Projecting the Northwestern Wildcats' Basketball Squad for the 2025-26 Season
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Following a third consecutive winning season, Northwestern's lineup will look very different in the fall. The Wildcats are expected to return Big Ten leading scorer Nick Martinelli, pending his withdrawal from the NBA Draft, and have several young players that could take a major leap.
In addition to the seven carryovers from last year's squad, head coach Chris Collins signed a five-man class of incoming freshmen that ranks No. 21 in the nation and three players from the transfer portal. With longtime players like Brooks Barnhizer, Ty Berry and Matthew Nicholson all graduating, these newcomers will have the opportunity very early on to earn a spot in the team's rotation.
Projected Starting Five
Northwestern is losing four of its five starters from the 2024-25 team, leaving Martinelli as the lone shoo-in for a starting role in the fall. One of 6-foot-11 Cincinnati transfer Arrinten Page and 6-foot-11 freshman Cade Bennerman will likely take the starting center spot, and given the gap in experience, I'd expect Page to earn the nod to start the year.
Page's production in two years at Cincinnati and USC hasn't matched his top-40 high school recruit pedigree, but Collins has primarily utilized centers for screening and defensive purposes in recent years anyway, rather than scoring. The Wildcat coach could view Page as a scheme fit who merely needs to focus on complementing the rest of the lineup.
Every other candidate to earn significant playing time is smaller than Martinelli, Page and Bennerman, leaving a dogfight to receive minutes at the wing and guard positions. Returners K.J. Windham, Jordan Clayton and Justin Mullins will be the frontrunners to start, but South Florida transfer Jayden Reid and Holy Cross transfer Max Green could immediately challenge for spots in the team's first five.
Windham, a budding star who averaged 11.6 points over the final nine games of his freshman season, will likely take the ball up the court as Northwestern's starting point guard. His downhill speed and three-point shooting are essential traits to place around Martinelli, and while Clayton had some of his best games down the stretch last season, I'd expect Collins to use Clayton's steadiness to lead the second unit, barring a scoring breakthrough.
As an undersized guard who excels at catch-and-shoot threes, Reid could slot in beside Windham to form a talented backcourt that can score at will. That would leave one remaining starting spot between Green and Mullins. Green is incredibly versatile and could impact the Wildcats very early on, but given Mullins' experience and defensive acumen, the senior wing will probably start the year for Northwestern on the wing.
Projected Rotation Players
After dealing with several injuries and depth issues the last two seasons, Northwestern could have a number of players vying for essential minutes. The aforementioned starting five of Windham, Reid, Mullins, Martinelli and Page would drop Clayton, Green and Bennerman to the second unit, and there project to be several players who can compete to be a part of the team's rotation.
Tre Singleton, Northwestern's top-rated signee in program history and the No. 87 recruit nationally, could provide some size to the lineup at 6-foot-8 and 215 pounds. It's unlikely that Martinelli will come off the floor very often in the later parts of the season, but Singleton can replicate some of Martinelli's paint scoring abilities when the All-Big Ten forward needs rest and develop behind one of the most talented scorers in the conference.
Sophomore Angelo Ciaravino and incoming freshman Jake West will also challenge for rotation minutes as players who can provide a spark to the team in a pinch. Ciaravino's 6-foot-6 frame resulted in him seeing action in 31 games last season as a wing defender, while West's ball-handling abilities could earn him playing time if the 'Cats struggle offensively.
Projected Reserve Players
Three-star recruits Tyler Kropp (6-foot-7 forward) and Phoenix Gill (6-foot-2 guard) will likely utilize their redshirt seasons with a logjam in front of them at their respective positions. Gill is the son of former 15-year NBA veteran Kendall Gill.
Blake Smith earned quality minutes after Northwestern's 2023-24 NCAA Tournament team was struck with injuries, but averaged just 3.2 minutes in 18 games last season. Forward Gus Hurlburt has played eight minutes in his three-year Wildcat career.
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Gavin Dorsey is the Lead Writer for Northwestern Wildcats On SI and covers a handful of other teams in the On SI network. Before joining On SI in February 2025, he wrote for the Star Tribune and Inside NU while broadcasting college sports for both radio and television. Dorsey is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, where he also studied psychology. In his free time, he enjoys running and being outdoors. Dorsey is currently a freelance writer for the Associated Press, covering Chicago area sports teams.
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