How to Watch No. 15 Purdue vs. Northwestern With TV Info, Key Stats & Preview
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The final week of college basketball's regular season has arrived. On Wednesday night, No. 15 Purdue travels to Evanston to play Northwestern.
The Boilermakers are looking to respond after dropping back-to-back games, while the Wildcats enter the matchup having won three straight. These two teams have had some tough battles in recent years, which adds to the intrigue for Wednesday night's Big Ten clash.
Here's everything you need to know about the matchup between Purdue and Northwestern.
#15 Purdue (22-7, 12-6) vs. Northwestern (13-16, 5-13)
- What: Big Ten Conference game
- Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2026
- Tipoff time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill. (7,039 capacity)
- TV: Big Ten Network
- App: FOX Sports
- Announcers: Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), Jordan Taylor (analyst), Andy Katz (reporter)
- Radio: Purdue Global Radio Network — WAZY 96.5 FM (Lafayette); WKJG 100.9 FM (Fort Wayne); WNDE 1260 AM (Indianapolis); WGBF 1280 (Evansville); Sirius XM Ch. 81.
- Radio announcers: Rob Blackman (play-by-play), Bobby Riddell (analyst), Wes Scott (producer).
- Live stats: Northwestern.StatBroadcast.com
- All-time series: Purdue leads the series vs. Northwestern 136-48
- ESPN Matchup Predictor: Purdue has a 79.5% chance to defeat Northwestern
Rankings
Purdue Boilermakers
- Associated Press — Purdue is ranked No. 15
- Coaches — Purdue is ranked No. 14
- KenPom — Purdue is ranked No. 7
- NCAA NET — Purdue is ranked No. 9
Northwestern Wildcats
- Associated Press — Northwestern is not ranked
- Coaches — Northwestern is not ranked
- KenPom — Northwestern is ranked No. 68
- NCAA NET — Northwestern is ranked No. 72
Team Stats
Stats (per game) | #15 Purdue | Northwestern |
|---|---|---|
Scoring | 82.3 | 73.7 |
Points allowed | 69.9 | 72.5 |
FG% | 49.9% | 45.7% |
3FG% | 38.3% | 32.3% |
Rebounds | 35.8 | 31.6 |
Assists | 19.6 | 17.1 |
Steals | 5.8 | 5.8 |
Blocks | 2.7 | 3.9 |
Turnovers | 9.0 | 8.7 |
Key Players
Purdue Boilermakers
- Braden Smith, G — Now over 1,000 assists for his career, Smith continues to prove himself as one of the best passers in the history of college basketball. He really opens up Purdue's offense when he's scoring, putting opposing teams in difficult defensive situations. For the year, Smith is averaging 15.0 points and 8.7 assists per game. The senior's ability to distribute and score at every level makes him such a dangerous player.
- Fletcher Loyer, G — Since the calendar turned to February, Loyer has really played at a high level. In eight games this month, the senior guard is averaging 16.1 points per game and is shooting 49.2% from three-point range. Yes, he went through a bit of a slump in January, but Loyer is playing some of his best offensive basketball right now.
- Trey Kaufman-Renn, F — Kaufman-Renn has become a much more impactful scoring threat for Purdue in recent weeks. He's averaging 13.4 points per game for the year, but has scored 19 points or more in three of the team's last four games. Where the senior forward is really imposing his will is on the glass, averaging 8.9 rebounds per game.
- C.J. Cox, G — The sophomore guard is considered Purdue's best perimeter defender, but that's not his only strong quality. Cox is an excellent shooter, especially when given open opportunities. He's a 44.1% shooter from the floor and is better than 36% from three-point range. Cox is able to be disruptive on the defensive end and can also knock down shots offensively.
Northwestern Wildcats
- Nick Martinelli, F — Martinelli has been one of the top scorers in college basketball this season, averaging 22.5 points per game. What makes him such a tough player to defend is his ability to get buckets in a variety of ways. He can post up, shoot the three-ball or drive to the basket. The senior forward is a 50% shooter from the floor and has connected on 42% of his three-point attempts. Martinelli has been the heart and soul of Northwestern's team this year.
