 38 Big Ten wins over the past four seasons, equaling the four-year stretch from 1930-34 as the most over a four-season period in school history. Last April, Collins inked a multi-year contract extension through 2030.
Martinelli, a 2025-26 Preseason All-Big Ten selection, became the fourth Wildcat to lead the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 20.5 points per game in 2024-25. Martinelli's average marked the highest by a Northwestern player since Evan Eschmeyer (21.7, 1997-98). Martinelli's 676 total points broke the school's single-season scoring record, previously held by John Shurna (661, 2011-12).
The Glenview, Ill., product scored 15+ points in 18 straight games to close the campaign, the longest active streak by a high-major player in the country. Martinelli scored in double figures in 26 straight games, the longest streak by a Northwestern player since at least 2000. He played a league-high 37.7 minutes per game last season and was the first high-major player to post at least 20+ points, 5+ rebounds and 37.5+ minutes per game since Kemba Walker at UConn in 2010-11. Additionally, Martinelli is the fifth-leading returning scorer in all of college basketball this season, and is second among all scorers who are returning to the school they played at in 2024-25, joining Markus Burton (Notre Dame, 21.3 ppg).
The Wildcats return seven players, including several key contributors from last year's squad, in Martinelli, senior Justin Mullins and sophomores Angelo Ciaravino and K.J. Windham. Mullins started the final 10 games of the season for Northwestern. Ciaravino posted a 17-point performance in early January, while Windham notched two 20-point games toward the end of the season. Against Iowa State, Ciaravino played 28 minutes and posted eight points, two steals, and two blocks.
Northwestern welcomes eight newcomers, the program's most since the 2019-20 season (8).The first-year class was ranked as the No. 10 class in the country by 247Sports at the time of its signing, the highest rated class in the modern recruiting era. First-year Tre Singleton is the highest-ranked recruit in program history, and was rated in the Top 100 by 247Sports. Against the Cyclones, Singleton logged 14 points and five rebounds, knocking down all six of his free throw attempts. Cade Bennerman, Phoenix Gill, Tyler Kropp, and Jake West round out the class.
The Wildcats also acquired three transfers in sophomore Max Green and juniors Jayden Reid and Arrinten Page. Green was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 2024-25, posting team highs of 14.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game at Holy Cross. Reid logged 12.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game for USF last season after making the AAC All-Freshman Team in the 2023-24 season. Page, a former top-40 high school recruit, comes to Northwestern after stops at Cincinnati and USC. Green and Page tallied 10 points apiece in Ames this past weekend.
Illinois State is coming off a 22-14 season, its most wins since 2016-17 (28), in its third season under head coach Ryan Pedon. The Redbirds return 1,786 points from last season, which ranks as the fifth-highest returning total in the NCAA. Illinois State will be the second Division I program that Northwestern faces in an exhibition in Collins' tenure.MAX GREEN BUZZER BEATER ?? pic.twitter.com/rlL6vec4rI
— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) October 26, 2025
The ties between Northwestern and Illinois State run deep. It is the Alma Mater of Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Doug Collins, the father of Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins. Northwestern Special Assistant to the Head Coach Brian James also graduated from Illinois State in 1977, adding another tie between the two programs.
Northwestern will host its season opener when it welcomes Mercyhurst to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Monday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. CT. The game will air on B1G+ and ESPN 1000 WMVP.
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