A triumph over Penn State gave Northwestern its second Big Ten win, offering a glimmer of hope in what has been a tumultuous conference season.
Now, the Wildcats face Washington on Saturday, another Big Ten team with hunger that has shown the potential to battle elite programs this year. This matchup, like every remaining game on the schedule, carries significant weight for Northwestern if the Wildcats still want to salvage the season with a respectable conference finish and momentum heading into
the Big Ten Tournament.
Before tipoff, here are three keys to the game.
A revamped Huskies team
Despite falling to No. 9 Illinois 75-66 in Champaign on Thursday, Washington arrives in Evanston as a completely different team than the one that stumbled to a 4-16 Big Ten record last season. Currently sitting 11-10 overall and 3-7 in conference play, the Huskies have discovered a new identity under head coach Danny Sprinkle, built around the emergence of freshman sensation Hannes Steinbach.
The 6-foot-11 German big man is averaging a double-double with 17.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, leading the Big Ten in rebounding and ranking among the top five nationally. Steinbach’s versatility makes him a nightmare matchup: he crashes the offensive glass relentlessly for second-chance opportunities, handles the ball in transition like a guard and draws fouls at an elite rate. With 99 free throws taken this season, he has attempted more than any Washington teammate while making them at a 75.8% clip, which will test Northwestern’s defensive discipline.
Steinbach isn’t carrying the load alone. Washington boasts a balanced backcourt where Zoom Diallo (14.9 points per game), Desmond Claude (13.3 points per game) and Wesley Yates III (12.7 points per game) provide consistent double-digit scoring. Diallo acts as the primary engine with a team-high 3.9 assists per game, while Yates provides elite floor spacing as one of the Big Ten’s most dangerous perimeter threats. Though the Huskies aren’t known as elite shooters, Diallo has posted a solid 31.9% from three-point range and drilled three triples against Illinois. Northwestern can’t afford to leave him open.
2. A Cardiac Wildcats
There is more to take from Northwestern’s Thursday night: A season-high 94 points in conference play. Two individual career-highs. Shooting 63.4% from the field. Draining 12 three-pointers on over 50% shooting. Contributing 28 bench points…
Cardiac.
It’s my first time describing Northwestern that way this season, but Thursday’s 94-73 dismantling of Penn State earned it. The Wildcats secured their second Big Ten victory while leaving the Nittany Lions winless in conference play.
Nick Martinelli elevated his usual dominance with a career-high 34 points, but how his supporting cast performs will determine if Northwestern can string together wins. The big win over Penn State proved the formula: when multiple players step up, the Wildcats become dangerous.
Tre Singleton delivered a statement double-double with 17 points and 18 rebounds — the kind of performance that justifies his place in the starting lineup. Tyler Kropp and Jake West, the other freshman representatives who have cracked the starting lineup, continued providing energy and production. But the revelation came from Angelo Ciaravino, who exploded for a season-high 20 points off the bench.
Outside of K.J. Windham, Wildcat coach Chris Collins has decided to prioritize youngsters, and that decision has paid dividends. Benching veterans Arrinten Page and Jayden Reid shouldn’t be concerning, as Northwestern is moving back to the right track. Having Reid and Page come off the bench also provides valuable depth and allows Collins to switch gears depending on matchups and game flow.
The winning formula for this Northwestern team doesn’t always rely on Martinelli’s magnificence. It’s the versatility that allows someone, or multiple players, to step up and make an impact. Whether the Wildcats can maintain this emerging cardiac trait will be crucial when they clash with the Huskies on Saturday.
3. Winning the rebounding and interior battle
Perhaps most concerning for Northwestern is Washington’s dominance in the trenches. In their recent 72-57 victory over Oregon, the Huskies recorded a staggering 18-1 advantage on the offensive glass — a frightening disparity that fueled their second-chance points and destroyed Oregon’s defense.
Washington deploys a two-big lineup featuring Steinbach and Franck Kepnang, who both stand at 6-foot-11 and create matchup nightmares in the paint. This size advantage has propelled Washington to fourth in the Big Ten in offensive rebounding at 12.4 boards per game. For a Northwestern team that has struggled on the glass throughout the season, keeping the Huskies off the boards is nothing but paramount.
The Huskies also attack downhill aggressively, which means Northwestern must protect the paint without fouling. Steinbach thrives at drawing contact and getting to the free-throw line — exactly the kind of player who can exploit Northwestern’s tendency toward foul trouble. The Wildcats need to play vertical defense, contest shots without reaching and force Washington into difficult looks rather than giving up easy drives and free throws.
If Northwestern can control the glass and limit Washington’s interior scoring without sending the Huskies to the line, the Wildcats have a real chance to build on their Penn State momentum and grab another crucial conference win at home.
