Northwestern’s men’s basketball team concluded the 2024‑25 campaign with a 15‑19 overall record and a 5‑15 mark in Big Ten play, leaving the program well outside the postseason picture.
The Wildcats opened conference play with a seven‑game skid, a stretch that underscored the gap between preseason optimism and reality after the departure of senior forward Nick Martinelli, who had topped the Big Ten in scoring the previous two seasons and was later selected 55th overall in the NBA Draft.
Adding to the upheaval, the roster lost all eight members of the 2025 transfer class, including Jayden Reid, Max Green and Arrinten Page, while guard K.J. Windham entered the portal and eventually committed to James Madison, and teammates Tre Singleton, Tyler Kropp and Cade Bennerman also moved on after a single season in Evanston.
New Additions and the Road Ahead
Coach Chris Collins turned to the transfer portal to bring in eight newcomers, among them Dylan Williams, LA Pratt and Aleksej Kostic, and a trio of freshmen — Jayden Hodge, Symon Ghai and walk‑on Elijah Eschmeyer — who join the returning sophomores.
The team’s rebuilding effort will be anchored by rising sophomores Jake West and Angelo Ciaravino; West, who ranked fourth in assists among Big Ten freshmen, now brings playmaking experience, while Ciaravino boasts the second‑highest field‑goal percentage on the roster, offering a reliable inside presence.
Coach Collins expressed confidence that the blend of veteran portal talent and home‑grown sophomores will restore competitiveness in the conference, noting that continuity in leadership, exemplified by longtime assistant Brian James’ departure, will be replaced by a fresh coaching philosophy aimed at rapid adaptation.