Northwestern Opens Final Homestand Saturday against Oregon

Saturday, February 28

Evanston, Ill.

1 p.m. CT

Northwestern

Oregon

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Northwestern Opens Final Homestand Saturday against Oregon

2/27/2026 3:50:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Charlie Spungin, NUSports.com

EVANSTON, Ill. — Winners of two straight Big Ten Conference games for the first time this season, Northwestern men's basketball kicks off its final homestand of the campaign by hosting Oregon on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 1 p.m. CT. The game will air on Big Ten Network with Dave Revsine (play-by-play) and Jordan Taylor (analyst) on the call, and it can be heard on WGN Radio 720 and SiriusXM Channel 392 with Dave Eanet (play-by-play) and Billy McKinney (analyst).

Last time out (Feb. 24), the Wildcats (12-16, 4-13 Big Ten) rallied back from a nine-point deficit to beat Indiana for the sixth consecutive time by a score of 72-68 in Bloomington. Senior forward Nick Martinelli led the way with a game-high 28 points, 21 of which came in the second half, and added five rebounds and three assists. He shot 12-of-21 from the floor. First-year guard Jake West played a career-high 36 minutes and had the second-highest scoring game of his career with 16 points while shooting 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Junior forward Arrinten Page recorded 10 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

This season, Martinelli leads the Big Ten and ranks seventh nationally in scoring, averaging 22.6 points per game, while converting 50.5% of his field goal attempts (9th in Big Ten). The Glenview, Ill., native is pulling down 6.1 rebounds per game (18th). Martinelli has 20 games with 20+ points this season, which leads the conference and ranks third nationally. Martinelli's 22.6 points per game would rank fifth in program history, trailing Dale Kelley in 1969-70 (24.3), Frank Ehmann in 1954-55 (23.9), Rich Falk in 1963-64 (23.3), and Joe Ruklick in 1958-59 (23.0). Martinelli would be the first Northwestern player to average 20+ points per game in back-to-back campaigns since Jim Burns (1965-66, 1966-67). Over the last two seasons, Martinelli has scored 1,285 points, which ranks second nationally and is the most by a forward.

Martinelli joins Zach Edey (2022-23, 2023-24), Keegan Murray (2020-21), and Luka Garza (2019-20, 2020-21) as the only Big Ten players in the past 30 years to average 22+ points per game and 6+ rebounds per game.
Martinelli had a 12-game streak of 20+ points from Dec. 6, 2025-Jan. 29, 2026. It was the third-longest streak by a Big Ten player since 1996-97, behind Iowa's Luka Garza (2020, 19) and Purdue's Zach Edey (2024, 16). It was also tied for the eighth-longest streak by a high-major player since 1996-97.
Martinelli has scored in double figures 69 times in his career, including 52 of his last 54 games, and has posted 20+ points 40 times, ranking third at Northwestern since 2004, trailing only John Shurna (2008-12, 45) and Boo Buie (2019-2024, 41).
Martinelli's 20 games with 20+ points this season are the most such games by a Wildcat in a single season since at least 2004.
Martinelli has 11 games with 25+ points this season, the most such games in a single season by a Northwestern player since at least 2004.
Martinelli has 21 career games with 25+ points, the most such games by a Wildcat in a career since 2004. Martinelli's 21 career 25-point games are the most of any active Big Ten player.
Martinelli has 1,637 career points, which ranks eighth in Northwestern program history. He needs 47 points to pass Bryant McIntosh (2014-18) to move into seventh place.
Martinelli has 609 points this season, which is the fifth-most in Northwestern single-season history. He needs 11 points to pass 2009-10 John Shurna to move into fourth place and 38 points to pass 2023-24 Boo Buie to move into third place.
Martinelli has 212 field goals made this season, which ranks fifth in Northwestern single-season history. He needs four field goals to pass 2023-24 Boo Buie to move into fourth place and six field goals to pass 2009-10 John Shurna to move into third place.
Last season, Martinelli set program records in single-season points (676) and field goals made (251).