- Arrinten Page, F — At 6-foot-11, Page provides Northwestern with a nice interior presence. He's not a great rebounder for his size, pulling down just 4.5 boards per game, but he does a good job of altering and blocking shots on the defensive end. Page has some mobility and can move around the floor, but he will do most of his work in the painted area.
- Jayden Reid, G — You never know when Reid will go off next. He hasn't produced consistently this season, but he does have three 20-point games, including a 28-point outing against Illinois in January. The junior guard is the best facilitator for the Wildcats, averaging 4.9 assists per game to go along with 9.9 points. Reid has had some really impressive performances this year and is always someone defenses must account for when he's on the floor.
- Tre Singleton, F — Only a freshman, Singleton has come in and immediately made an impact for the Wildcats. He's averaging 7.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He's another player who has had trouble with consistency, not scoring in double figures in any of his previous five games. Still, he provides help on the glass and has become a much better decision-maker.
The Coaches
Matt Painter, Purdue
Painter is in his 21st season at Purdue and his 22nd year overall with the Boilermakers. In that time, he's led the program to five Big Ten regular season championships, two Big Ten Tournament titles, 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, and a trip to the National Championship Game in 2024.
A lot of Purdue's success has come in the last decade, with the Boilers adding four Big Ten championships to their collection since the start of the 2016-17 season. Painter has had four different players win the Big Ten Player of the Year Award five times: JaJuan Johnson (2010), Caleb Swanigan (2017), Zach Edey (2023, 2024), and Braden Smith (2025).
Painter is a Purdue alum, playing under legendary coach Gene Keady from 1989-93. After his playing career ended, he jumped right into coaching, working as an assistant at Washington & Jefferson (Division III) and Barton (Division II) before getting a job at Eastern Illinois (1995 to 1998). Painter then joined former Purdue assistant coach Bruce Weber at Southern Illinois as an assistant from 1998 through 2003. Painter then became head coach of the Salukis for the 2003-04 season.
In 2004, Painter returned to Purdue as the associate head coach alongside Keady before taking over the program for the 2005-06 season. In a win over Akron on Nov. 16, 2025, Painter won his 500th career game as a head coach.
- Overall record: 518-227
- Record at Purdue: 493-222
Chris Collins, Northwestern
Collins is in his 13th season as the head coach at Northwestern, his only stop in that position. He's raised the bar in Evanston during his career, turning a floundering team into a quality Big Ten program.
Before Collins took over in 2013, Northwestern had never made the NCAA Tournament. He has guided the Wildcats to three March Madness appearances, reaching the Round of 32 in each of those trips.
In 2023 and 2024, Northwestern finished in the top four of the conference standings, finishing with 22-12 records each season. He was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2023. The Wildcats have produced four 20-win seasons under Collins and have finished on the right side of .500 five times.
Before he took over at Northwestern, Collins spent one season as an assistant coach for the WNBA's Detroit Shock (1998) and was an assistant at Seton Hall (1998-2000). In 2000, he returned to Duke, his alma mater, as an assistant to Mike Krzyzewski from 2000 until taking the job at Northwestern in 2013.
- Overall record: 207-206
- Record at Northwestern: 207-206
Preview
Wednesday night's game between No. 15 Purdue and Northwestern could be a little more interesting than previously expected. The Boilermakers have suffered back-to-back losses to Michigan State and Ohio State, while the Wildcats have won three straight games.
Plus, Purdue has had recent struggles in Welsh-Ryan Arena, losing on its last two visits to the venue (2023 and 2024).
This probably sounds like a broken record, but the biggest keys for Purdue on Wednesday are to play connected on the defensive end and establish a post presence early. The Boilermakers have had some sloppy performances defensively recently, and this matchup provides the opportunity to correct that.
With the combination of Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff, Purdue has the chance to feast in the post against a smaller Northwestern team. Plus, the Wildcats are one of the worst rebounding teams in the country, another major advantage for the Boilermakers.
The biggest challenge for Purdue's defense will be containing Martinelli, one of the nation's top scorers. Making him shoot a high volume to earn his points is essential, and cutting off contributors like Page, Reid and Singleton is important, too.
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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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