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First Look at Illinois Basketball's Game 17 Opponent: Northwestern Wildcats

The Illini (13-3) need to disregard that the Wildcats (8-8) are winless in the Big Ten and beware the recent horrors of Welsh-Ryan Arena
Pranav Hegde|
Jan 11, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Chris Collins reacts after a call during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Jan 11, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Chris Collins reacts after a call during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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Illinois Fighting IlliniNorthwestern Wildcats

Illinois men's basketball (13-3, 4-1 Big Ten) is back on the road again, and this time the bus heads north to Evanston – where logic, momentum and recent form have a tendency to get a little wobbly. The Illini are riding a five-game winning streak and coming off a road win at Iowa that was far from pretty and very Big Ten. It wasn’t Illinois at its best, but it was the Illini at their toughest, and sometimes that’s all that matters when you’re trying to survive a road trip in this league.

Now comes Northwestern (8-8, 0-5 Big Ten), a team that on paper shouldn’t pose a threat but somehow always turns Welsh-Ryan Arena into a weird house of horrors for Illinois. The Wildcats don’t overwhelm with talent or style – they just hang around, muck things up and dare the Illini to beat them in a building where things never seem to go smoothly. Illinois has been the better team plenty of times in this matchup, and it hasn’t always mattered.

So while the Illini enter with momentum and confidence, this matchup still comes with a familiar warning label. Illinois doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be ready for another uncomfortable night, another grind and another chance to prove that this version of the Illini have the resilience to overcome some traditionally unfriendly confines.

Northwestern at a glance

Chris Collins is now in his 13th season as coach at Northwestern, and there’s no question he has reshaped the program’s history. Before Collins' arrival, Northwestern had never reached the NCAA Tournament. Under his watch, the Wildcats have made three March Madness appearances, cementing what is easily the most successful era of basketball the program has ever known.

That success, however, hasn’t translated into consistent Big Ten contention. Northwestern missed the NCAA Tournament last season and entered this year picked 15th in the preseason conference poll. So far, those expectations have held. The Wildcats check in at .500 overall, with just two wins over Power 5 conference opponents, and remain winless in Big Ten play at 0-5.

The Wildcats on the court

Key players

Northwestern has featured its share of big-time scorers over the years, but few have matched the combination of volume and efficiency demonstrated by Nick Martinelli. The senior forward is in the midst of one of the most prolific scoring seasons in the country, averaging 24.1 points per game – currently the highest mark in the nation.

He’s not a one-trick scorer either. Martinelli gets buckets however they’re available, whether they come from cleaning up on the glass, attacking off the bounce for layups or stepping out and knocking down threes at better than a 50 percent clip. Simply put, he’s a monster matchup problem and the premier scorer in the Big Ten.

Although Martinelli is clearly the headliner, he isn’t doing it all alone. Junior forward Arrinten Page and junior guard Jayden Reid are also scoring in double figures and provide important secondary production. Neither carries Martinelli’s usage or national profile, but together they give Northwestern enough offensive support to punish teams that overcommit to stopping its star forward.

Offense

Northwestern’s offense is fairly straightforward in both structure and intent. The Wildcats typically space four players around the perimeter with one big stationed on the block, keeping the floor clean and the reads simple. A large portion of their half-court action revolves around ball screens, with Martinelli frequently serving as the screener. That design slings him into space, where he’s asked to make decisions – roll to the rim, pop out for a jumper or create off the bounce if the defense is late.

Everything on offense flows through Martinelli. He has the ball in his hands often and is relied upon to generate advantages whether the Wildcats are in the halfcourt or attacking early. When Northwestern goes inside, Page is usually the player occupying the block. He gives the Wildcats a vertical element as a lob threat and can finish plays around the rim, making him a useful secondary option when defenses load up on Martinelli.

Around that duo, Northwestern is comfortable letting it fly from the perimeter. The Wildcats space the floor with shooters and aren’t shy about taking threes in volume, especially when defenses collapse to contain the roll game. Still, for all the spacing and shot attempts, the math is simple: most of Northwestern’s offense ultimately comes back to Martinelli. Slow him down, and the Wildcats are forced to find answers elsewhere – usually to no avail.

Defense

Northwestern relies primarily on man-to-man coverage, but that approach comes with some built-in vulnerabilities. When the ball is driven into the short corner, the Wildcats tend to over-help, collapsing multiple defenders toward the paint. That heavy load-up opens the door for kick-out threes and cutters knifing to the rim.

Rotations have been an issue as well. A couple of crisp ball reversals are often enough to stretch Northwestern’s defense beyond its breaking point, leading to open perimeter shots before help can recover. When teams stay patient and force multiple defensive decisions in the same possession, the Wildcats can be slow to reset.

Size is another factor working against them. Northwestern’s tallest starter checks in at 6-foot-11 – a measurement that sounds imposing until you remember it’s the Big Ten, where that’s closer to average than dominant. That lack of elite size shows up around the rim and has made consistent paint protection a challenge. As conference play wears on, those issues are likely to be tested repeatedly, especially against teams that can attack downhill or punish help with spacing.

Illinois vs. Northwestern matchup

Illinois has been cruising since the calendar flipped to 2026, stacking Big Ten wins and dazzling the metrics models as the Illini inch upward in KenPom and Torvik. All of that is nice. And it also becomes immediately meaningless the moment the bus pulls into Evanston. A rivalry road game has a funny way of ignoring trends, data and vibes – especially in a building where Illinois hasn’t exactly enjoyed recent visits.

The Illini have dropped their last three trips to Northwestern, with the most recent two extending into overtime (just to maximize the pain). It hasn’t mattered who was better, who was hotter or who had momentum. Welsh-Ryan Arena has simply refused to cooperate. That’s why this one is simple for coach Brad Underwood and company: style points are irrelevant. This isn’t about efficiency margins, shooting percentages or climbing spreadsheets. It’s about finding a way to win and getting back on the bus without regrets.

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Pranav Hegde
PRANAV HEGDE

Primarily covers Illinois football, basketball and golf, with an emphasis on news, analysis and features. Hegde, an electrical engineering student at Illinois with an affinity for sports writing, has been writing for On SI since April 2025. He can be followed and reached on Instagram @pranavhegde__.

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