Northwestern University Athletics
’Cats Lean on Urgency in Big Ten Tournament Opener
3/11/2026 10:58:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CHICAGO — First-year forward Tre Singleton didn't have time to grasp the magnitude of his first career Big Ten Tournament action on Tuesday night in the United Center.
A Jeffersonville, Ind., native, Singleton had long dreamed of reaching this stage. As he stepped onto the floor ahead of the first round's tipoff against Penn State, Singleton swore to himself he'd do whatever it took to help his team advance.
"It's kill or be killed," Singleton said. "We don't have time to be messing around. That's the urgency we're trying to have."
While the first-year said he felt he was pressing too much early, Singleton found another gear in the game's second half. He scored nine second-half points on 4-of-5 shooting and pulled down three rebounds to help the Wildcats turn a two-point halftime advantage into a 76-66 victory.
Amid a typical 24-point scoring display from senior forward Nick Martinelli — the two-time Big Ten scoring champion — Northwestern leaned on contributions across the roster to battle past the Nittany Lions. An innate sense of urgency permeated throughout the locker room.
Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins said players like senior forward Justin Mullins, junior guard Jordan Clayton and first-year forward Tyler Kropp brought a palpable jolt whenever they checked into the contest.
"I just thought Justin, Jordan, Tyler, all of them coming off the bench really gave big contributions in a lot of different areas, not just scoring, but energy," Collins said. "Those guys were great off the bench. It was more about tonight living to see another day. We just wanted to keep playing. Then, you figure things out after that."
Kropp became the first Wildcat first-year in at least 20 seasons to post multiple steals in a Big Ten Tournament game. He finished with six points, six rebounds and three steals.
Kropp recalled his first action in the United Center in late November. The first-year said he's grown leaps and bounds in the months since.
"We're just having fun," Kropp said. "We're playing free, and I think that's the best part. It's just super exciting."
Mullins felt pure elation as he watched his first 3-pointer fall through the hoop. The senior, who has carved out a rotational role in the past three games, knocked down 2-of-3 attempts from long range in the second half.
A player Singleton credited with making a marked impact on the entire team, Mullins has looked to find ways to mentor his younger teammates both on and off the hardwood. Mullins saw those players rise to meet the moment in an elimination scenario.
"In the second half, I definitely felt that sense of urgency," said Mullins, who tallied seven points and three rebounds. "Guys were more aggressive, more hand activity. We turned them over. We were just ready in the second half."
Clayton has continued to find his niche in the rotation during the season's latter half. The Medford, Mass. product has buried at least one shot from beyond the arc in seven of his last eight appearances, knocking down a career-high six threes against Maryland on Feb. 18.
While Clayton sank both of his attempts from the field on Tuesday night, Collins felt as if the junior's output extended far beyond the box score. Clayton said he's pouring his all into ensuring an optimal final chapter for the team's seniors.
"We had just lost a close one to Minnesota, and we knew that we had to fight to stay alive now," Clayton said. "You have to put everything on the line to win the game."
Less than 24 hours after they secured their spot in the second round, the Wildcats will take on 10-seed Indiana on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. inside the United Center.
"We're coming in as the 15 seed — we know we're the underdog," Singleton said. "Everybody's expecting us to just go out there, lay down and get beat. But we don't have that mentality. We're trying to give everybody our best shot."
A Jeffersonville, Ind., native, Singleton had long dreamed of reaching this stage. As he stepped onto the floor ahead of the first round's tipoff against Penn State, Singleton swore to himself he'd do whatever it took to help his team advance.
"It's kill or be killed," Singleton said. "We don't have time to be messing around. That's the urgency we're trying to have."
While the first-year said he felt he was pressing too much early, Singleton found another gear in the game's second half. He scored nine second-half points on 4-of-5 shooting and pulled down three rebounds to help the Wildcats turn a two-point halftime advantage into a 76-66 victory.
Amid a typical 24-point scoring display from senior forward Nick Martinelli — the two-time Big Ten scoring champion — Northwestern leaned on contributions across the roster to battle past the Nittany Lions. An innate sense of urgency permeated throughout the locker room.
Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins said players like senior forward Justin Mullins, junior guard Jordan Clayton and first-year forward Tyler Kropp brought a palpable jolt whenever they checked into the contest.
"I just thought Justin, Jordan, Tyler, all of them coming off the bench really gave big contributions in a lot of different areas, not just scoring, but energy," Collins said. "Those guys were great off the bench. It was more about tonight living to see another day. We just wanted to keep playing. Then, you figure things out after that."
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— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) March 11, 2026
Kropp became the first Wildcat first-year in at least 20 seasons to post multiple steals in a Big Ten Tournament game. He finished with six points, six rebounds and three steals.
Kropp recalled his first action in the United Center in late November. The first-year said he's grown leaps and bounds in the months since.
"We're just having fun," Kropp said. "We're playing free, and I think that's the best part. It's just super exciting."
Mullins felt pure elation as he watched his first 3-pointer fall through the hoop. The senior, who has carved out a rotational role in the past three games, knocked down 2-of-3 attempts from long range in the second half.
A player Singleton credited with making a marked impact on the entire team, Mullins has looked to find ways to mentor his younger teammates both on and off the hardwood. Mullins saw those players rise to meet the moment in an elimination scenario.
"In the second half, I definitely felt that sense of urgency," said Mullins, who tallied seven points and three rebounds. "Guys were more aggressive, more hand activity. We turned them over. We were just ready in the second half."
Clayton has continued to find his niche in the rotation during the season's latter half. The Medford, Mass. product has buried at least one shot from beyond the arc in seven of his last eight appearances, knocking down a career-high six threes against Maryland on Feb. 18.
While Clayton sank both of his attempts from the field on Tuesday night, Collins felt as if the junior's output extended far beyond the box score. Clayton said he's pouring his all into ensuring an optimal final chapter for the team's seniors.
"We had just lost a close one to Minnesota, and we knew that we had to fight to stay alive now," Clayton said. "You have to put everything on the line to win the game."
Less than 24 hours after they secured their spot in the second round, the Wildcats will take on 10-seed Indiana on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. inside the United Center.
"We're coming in as the 15 seed — we know we're the underdog," Singleton said. "Everybody's expecting us to just go out there, lay down and get beat. But we don't have that mentality. We're trying to give everybody our best shot."
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