Wildcats Travel to Iowa for Sunday Afternoon Tilt

Sunday, February 8

Iowa City, Iowa

2 p.m. CT

Northwestern

Iowa

Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics

Wildcats Travel to Iowa for Sunday Afternoon Tilt

2/7/2026 12:40:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Charlie Spungin, NUSports.com

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Northwestern men's basketball closes out a stretch of four road contests over a six-game span by traveling to face Iowa on Sunday, Feb. 8, at 2 p.m. CT. The game will air on FS1 with Noah Reed (play-by-play) and Steve Prohm (analyst) on the call, and it can be heard on WGN Radio 720 and SiriusXM Channel 384 with Dave Eanet (play-by-play) and Billy McKinney (analyst).

This season, senior forward Nick Martinelli leads the Big Ten and ranks sixth nationally in scoring, averaging 22.8 points per game, while converting 53.5% of his field goal attempts (7th in Big Ten). The Glenview., Ill. native is pulling down 6.5 rebounds per game (15th). He is shooting 46.2% from 3-point distance, the 32nd-best mark nationally, per KenPom. Martinelli has 17 games with 20+ points this season, which leads high-major players nationally. Martinelli's 22.8 points per game would rank fifth in program history, trailing Dale Kelley in 1969-70 (24.3), Frank Ehmann in 1954-55 (23.9), Rich Falk in 1963-64 (23.3), and Joe Ruklick in 1958-59 (23.0). Martinelli would be the first Northwestern player to average 20+ points per game in back-to-back campaigns since Jim Burns (1965-66, 1966-67). Over the last two seasons, Martinelli has scored 1,178 points, which ranks second nationally and is the most by a forward.

Martinelli joins Zach Edey (2022-23, 2023-24), Keegan Murray (2020-21), and Luka Garza (2019-20, 2020-21) as the only Big Ten players in the past 30 years to average 22+ points per game and 6+ rebounds per game.
Martinelli had a 12-game streak of 20+ points from Dec. 6, 2025-Jan. 29, 2026. It was the third-longest streak by a Big Ten player since 1996-97, behind Iowa's Luka Garza (2020, 19) and Purdue's Zach Edey (2024, 16). It was also tied for the eighth-longest streak by a high-major player since 1996-97.
Martinelli has scored in double-figures 64 times in his career and posted 20+ points 37 times, which ranks third at Northwestern since 2004, trailing only John Shurna (2008-12, 45) and Boo Buie (2019-2024, 41).
Martinelli has five career 30+ point games, tied for the most among active Big Ten players.
Martinelli has 1,530 career points, which ranks 12th in Northwestern program history. He needs four points to pass Cedric Neloms (1991-95) to move into 11th place.
Last season, Martinelli set program records in single-season points (676) and field goals made (251).

Last time out (Feb. 4), the Wildcats (10-13, 2-10 Big Ten) fell to No. 5 Illinois, 84-44. The game featured Northwestern's 10th unique starting lineup of the season, its most in a year since the 2018-19 season (10).
The Wildcats have continued to share the ball without turning it over, as their 2.15 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks second in the nation and would be the second-highest mark in Division I history. Northwestern is averaging the nation's fewest turnovers (8.2), while ranking 26th in the country with 17.7 assists per game. The Wildcats' offense is producing 75.2 points per game, its most since 1989-90 (78.2).

Northwestern's 8.2 turnovers per game is a program record.
Northwestern's 17.7 assists rank second in program history, trailing only 1993-94 (17.8).
The Wildcats' +2.7 turnover margin ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 50th nationally.
The Wildcats have upped their pace this season, averaging 12.3 fast break points per game — ranking third in the Big Ten.
Northwestern has played seven games decided by five points or fewer, which is tied for the second most in the Big Ten. Over the past four seasons, the Wildcats have played 42 such games, which is also tied for the conference's most and ranks tied for 27th nationally.

Junior guard Jayden Reid has averaged 10.3 points and 5.2 assists per game (5th in Big Ten). His 5.2 assists per game would rank tied for fourth in program history, trailing only Bryant McIntosh in 2015-16 (6.7) and Pat Baldwin in 1992-93 (5.4) and 1993-94 (5.3).

First-year forward Tre Singleton has 20 starts this season, the most by a Northwestern first-year since 2019-20 when Ryan Young tallied 31, and is averaging 8.1 points (12th among Big Ten first-years), 5.1 rebounds (T-3rd), and 1.5 assists (T-8th) per game. His 8.1 points per game are the most by a Wildcat first-year since the 2019-20 season (Boo Buie: 10.3, Ryan Young: 9.0).
First-year guard Jake West has started the last seven games for the Wildcats. Over his last eight games, he is averaging 5.5 points and 4.3 assists per game. His 2.5 assists per game on the season ranks fifth among Big Ten first-years.
Sophomore guard Angelo Ciaravino is averaging career-highs across the board with 6.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game on 52.2% shooting.

In its matchup with the Hawkeyes (17-5, 7-4 Big Ten), Northwestern will look for its first victory in Iowa City since March 3, 2012. The Wildcats are also aiming for consecutive wins over Iowa for the first time since 2014-15. The teams have split the last four meetings, while also splitting last season's matchups.

Last time out against the Hawkeyes (Feb. 28, 2025), Northwestern won 68-57 inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. Then-first-year K.J. Windham tied his career-high with 20 points, while pulling down a career-high five rebounds. Martinelli registered 16 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, while then-junior Justin Mullins posted 10 points, knocking down 2-of-4 treys.

Iowa has won five consecutive games entering this contest, its first time winning five straight Big Ten games since the 2021-22 season. The team's 17-5 record is its best start through 22 games since the 2018-19 season. The Hawkeyes hold opponents to 63.5 points per game, the best mark in the Big Ten and eighth-best mark nationally. Bennett Stirtz leads the team averaging 19.2 points and 5.0 assists per game, both of which rank sixth in the conference.

Iowa's +14.7 scoring margin is third in the Big Ten and 19th nationally.
The Hawkeyes' 51.2% field goal percentage ranks second in the Big Ten and ninth nationally.
Iowa shoots 38.1% from beyond the arc, ranking third in the conference and 21st nationally.
The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten and rank 14th in the country in turnover margin (+4.1).
Iowa leads the Big Ten in turnovers forced per game (14.1) and steals per game (7.7). Stirtz is averaging 1.5 steals per game, ranking fifth in the Big Ten.
The Hawkeyes' 1.58 assist-to-turnover ratio is eighth-best in the Big Ten and 34th-best in America.
Iowa's 28.7 bench points per game is the conference's third-best mark and the nation's 56th-best.

Northwestern returns home on Wednesday, Feb. 11, to host No. 2 Michigan. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network and WGN Radio 720.