College basketball is a cruel world sometimes.
Just two years removed from back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, Northwestern is about to exit its worst full season since 2019-20.
Welsh-Ryan Arena has seen two games this season against top-15 teams in which the Wildcats (13-18, 5-15 Big Ten) have held a nine-point halftime lead before collapsing down the stretch and falling short.
Against No. 15 Purdue on Wednesday, the first half made it seem as though NU might have found the magic it had the last two times the teams played in Evanston — both of which ended with Wildside going wild on the court.
Instead, a late 3-pointer by Boilermaker guard C.J. Cox and two turnovers in the final minute by the ’Cats meant dejected fans left the arena and a devastated senior forward Nick Martinelli behind as NU closed out the home chapter of a season to forget.
Coach Chris Collins took responsibility postgame for what he called a “wasted possession.”
“We didn’t really get into what we wanted to,” Collins said.
Saturday was more of the same. In a must-win game against Minnesota to have the chance at a bye in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, the ’Cats were sluggish out of the gate as they fell behind 18-2.
After a ferocious comeback, NU was down two when junior guard Jordan Clayton hit his second clutch 3-pointer in as many games. It was proven meaningless, however, when the defense gave up a layup from Golden Gopher guard Langston Reynolds, and the offense couldn’t get a good shot off, ending any chance at the 14-seed for the ’Cats..
As this team prepares to move forward, it’s clear that something has to change. If the ’Cats want to retain their players and be seen as an enticing program to future recruits, they need to quickly put this year on the back burner and get to work.
We’ve already seen Welsh-Ryan begin to be taken over by away fans, with Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg and Michigan coach Dusty May both noting the strong away crowd during their battles in Evanston. May told his players during a timeout that they were playing a “home game.”
The same thing happened when Purdue came to town. In one of the three biggest games of the season, the cheers for Cox’s game-winning bucket were as loud, if not louder, than the ones for Clayton’s.
Additionally, this season, Wildside’s social media pages only promoted one game as sold out: Purdue, and that was with two of the typical student sections being sold as regular seating. If NU continues on the downward trajectory it appears to be on now, the already disappearing student section will continue to evaporate.
The cruel world of college basketball has even spread to coaches over the past few years, with former North Carolina State coach Kevin Keatts being fired the year after making a Cinderella run to the Final Four, and longtime Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle being let go after 12 years at the helm following the 2025-26 season.
Collins does not belong among that crowd of coaches, but he needs to change something about this team next year because running it back is simply not an option.
The ’Cats finished 310th in the country in 3-pointers made per game, a disappointing pace that cannot continue if they want to make the step into the upper echelon of the Big Ten. As Division I basketball as a whole shifts to an increase in 3-point attempts, NU needs to find someone in the transfer portal who can provide that deep-ball shooting while not being a liability on defense.
At a certain point, arguing that the ’Cats need to find a better way to close out games can seem redundant, but given the nature of NU’s two recent losses, it’s clear that the team has a problem. Before conference play next year, Collins has to work with his assistants to build a team that can better handle these situations.
Throughout many postgame press conferences this year, Collins has emphasized the youth of his team, especially when compared to some of the more experienced teams in the Big Ten. Ensuring that younger players like freshman guard Jake West and freshman forward Tre Singleton develop should be part of Collins’ offseason agenda, but supporting them with experienced veteran transfers to replace the leadership of the graduating Martinelli should be Collins’ number one goal this offseason.
The end of the season presents a crossroads for Collins and his program. It’s up to him to step up and build a team that can keep up with the best of the Big Ten.
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