Northwestern University Athletics
Sunday, October 26
Ames, Iowa
Noon CT
Northwestern
at
Iowa State (Exhibition)
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
Wildcats Travel to Iowa State for Exhibition Tilt
10/25/2025 8:41:00 AM | Men's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern men's basketball returns to the hardwood for the 2025-26 season with the program's first exhibition against a Division I opponent as it travels to face Iowa State on Sunday, Oct. 26, at Noon CT. The game will air on ESPN+ with Alex Cohen (play-by-play) and Derrin Hansen (analyst) on the call.
The Wildcats have reached the NCAA Tournament in two of the past three seasons and have posted a winning record in each of the last three seasons. Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins, the second-winningest coach in program history, inked a multi-year contract extension through 2030 in April.
Senior Nick Martinelli, who was named to the 2025-26 Preseason All-Big Ten Team earlier this month, returns to Northwestern after leading the Big Ten in scoring averaging 20.5 points per game. That marked the highest scoring average by a Wildcat since Evan Eschmeyer posted 21.7 points per game in 1997-98. Martinelli broke the school's single-season scoring record, which was previously held by John Shurna (661, 2011-12), by logging 676 points.
The Glenview, Ill., product scored 15+ points in 18 straight games to close the campaign, the longest active streak by a high-major player in the country. He scored 10+ points in 26 straight games, the longest streak by a Northwestern player since at least 2000. He played a league-high 37.7 minutes per game last season and was the first high-major player to post at least 20+ points, 5+ rebounds and 37.5+ minutes per game since Kemba Walker at UConn in 2010-11.
The Wildcats return seven players, including several key contributors from last year's squad, in Martinelli and senior Justin Mullins and sophomores K.J. Windham and Angelo Ciaravino. Mullins started the final 10 games of the season for Northwestern. Ciaravino posted a 17-point performance in early January, while Windham notched two 20-point games toward the end of the season.
Northwestern is bringing in a first-year class that ranks second in the Big Ten, according to 247Sports, highlighted by the highest-ranked recruit in program history, first-year Tre Singleton. Cade Bennerman, Phoenix Gill, Tyler Kropp, and Jake West round out the class.
The Wildcats also acquired three transfers in sophomore Max Green and juniors Jayden Reid and Arrinten Page. Green, coming from Holy Cross, was last season's Patriot League Rookie of the Year after posting team highs of 14.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. Reid logged 12.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game for USF last season after making the AAC All-Freshman Team in the 2023-24 season. Page, a former top-40 high school recruit, comes to Northwestern after stops at Cincinnati and USC.
The Wildcats have won 14 consecutive exhibition games dating back to 2009. Under Collins, Northwestern is 10-0 in exhibitions, which have all come against Division II opponents. Last season, Northwestern defeated Lewis 89-62 inside Welsh-Ryan Arena in an exhibition.
The Cyclones have reached each of the last four NCAA Tournaments, including making it to the Sweet 16 twice. Last year, Iowa State went 25-10 (13-7 Big 12) and was a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. In four years under head coach T.J. Otzelberger, the Cyclones are 95-45.
Northwestern will play inside Welsh-Ryan Arena for the first time in the 2025-26 season when it hosts Illinois State for an exhibition on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. CT. The game will air on B1G+ and WGN Radio 720.
The Wildcats have reached the NCAA Tournament in two of the past three seasons and have posted a winning record in each of the last three seasons. Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins, the second-winningest coach in program history, inked a multi-year contract extension through 2030 in April.
Senior Nick Martinelli, who was named to the 2025-26 Preseason All-Big Ten Team earlier this month, returns to Northwestern after leading the Big Ten in scoring averaging 20.5 points per game. That marked the highest scoring average by a Wildcat since Evan Eschmeyer posted 21.7 points per game in 1997-98. Martinelli broke the school's single-season scoring record, which was previously held by John Shurna (661, 2011-12), by logging 676 points.
The Glenview, Ill., product scored 15+ points in 18 straight games to close the campaign, the longest active streak by a high-major player in the country. He scored 10+ points in 26 straight games, the longest streak by a Northwestern player since at least 2000. He played a league-high 37.7 minutes per game last season and was the first high-major player to post at least 20+ points, 5+ rebounds and 37.5+ minutes per game since Kemba Walker at UConn in 2010-11.
The Wildcats return seven players, including several key contributors from last year's squad, in Martinelli and senior Justin Mullins and sophomores K.J. Windham and Angelo Ciaravino. Mullins started the final 10 games of the season for Northwestern. Ciaravino posted a 17-point performance in early January, while Windham notched two 20-point games toward the end of the season.
Familiar faces ready ?????? pic.twitter.com/yCGNz8Ll2n
— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) October 23, 2025
Northwestern is bringing in a first-year class that ranks second in the Big Ten, according to 247Sports, highlighted by the highest-ranked recruit in program history, first-year Tre Singleton. Cade Bennerman, Phoenix Gill, Tyler Kropp, and Jake West round out the class.
The Wildcats also acquired three transfers in sophomore Max Green and juniors Jayden Reid and Arrinten Page. Green, coming from Holy Cross, was last season's Patriot League Rookie of the Year after posting team highs of 14.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. Reid logged 12.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game for USF last season after making the AAC All-Freshman Team in the 2023-24 season. Page, a former top-40 high school recruit, comes to Northwestern after stops at Cincinnati and USC.
The Wildcats have won 14 consecutive exhibition games dating back to 2009. Under Collins, Northwestern is 10-0 in exhibitions, which have all come against Division II opponents. Last season, Northwestern defeated Lewis 89-62 inside Welsh-Ryan Arena in an exhibition.
The Cyclones have reached each of the last four NCAA Tournaments, including making it to the Sweet 16 twice. Last year, Iowa State went 25-10 (13-7 Big 12) and was a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. In four years under head coach T.J. Otzelberger, the Cyclones are 95-45.
Northwestern will play inside Welsh-Ryan Arena for the first time in the 2025-26 season when it hosts Illinois State for an exhibition on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. CT. The game will air on B1G+ and WGN Radio 720.
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