Northwestern Opens Big Ten Tournament Tuesday against Penn State

Tuesday, March 10

Chicago, Ill.

Approximately 6:30 p.m. CT

Northwestern

Penn State

Northwestern Opens Big Ten Tournament Tuesday against Penn State

3/9/2026 6:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Big Ten Tournament Central

By: Charlie Spungin, NUSports.com

CHICAGO — Northwestern men's basketball enters the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 15 seed and will face No. 18-seed Penn State on Tuesday, March 10, inside the United Center. The game will begin at approximately 6:30 p.m. CT and will air on Peacock with Paul Burmeister (play-by-play), Robbie Hummel (analyst), and Nicole Auerbach (sidelines) on the call, and it can be heard on WGN Radio 720 with Dave Eanet (play-by-play) and Billy McKinney (analyst).

Last time out (March 9), senior forward Nick Martinelli set the program's single-season scoring record, totaling 682 points, as the Wildcats (13-18, 5-15 Big Ten) nearly surmounted a comeback but fell to Minnesota, 67-66, inside Williams Arena. Martinelli posted 23 points and nine rebounds, while first-year Jake West recorded 14 points with 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc and four assists. Joining Martinelli and West in double figures, first-year forward Tre Singleton turned in 10 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Northwestern forced the Golden Gophers into 11 turnovers.

This season, Martinelli leads the Big Ten and ranks seventh nationally in scoring, averaging 22.7 points per game, while converting 50.1% of his field goal attempts (6th in Big Ten). The Glenview, Ill., native is pulling down 6.2 rebounds per game (17th). Martinelli has 23 games with 20+ points this season, which leads the conference and ranks second nationally, trailing only AJ Dybantsa (BYU). Martinelli's 22.7 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). The league's leading scorer last season, Martinelli is the first Northwestern player to average 20+ points per game in back-to-back campaigns since Jim Burns (1965-66, 1966-67).

Martinelli became the first Big Ten player to score 20+ points against all 17 conference opponents in a career.
Martinelli is just the sixth player in the Big Ten to lead the league in scoring in back-to-back seasons since 1990: Zach Edey (Purdue, 2023-24), Luka Garza (Iowa, 2020-21), Evan Turner (Ohio State, 2009-10), Glenn Robinson (Purdue, 1993-94), and Steve Smith (Michigan State, 1990-91). The five other players to accomplish the feat were named either National Player of the Year or a First-Team All-American.
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 72 times in his career, including 55 of his last 57 games, and has posted 20+ points 43 times, trailing only John Shurna (2008-12, 45).
Martinelli's 23 games with 20+ points this season are the most such games by a Wildcat in a single season since at least 2004.
Martinelli has 12 games with 25+ points this season, the most such games in a single season by a Northwestern player since at least 2004.
Martinelli has 22 career games with 25+ points, the most such games by a Wildcat in a career since 2004. Martinelli's 22 career 25-point games are the most of any active Big Ten player.
Martinelli has 1,710 career points, which ranks sixth in Northwestern program history.
Martinelli has 682 points this season, which is the most in Northwestern single-season history.
Martinelli has 634 career field goals made, which ranks fifth in Northwestern program history.
Martinelli has 238 field goals made this season, which ranks second in Northwestern single-season history. He is 14 field goals away from passing himself last season to move into first place.
Over the last two seasons, Martinelli has scored 1,358 points, which ranks second nationally and is the most by a forward.
Last season, Martinelli set program records in single-season points (676) and field goals made (251).

The Wildcats have continued to share the ball without turning it over, as their 1.98 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks second in the nation. Northwestern is averaging the nation's second-fewest turnovers (8.6) while ranking 33rd in the country with 17.0 assists per game. The Wildcats have scored 75 or more points in 15 games this season, their most in a single season since 1993-94 (16).

