'Cats Host Lindenwood in Exhibition

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern basketball kicks-off its season with an exhibition against Lindenwood on Thursday, Nov. 4, at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT and will be streamed on B1G+.
 
The Wildcats return four starters and eight of ten players who averaged 10+ minutes a game last season, including seniors Pete Nance and Ryan Greer, juniors Chase Audige, Boo Buie, Robbie Beran, and Ryan Young, and sophomores Ty Berry and Matthew Nicholson. 
 
Northwestern ranks second in the Big Ten in percentage of returning points and assists, trailing only Purdue. 
 
The 'Cats welcome four exciting additions to the roster: first-years Brooks Barnhizer, Julian Roper II and Casey Simmons, and graduate transfer Elyjah Williams. 
 
Williams, an Evanston Township High School graduate, averaged 13.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game last season, shooting 55.6% from the field and 42.0% from three at Farleigh Dickinson.
 
Barnhizer, Roper II, and Simmons comprise Northwestern's second highest-ranked recruiting class in school history, according to 247sports. 
 
Former Wildcat Tre Demps (2011-16) will be making his return to Welsh-Ryan Arena as part of the B1G+ broadcast team. Demps earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as a redshirt senior in 2015-16, averaging a team-high 15.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Overall, Demps scored 1518 points in 132 games for the Wildcats.

Northwestern will welcome fans into Welsh-Ryan Arena for the first time since March 7, 2020, when the Wildcats defeated No. 20 Penn State in the regular-season finale.