The Northwestern Wildcats basketball program has looked like a team on the upswing in recent years thanks to coach Chris Collins and stars like Brooks Barnhizer and Nick Martinelli, giving fans hope for better days ahead.
The Wildcats brought in a stacked freshman and transfer portal class this offseason including a 7-foot-3 center who caught the attention of Collins in offseason practices, Symon Ghai.
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Despite the strong offseason recruiting haul, ESPN doesn’t think the Wildcats have what it takes to make the 2026-27 NCAA Tournament, according to its latest ‘Bracketology’ which is heavy on fellow Big Ten teams.
Dec 23, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; former Bellarmine Knights and current Northwestern Wildcats forward Jack Karasinski(32) shoots the ball against Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) during the first half at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
The Wildcats were left out of ESPN’s latest Bracketology one year after Martinelli led the Big Ten in scoring for a second straight year but Northwestern failed to make the NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats last made the Big Dance in 2024 as a nine-seed before advancing to the Round of 32 after a win over Dusty May’s Florida Atlantic Owls in overtime.
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Collins’ team then lost to the UConn Huskies in the last tournament game the program has participated in.
Collins and the Wildcats are an underdog heading into the 2026-27 college basketball season after Martinelli was taken in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft and will work on finding his replacement, and a new starting lineup, for the remainder of the offseason.
ESPN chose twelve Big Ten teams for this coming year’s NCAA Tournament with Iowa and Wisconsin both selected as the “last teams to skip the expanded opening round.”
Last year’s national champion the Michigan Wolverines and their new head coach Mike Boynton were chosen as a two-seed along with rival Michigan State and their 2000 national champion head coach Tom Izzo.
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Coach Brad Underwood’s Illinois Fighting Illini were predicted to land a No. 1 seed by ESPN after reaching the Final Four last season and losing to coach Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies.
Collins and his Wildcats coaching staff will search for new players to carry the scoring void left by Martinelli and will have a wide variety of players to choose from heading into this fall’s college hoops season.
Six-foot-seven forward Jack Karasinski, formerly of the Bellarmine Knights of Louisville, Kentucky, transferred to Northwestern this offseason bringing a 21.7 points per game scoring average.
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Point guard Jake West, a 6-foot-3, sophomore, is expected to run the team’s offense and should increase his scoring and assist numbers as the season goes on.
UC-Santa Barbara transfer Colin Smith averaged nearly 12 points per game last season and is expected to shoulder some of the scoring load on the Wildcats’ projected starting lineup.
Northwestern has been counted out before, and Collins’ teams have made the doubters eat their words. Expect a spirited competition for starting roles this offseason in Evanston with the goal of making a run at another NCAA Tournament slot this coming spring.