The Wildcats' 8.6 turnovers per game are a program record.
Northwestern's 17.0 assists per game rank second in program history, trailing only 1993-94 (17.8). The Wildcats have 528 assists on the season, the fifth-highest mark in program history.
The Wildcats' +2.9 turnover margin ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 38th nationally.
Northwestern has 25 games with 10 or fewer turnovers this season, which is the most such games in the nation among high-major teams. The Wildcats have turned the ball over 10 or fewer times in 16 of their last 20 games.
Northwestern is forcing opponents to turn the ball over 11.5 times per game, which ranks sixth in the conference. The Wildcats have forced 10+ turnovers in nine of their last 11 games.
Northwestern has upped its pace this season, averaging 11.3 fast break points per game — ranking third in the Big Ten.
The Wildcats are averaging 20.2 bench points per game, the seventh-most in the Big Ten.
Northwestern ranks seventh in the conference with 3.9 blocks per game. That mark is tied for the fifth-most in program history.

Northwestern's first-years have come to the forefront as the season has continued. Singleton has the second-most starts on the team with 28, which are the most starts by a Wildcat first-year since 2019-20 when Ryan Young tallied 31, and the fifth-most starts by a first-year in the Collins era. He is averaging 7.7 points (12th among Big Ten first-years), 4.9 rebounds (T-4th), and 1.5 assists (T-10th) per game. West has started his last 14 games, and over his last 10 games, he is averaging 8.0 points and 4.3 assists per game. First-year forward Tyler Kropp has started 10 games for the team, as the Wildcats have had three first-years start 10+ games for the first time since the 2019-20 season and for the third time under Collins.

Singleton's 7.7 points per game are the most by a Northwestern first-year since the 2019-20 season (Boo Buie: 10.3, Ryan Young: 9.0). His 7.6 points per game rank as the fifth-most by a Wildcat first-year under Collins.
West's 2.8 assists per game on the season ranks fourth among Big Ten first-years, and are the most by a Northwestern first-year since Bryant McIntosh averaged 4.7 in 2014-15.

Junior guard Jayden Reid has logged 9.7 points and 4.7 assists per game (5th in Big Ten), while junior forward Arrinten Page has recorded 10.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game (12th in Big Ten) on 54.6% shooting. Sophomore guard Angelo Ciaravino has tabbed career-highs across the board with 6.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game on 52.0% shooting. In Northwestern's five Big Ten wins this season, Ciaravino has logged 10.0 points per game, the second-most among Wildcats players in those victories.
The Wildcats have won three games in a four-game span against the Nittany Lions (12-19, 3-17 Big Ten) for the first time since 2012-13 and are looking to win four games in a five-game span for the first time since 2002-04. Northwestern has matched up with Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament five previous times, with the Nittany Lions holding a 3-2 advantage. The Wildcats are eyeing their first win over Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament since March 11, 2004, a 57-52 victory in the first round.

When the Wildcats faced the Nittany Lions earlier this season (Jan. 29), Northwestern won 94-73 inside Welsh-Ryan Arena, as the Wildcats notched their largest margin of victory in Big Ten play this season. Martinelli tied his career-high with 34 points, draining 13-of-19 attempts from the field and 4-of-7 shots from 3-point distance. Singleton tied his career-high of 17 points, while adding an impressive career-high mark of 18 rebounds, the most by a Wildcat since Dererk Pardon had 18 against American on Nov. 12, 2018. West logged seven points with 13 assists, which is tied for the third-most in a game in program history and the most by a first-year, while Ciaravino posted a career-high 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Northwestern scored 90+ points in regulation in Big Ten play for the first time since Feb. 27, 2016, when it scored 98 points against Rutgers.

Penn State enters the contest on a two-game losing streak, falling to Ohio State, 94-62, and Rutgers, 72-64. The Nittany Lions force 12.1 turnovers per game, ranking third in the Big Ten, and tally 7.1 steals per game, also the third-most in the conference. Penn State's +1.7 turnover margin ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 78th nationally. Freddie Dilione V leads the team with 14.0 points per game, while Kayden Mingo registers 13.7 points, 4.3 assists (10th in Big Ten), and 2.1 steals (2nd) per game.

The Nittany Lions rank fourth in the Big Ten with 22.3 bench points per game.
The Nittany Lions shoot 46.7% from the floor, the eighth-best mark in the Big Ten.
Josh Reed joins Dilione and Mingo in double figures, averaging 11.4 points per game.

The winner will move on to face No. 10-seed Indiana on Wednesday, March 11. Tipoff from United Center is slated for 5:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network and WGN Radio 720.