No. 21 Wildcats Seek Sixth Straight Win at Illinois

NORTHWESTERN MEN'S BASKETBALL: GAME INFORMATION
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	WATCH	LIVE STATS
Thursday, Feb. 23	Illinois	8 p.m. CT	State Farm Center Champaign, Ill.	BTN	Live Stats
Radio: WGN Radio 720 \| Twitter: @NUMensBball \| Instagram: @numensbball \| Digital Game Program

EVANSTON, Ill. – No. 21 Northwestern will look to extend its five-game winning streak when it travels south to visit in-state rival Illinois at 8 p.m. CT on Thursday, Feb. 23. BTN and WGN Radio 720 will broadcast the game, with Kevin Kugler (play-by-play) and Robbie Hummel (analyst) on BTN, and Dave Eanet (play-by-play) and Billy McKinney (analyst) on WGN Radio 720.

After receiving votes for three straight weeks, Northwestern earned a No. 21 ranking in the AP Poll in the Week 15 release of the poll. It's the first time NU has been ranked since 2020-21 and the latest release the Wildcats have been ranked in program history.

Last time out, Northwestern defeated Iowa in wire-to-wire fashion 80-60 to close out a three-game homestand at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The win snapped a nine-game skid against the Hawkeyes, and was NU's first win against Iowa since Jan. 15, 2017. Boo Buie poured in 23 points on 6-of-11 shooting, 3-of-5 from three, and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. Buie also added a season-high eight assists. Brooks Barnhizer logged a career-high 34 minutes of action, posting 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds. The 20-point margin of victory is tied for NU's largest during conference play this season (Minnesota).

Northwestern is looking for a six-game conference win streak for only the second time in the previous 90 seasons. Northwestern last won six-straight against conference opponents in 2016-17. The current five-game winning streak is Northwestern's third streak of at least five games this season, marking the first time in program history that Northwestern has had three different five-game winning streaks in a season.

NU's 20 wins this season are the most since the 2016-17 season that saw the 'Cats set a school record for single-season victories going 24-12. The team's 20 wins are tied for second-most in a single-season in program history. The 'Cats have won 11 Big Ten games for just the second time in program history. The 1930-31 team, which earned the school's only outright Big Ten championship, also won 11 (11-1).

During Big Ten-only play, Buie ranks fifth in the league in points per game, averaging 19.3 points per contest. Buie has scored in double figures in 20 straight games and 25 of 27 games this season. The Albany, N.Y. native has scored 20 or more points in six of his last eight games and in 11 games this season. The Wildcats are 8-3 when Buie scores 20 or more points.

Chase Audige has logged one of the most outstanding defensive seasons in school history, totaling 65 steals in 27 games, the most in the Big Ten. His 65 steals rank fifth-most in a single-season by a Wildcat, one behind Jitim Young's 2004 output of 66. Audige's 144 steals in a Northwestern uniform rank seventh-most in program history, one behind Art Aaron's career total for sixth place. The senior from Coram, N.Y. was one of 15 players named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List on Jan. 26 as one of the most outstanding defensive players in the nation.

Ty Berry has been a key cog in the Northwestern offense this season, as evidenced by the junior's 26 point outburst at Nebraska on Jan. 25. Berry averages 8.8 points per game, and has scored in double figures on eleven occasions. Northwestern is 9-2 when Berry scores 10 points or more.

Last time the two schools met on the hardwood, Northwestern defeated the Fighting Illini for the first time since Jan. 6, 2019 by a score of 73-60 on Jan. 4 inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. Illinois led 43-38 with 12:46 remaining before Northwestern went on a 24-4 run to take a lead it would not relinquish. Audige posted a game-high 21 points and four steals to lead the 'Cats. Illinois leads the all-time series 145-42. Chris Collins is 5-12 against Illinois in his career. NU is seeking its first win in Champaign since 2013.

The Fighting Illini have gone 9-4 in the 13 games since the two schools met on Jan. 4, bringing their record to 18-9 (9-7 B1G). Terrence Shannon Jr. leads the Illini, posting 17.0 points and 3.0 assists per game. Matthew Mayer chips in 12.6 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game.

The Wildcats will continue their Big Ten road swing when they travel to Maryland on Sunday, Feb. 26 to take on the Terrapins. The contest will tip off at 11 a.m. CT on BTN and WGN Radio 720.

No. 21 Wildcats Seek Sixth Straight Win at Illinois

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Players Mentioned

Chase Audige

Brooks Barnhizer

Ty Berry

Boo Buie

Northwestern University Athletics

Northwestern University Athletics