Maryland Men's Basketball At. Northwestern Preview
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The Maryland men's basketball team is at Northwestern tomorrow evening for a Big Ten showdown on the heels of its second game of a back-to-back road trip.
Maryland (10-15, 3-11 Big Ten) suffered a tough 68-57 loss to Rutgers on Sunday afternoon in a defensive grudge match. The Terps were on a two-game winning streak entering the matchup, their best stretch since the beginning of the season
Now, they turn to a Northwestern (10-16, 2-13 Big Ten) squad that has had a similar 2025-26 season, marked by inconsistent play and results.
Let's dive into the matchup....
How to Watch
- Date: Wednesday, February 17th, 2026
- Where: Welsh Ryan Arena at Evanston, Illinois
- Tipoff: 8 p.m. ET & 7 p.m. CT
- TV: Big Ten Network
- Radio: Maryland Sports Network
Northwestern Key Team Stats
- Record: 10-16 (2-13 Big Ten)
- Head Coach: Chris Collins
- Leading Scorer: Nick Martinelli- 22.1 points per game
- Leading Rebounder: Nick Martinelli- 6.4 rebounds per game
- Leader in Assists: Jayden Reid- 4.9 assists per game
- Team Free Throw %: 74.9 % (T83rd Nationally)
- Team Assists: 17.1 assists (T35th Nationally)
- Turnovers Per Contest: 8.2 turnovers (Third Best in the country)
Northwestern is favored by 7.5 points at home according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Players To Watch
Northwestern forward Nick Martinelli
The 20+ point per game Wildcat forward has been a constant bright spot for the struggling team night in and out. He's been a three-way dynamic scorer who's been highly effective in the paint and from the mid-range. He is also able to expand his range beyond the arc on the three-point line, where he's shooting a career-high 43% on 3.2 attempts per game. Martinelli will be a tough challenge to slow down and will also force his hand getting to the free-throw line.
Maryland forward Solomon Washington
Washington is the energy bringer for the Terps every night. Washington is constantly active on the glass, crashing boards, contesting shots, staying active in the defensive lanes, and bringing the physical intensity from the get-go. He's coming off an 11-point, 14-rebound double-double and will look to build off that.
History vs. Northwestern
The Terps lead the overall head-to-head series against the Wildcats, 13-7. Maryland won last season's matchup at College Park, which was the season finale for the dubbed group "The Crab Five", who each finished in double-digits in that contest. The Terps are 6-4 as visitors against the Wildcats and last won in 2022.
Final Verdict
Maryland will need to come out with a victory against a team that is below them in the Big Ten conference standings. The Terps have a favorable schedule to end the season and will need to start by winning tomorrow's contest to stay ahead of the bottom three teams heading into the Big Ten Tournament next month.
The Terps' starting five has to be more efficient offensively and use the high defensive energy they showed against Rutgers to get them out in transition and into favorable shot looks tomorrow.
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Jaden's sports journalism career began at the College of Southern Maryland from 2022-2023, where he was brought in to cover baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at CSM. In late 2023, he began interning at the University of Maryland Athletics Department as a contributing writer to help develop feature stories and game recaps. He also creates his own sports media content on professional Washington teams with LegacyMaker Sports Network.