5 Things to Know About Purdue's Next Opponent — Northwestern Wildcats
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We're nearing the end of college basketball's regular season. Purdue has just two games remaining, playing its final road contest of the year on Wednesday with a trip to Evanston. The Boilermakers will try to bounce back from two consecutive losses, but it won't be easy against a feisty Northwestern squad.
Chris Collins' team has given Purdue trouble in Evanston the past few seasons. The Wildcats have won two straight against the Boilermakers at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Purdue will be looking to end that skid and put another tally in the win column Wednesday night.
Here are a few things to know about Northwestern ahead of Wednesday night's clash.
Martinelli among the best scorers in the country
Nick Martinelli has been one of the top scorers in the country all season long. The 6-foot-7 senior is averaging 22.5 points per game, the best mark in the Big Ten and seventh in the country. What's been most impressive is his efficiency, shooting at a 50.2% clip from the floor and 42.2% from three-point range.
Martinelli is a tough player to defend at every level. He can work the basketball down in the post, create his own shot off the bounce and drive to the hoop. Even when teams focus on him defensively, he continues to find ways to score.
The senior has scored 22 points or more in each of his last three games and has only been held to single digits twice this season.
A low-turnover team
You might expect a team with a sub-.500 record to be a turnover machine. That really hasn't been the case for Collins' team this year. The Wildcats are averaging just 8.7 turnovers per game on the year. It's the second-best average college basketball.
Northwestern doesn't shoot a great percentage from the floor, but it does get shots up when it has the basketball. It doesn't allow teams to get out in transition, forcing opponents to score through half-court offense.
Worst on the glass in the Big Ten
One of the reasons why Northwestern's season has gone sideways is its inability to rebound. The Wildcats pull down just 31.6 rebounds per game and are minus-4.1 on the glass, worst in the Big Ten. It's also the second-worst differential at the high-major level (Marquette).
Northwestern really has three impactful rebounders. Martinelli leads the charge at 6.3 rebounds per game, Tre Singleton averages 4.9 and Arrinten Page grabs 4.5 boards per contest. There really isn't an elite rebounder on the court at any time for the Wildcats.
What has been a particular Achilles heel is ending possessions with a defensive rebound. Opponents are averaging nearly 12 offensive boards per game, leading to plenty of second-chance opportunities.
Reid can go off on any given night
Jayden Reid might be the biggest X-factor on Wednesday night for Northwestern. He's been a quality player this season, averaging 9.9 points and 4.9 assists per game. The junior has also been inconsistent throughout the year.
In a 79-68 loss to Illinois in mid-January, he dropped 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Reid has scored 20 points or more in three games, but has also been held to just two points in two of Northwestern's last three games.
Reid isn't afraid to shoot the basketball at a high volume. If he's able to get into a rhythm, he can be a true difference maker.
Winners of three straight games
Northwestern carries records of 13-16 and 5-13 in the Big Ten into Wednesday night's game against Purdue. But this is a team that is playing confidently rigth now, having won three straight. The Wildcats have recorded wins over Maryland, Indiana and Oregon to climb up a few spots in the conference standings.
That's not exactly the most difficult three-game stretch, but getting those three wins provides the Wildcats with some momentum as the season winds down. It is only the second time this season Northwestern has had a winning streak beyond two games, with the other coming when it started 4-0 to open the year.
Right now, Northwestern is playing with the most confidence it has had all season.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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