Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Announces 2020-21 Men's Basketball Schedule
11/18/2020 12:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern Men's Basketball released details on its 2020-21 schedule on Wednesday.
The Wildcats' Big Ten schedule currently consists of 20 games, with 10 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Additionally, the 'Cats have four non-conference matchups that will be played in Evanston. In accordance with local, state and Big Ten Conference medical regulations, all games played at Welsh-Ryan Arena currently will be played without spectators.
The 'Cats' season tips off on December 2 when they welcome Arkansas-Pine Bluff. After a matchup with cross-town foe Chicago State, Northwestern will welcome Pittsburgh as part of the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge. NU has won its last two matchups in the Challenge and four of its last five dating back to 2015.
Later in December, the Wildcats begin a highly-competitive stretch of Big Ten play. 13 of the Wildcats' 20 games will be against conference opponents ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. The Big Ten season tips off on Sunday December 20 as the 'Cats welcome co-defending Big Ten Champions Michigan State to town.
The Wildcats will bring back all but three players from last year's squad. Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins returns an abundance of talent this season in Miller Kopp, Pete Nance, Anthony Gaines, Ryan Young, Boo Buie, Robbie Beran and Ryan Greer. Now entering his junior season, Kopp headlines the list of returners after averaging a team-high 13.1 points per game last season, while the sophomore Young returns as the team's leading rebounder after averaging 6.1 boards per game in his rookie campaign. This season also marks the return of redshirt-junior Gaines, who has started 25 games over the last two seasons before having to miss the remainder of the 2019-20 campaign with a shoulder injury.
Northwestern will also welcome first-years Ty Berry and Matthew Nicholson and walk-on Dom Martinelli as additions to this year's roster. Also joining the mix is redshirt-sophomore Chase Audige, who sat out the 2019-20 season after transferring from William & Mary. In his one season of action at William & Mary, Audige averaged 9.6 points per game and was named to the Colonial Athletic Association's All-Rookie Team.
See below for a full schedule (all tip-off times are TBD)
Non-Conference Schedule:
Wednesday, December 2 – vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Saturday, December 5 – vs. Chicago State (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Wednesday, December 9 – vs. Pittsburgh (ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Sunday, December 13 – vs. SIU-Edwardsville (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Conference Schedule:
Sunday, December 20 – vs. Michigan State (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Wednesday, December 23 – at Indiana (Bloomington, IN)
Saturday, December 26 – vs. Ohio State (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Tuesday, December 29 – at Iowa (Iowa City, IA)
Sunday, January 3 – at Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)
Thursday, January 7 – vs. Illinois (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Wednesday, January 13 – at Ohio State (Columbus, OH)
Sunday, January 17 OR Monday, January 18 – vs. Iowa (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Saturday, January 23 –at Penn State (University Park, PA)
Wednesday, January 27 – at Wisconsin (Madison, WI)
Sunday, January 31 – vs. Rutgers (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Wednesday, February 3 – vs. Michigan (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Saturday, February 6 – at Purdue (West Lafayette, IN)
Wednesday, February 10 – vs. Indiana (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Saturday, February 13 – at Rutgers (Piscataway, NJ)
Tuesday, February 16 – at Illinois (Champaign, IL)
Sunday, February 21 – vs. Wisconsin (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Saturday, February 27 – at Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN)
Wednesday, March 3 – vs. Maryland (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Saturday, March 6 OR Sunday, March 7 – vs. Nebraska (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
