Northwestern Hosts Boston University in Monday Night Showdown

EVANSTON, Ill. — Continuing its season-opening homestand, Northwestern welcomes Boston University to Welsh-Ryan Arena for the second consecutive season on Monday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. CT. The game will air on Big Ten Network with Mike Hall (play-by-play) and Shon Morris (analyst) on the call, and it can be heard on WGN Radio 720 and SiriusXM Channel 257 with Dave Eanet (play-by-play) and Billy McKinney (analyst) calling the action.

LAST TIME OUT

Led by second-year guard Jake West’s career-high 23 points, the Wildcats (2-0) defeated Stony Brook 78-65 on Friday (Nov. 6) night. Northwestern shot 48.1% from the floor and 52.2% from three-point range, while limiting the Seawolves to a 39.2% clip from the field. In the first half, the Wildcats drained 10 3-pointers, their most in a half since Feb. 5, 2022, at Nebraska.

In addition to 23 points, West dished out six assists while pulling down three rebounds. He also drained four 3-pointers. He is the first Northwestern guard to notch 20+ points in both of the first two games of a season since Drew Crawford in 2010. West’s partner in the backcourt, fifth-year guard LA Pratt, posted 16 points, shooting 5-of-8 from the field and 2-of-4 on threes, and hauled in six rebounds with a game-high +18 +/-. Second-year guard Phoenix Gill tallied a career-high 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc, while third-year guard Angelo Ciaravino stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, seven rebounds, two steals and four blocks.

NOTES TO KNOW

Jake West

• West’s 9.0 assists per game ranks tied for the fifth-most nationally.
• West is averaging 21.5 points per game, the seventh-best mark in the Big Ten.
• West is the first Wildcat to notch 20+ points and 5+ assists in consecutive games since Brooks Barnhizer (Dec. 29, 2024-Jan. 2, 2025).
• Against Binghamton (Nov. 2), he posted the first 20+ point, 10+ assist game by a Northwestern player since Bryant McIntosh in 2017.
• His 12 assists are the most in a game by any player in the country this season.
• West’s 12 assists against Binghamton are tied for the sixth-most in a single game in program history.
• West is the first second-year to be named captain at Northwestern since 1991-92, when Pat Baldwin was selected as a captain.

Jack Karasinski

• Karasinski’s 24 points in the season opener marked the most points by a Wildcat newcomer in a season opener since at least 2004.
• The forward’s seven threes versus Binghamton are tied for the most by any player in a game this season.
• He is the fifth-leading scorer returning to college basketball after averaging 21.7 points per game last season at Bellarmine.

Angelo Ciaravino

• Ciaravino’s 2.5 blocks per game rank second in the Big Ten, and his 8.5 rebounds per game come in as the ninth-most in the conference.
• Ciaravino posted four blocks and two steals against Stony Brook, becoming the first Northwestern player to record 4+ blocks and 2+ steals in a game since Matthew Nicholson on Nov. 6, 2023, against Binghamton.
• Ciaravino’s 13-point, 10-rebound performance against Binghamton made him the first Wildcat guard to record a double-double since Barnhizer on Jan. 16, 2025, against Maryland.

LA Pratt

• Pratt’s 17.5 points per game rank 15th in the Big Ten.
• Pratt is the first Northwestern newcomer to score 15+ points in the first two games of a season since Chase Audige in 2020 (Dec. 2-5).
• Pratt became the first Wildcat newcomer to register 15+ points, 3+ rebounds and 3+ assists in a season opener since Michael Thompson on Nov. 15, 2007, against Stanford.
• Pratt was named preseason All-CAA Second Team ahead of the 2025-26 season while at Northeastern, but after averaging 17.0 points per game through three contests, he suffered a season-ending injury.

WHAT COLLINS IS SAYING

On the team’s improvement since its exhibition games…

• “We made a little bit of adjustments with some of our defensive principles. We’ve got a little more compact, trying to get in gaps and guarding the ball. Those first couple exhibition games, the floor was getting real spread on us. We just felt with our personnel and our guys, we needed to compact the floor a little bit, so we’ve tried to do that a little bit more, really focused on our fundamentals with that. [We] tried to put some things in offensively that really highlight the guys we want to have the ball and make decisions. We added some wrinkles to try and make sure the ball is in Jake’s and LA’s hands in a lot of the stuff we run. Those guys can not only score when they need to but also be the decision makers and find our shooters, cutters and bigs.”

On Jake West and LA Pratt sharing the backcourt…

• “I think you saw some of what I envisioned when we knew Jake was coming back. I wanted to pair him up with another dynamic guard who could not only score the ball — we needed a scorer — but [also] someone who could play with the ball. One of the most underrated parts of Jake’s game is his three-point shooting. Jake can really shoot the ball. When you have another guard who you can put in action, put in pick and rolls, put in playmaking roles, where now Jake can get off the ball and be a scorer. Then, that’s where it becomes dynamic.”

On Angelo Ciaravino’s all-around impact…

• “Angelo’s superpower is his activity. Everyone wants to talk about the shooting, and he’s gotten better at that, and I want him to take his open shots. You can’t lose sight of what your superpower is. He’s an amazing athlete, and when he’s playing well, his activity is incredible. The loose balls he creates, the long rebounds, the deflections, the blocked shots, the steals, the ability to get out in the open floor, he can get on the offensive glass. He just does a lot of things that help you win. He can guard multiple positions.”

SCOUTING BOSTON UNIVERSITY 

The Terriers (2-0) come to Evanston after opening their season with a 93-85 home victory over Northeastern and a 72-67 road win over Brown. Guard Kyrone Alexander leads the team with 24.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game through the two contests, as the team is shooting 51.4% from the floor.

SERIES HISTORY

Northwestern and Boston University have faced off two times previously, with the Wildcats claiming victory in both games. The first matchup came in 1959, when Northwestern won 78-74, and the teams met again last season inside Welsh-Ryan Arena for the second game of the season, where the Wildcats won in wire-to-wire fashion, 76-57.

Northwestern is 15-1 against the current alignment of the Patriot League, with the most recent contest being last season’s matchup against the Terriers.

UP NEXT

Northwestern faces crosstown rival DePaul inside Welsh-Ryan Arena on Friday, Nov. 13. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network and WGN Radio 720.