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Welcome to “Big Ten offseason at a glance,” a team-by-team look at the conference at the start of the summer. We’ll examine roster movement for each Big Ten roster and give an early outlook for each Big Ten program for the 2025-26 season.
Previously: Rutgers, Penn State, Minnesota
Today: Northwestern (17-16 overall in 2024-25, 7-13 in Big Ten play)
Chris Collins’ Wildcats had a mediocre 2024-25 season with subpar Big Ten play. Still, it’s hard to say if that trajectory would have been any different if All-Big Ten star Brooks Barnheizer hadn’t gone down with several injuries, ending his season prematurely.
Northwestern was 12-10 overall and 3-7 in conference play at the time of his last game and he was a shell of himself with a foot injury.
Northwestern roster movement
Players returning with eligibility: Nick Martinelli, K.J. Windham, Justin Mullins, Jordan Clayton, Angelo Ciaravino, Blake Smith (walk-on)
Players departing due to exhausted eligibility: Brooks Barnheizer, Matthew Nicholson, Ty Berry, Jalen Leach, Keenan Fitzmorris
Players who departed via transfer portal: Luke Hunger (to George Washington), Blake Barkley (to ETSU)
Players arriving via transfer portal: Jayden Reid (from South Florida), Max Green (from Holy Cross), Arrinten Page (from Cincinnati)
Players arriving from high school: Tre Singleton (247sports Composite top 80), Jake West, Tyler Kropp, Cade Bennerman, Phoenix Gill
Sometimes the best gets are the ones you already have and that’s true for Northwestern bringing back last year’s Big Ten leading scorer in Nick Martinelli. Alongside him and five other returnees, Chris Collins is bringing in a 247Sports Composite top 25 recruiting class and a decent three-man transfer class. Arrinten Page, a 247Sports Composite top 50 recruit in 2023, headlines those incoming transfers.
What to like about Northwestern
To no surprise, Collins tactfully put together this roster. The Wildcats’ 49.7 percent of returning minutes is the third-highest in the Big Ten and their three transfer portal additions all address needs and could all be starters.
Northwestern appears to have a good balance of player archetypes with solid depth – not that the talent stands out, but Collins brings out the best in many of its players. Multiple players, such as Martinelli and Singleton, can play in multiple positions, allowing the Wildcats to try a variety of lineups.
And, of course, Martinelli is a stud. Fresh off 20.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game at a high usage, the 6-foot-7 forward will be one of the conference’s top returnees.
What to question with Northwestern
As referenced, Collins is the kind of coach who can do a lot with a little, but that can only get you so far. While the returning minutes percentage is high, outside of Martinelli, the other five returnees are limited role players.
So, the talent isn’t all there compared to the rest of the Big Ten. Ranking 15th in the conference in Bart Torvik’s projected effective talent, the Wildcats will heavily rely on coaching and systemic success.
Also, a key to Northwestern’s recent success under Collins has been a high rate of retention, which has enabled the Wildcats to build chemistry as a collective. This upcoming year, only three players on scholarship will have been part of the program for more than one year. Collins will need to quickly acclimate his eight newcomers.
Northwestern’s outlook for the 2025-26 season
Here’s the Northwestern Big Ten schedule for next season:
Home: Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Washington
Away: Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska
Northwestern ranks 15th in the Big Ten and inside the top 70 of Bart Torvik’s preseason projections. The overall ranking seems fairly accurate, but it’s hard to get a sense of where these Wildcats will fall in the Big Ten.
This team can certainly be competitive – it’s hard to count any Collins group out with the work he’s done in Evanston – but the Big Ten is also shaping up to have a lot of team depth. Northwestern’s schedule isn’t too daunting and how quickly this roster can gel could be the determinate of a successful season or not.
Category: Commentary
Filed to: 2025-26 Big Ten preview, Northwestern Wildcats