The Wildcats have continued to share the ball without turning it over, as their 2.00 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks second in the nation and sixth in Division I history. Northwestern is averaging the nation's second-fewest turnovers (8.6) while ranking 32nd in the country with 17.1 assists per game. The Wildcats' offense is producing 74.1 points per game, its most since 1993-94 (75.0). Northwestern has scored 75 or more points in 15 games this season, its most in a single season since 1993-94 (16).

The Wildcats' 8.6 turnovers per game are a program record.
Northwestern's 17.1 assists per game rank second in program history, trailing only 1993-94 (17.8).
The Wildcats' +2.7 turnover margin ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 49th nationally.
Northwestern has 23 games with 10 or fewer turnovers this season, which is the most such games in the nation among high-major teams. The Wildcats have turned the ball over 10 or fewer times in 15 of their last 18 games.
Northwestern is forcing opponents to turn the ball over 11.3 times per game, which ranks seventh in the conference.
Northwestern has upped its pace this season, averaging 11.3 fast break points per game — ranking third in the Big Ten.
The Wildcats are averaging 21.1 bench points per game, the seventh-most in the Big Ten.
Northwestern ranks seventh in the conference with 3.8 blocks per game.

Northwestern's first-years have come to the forefront as the season has continued. First-year forward Tre Singleton ranks second on the team with 25 starts, the most starts by a Wildcat since 2019-20 when Ryan Young tallied 31, and is averaging 7.8 points (12th among Big Ten first-years), 4.9 rebounds (5th), and 1.5 assists (11th) per game. West has started the last 12 games for Northwestern. Over his last 10 games, he is averaging 7.8 points and 4.6 assists per game. First-year forward Tyler Kropp has started 10 games for the team, as the Wildcats have had three first-years start 10+ games for the first time since the 2019-20 season and for the third time under Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins.

Singleton's 7.8 points per game are the most by a Northwestern first-year since the 2019-20 season (Boo Buie: 10.3, Ryan Young: 9.0). His 7.8 points per game rank as the fifth-most by a Wildcat first-year under Collins.
West's 2.8 assists per game on the season rank fourth among Big Ten first-years, and are the most by a Northwestern first-year since Bryant McIntosh averaged 4.7 in 2014-15.

Sophomore guard Angelo Ciaravino is averaging career-highs across the board with 6.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game on 52.1% shooting. In Northwestern's four Big Ten wins this season, Ciaravino has logged 11.3 points per game, the second-most among Wildcats players in those victories. Junior Arrinten Page is recording 10.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game (18th in Big Ten) on 54.9% shooting. Junior guard Jayden Reid has logged 9.8 points and 4.8 assists per game (5th in Big Ten).

Northwestern welcomes the Ducks (11-17, 4-13 Big Ten) to Evanston for the first time in program history. The teams have met three times previously, with Oregon winning each contest.

Last time against the Ducks (Feb. 11, 2025), the Wildcats fell 81-75 on the road in Eugene. Ty Berry scored a team-high 23 points, making 8-of-10 field goals, while then-first-year K.J. Windham notched 20 points off the bench, draining 4-of-7 three-point attempts. Martinelli added 16 points and six rebounds. Northwestern scored 50 second-half points and trailed by as many as 17.

Oregon comes to Welsh-Ryan Arena having won three of its last four matchups, most recently defeating Wisconsin, 85-71. They are led by Nate Bittle, who is averaging 16.9 points (13th in Big Ten), 6.9 rebounds (13th), and 2.0 blocks (4th) per game. Kwame Evans adds 13.0 points and 7.1 rebounds (10th) per game, while TK Simpkins chips in 12.6 points per game.

The Ducks average 4.1 blocks per game, which ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 72nd nationally.
Oregon pulls down 11.4 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks seventh in the conference.
The Ducks notch 6.2 steals per game, ranking seventh in the Big Ten.
Oregon ranks ninth in the conference with 8.0 threes per game.

Northwestern will celebrate Senior Night on Wednesday, March 4, when it hosts No. 8 Purdue. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network and WGN Radio 720.