- Matchup: Washington Huskies vs Northwestern Wildcats
- Event Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026
- Venue: Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, IL
- Broadcast: ESPN+
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The Northwestern Wildcats (9-11) are set to square off against the Washington Huskies (11-9) at Welsh-Ryan Arena this Saturday.
In their most recent game, the Washington Huskies emerged victorious against Oregon with a final score of 72-57. The Huskies exhibited an impressive shooting performance, achieving a field goal percentage of 41.5% (27 of 65) and successfully making 10 out of 21 attempts from beyond the arc. At the free-throw line, they converted 8 of 13 for a shooting percentage of 61.5%. Washington tallied 42 rebounds, including 18 offensive boards, and distributed 15 assists while forcing Oregon into 10 turnovers, resulting in 10 steals. On defense, Washington allowed their opponents to achieve a shooting percentage of 35.7% (15 of 42). Oregon recorded 4 assists and managed 8 steals during the match, while grabbing 23 rebounds (1 offensive, 22 defensive) with no blocks. Oregon finished with free-throw shooting at an impressive 85.7%, making 24 of 28 attempts, but only converted 3 of 15 three-point attempts. The Huskies committed a total of 18 personal fouls compared to 12 for Oregon.
Jacob Ognacevic had a standout performance, shooting an impressive 80.0% from the field and contributing 1 assist. He played for 24 minutes, securing 2 rebounds and scoring a total of 12 points on 4 for 5 shooting.
Currently, Washington boasts a win-loss record of 11-9. The team averages 10.6 turnovers and commits about 17.3 fouls per game. On the glass, the Huskies are pulling down 38.3 rebounds per outing with a total of 278 assists thus far, ranking them 240th in college basketball for team assists. They are shooting 31.4% from long distance (133 of 423) and 77.1% from the charity stripe. Averaging 79.0 points per game (ranked 130th in NCAA), they are shooting 44.9% from the floor.
Defensively, the Huskies force an average of 10.7 turnovers per game while committing 17.9 personal fouls. They allow opponents to shoot 31.7% from three-point range and rank 177th in college basketball regarding opponents’ points allowed per game (73.3). The Huskies permit opponents a shooting percentage of 43.3% (521 of 1,203) and yield an average of 33.5 rebounds per game. They rank 108th nationally in assists allowed, giving up 260 on the season.
In their last outing, the Northwestern Wildcats fell to UCLA by a score of 71-64. The Wildcats secured 21 defensive boards and 8 offensive rebounds for a total of 29 rebounds in the game. They surrendered possession 9 times, earning 3 steals. UCLA committed 13 personal fouls, allowing Northwestern 20 free-throw attempts, of which they converted 17 for an 85.0% free-throw shooting rate. Northwestern connected on 7 of 23 three-point attempts (30.4%). Shooting 20 for 53 from the field, they achieved a percentage of 37.7%. UCLA, on the other hand, shot 49.1% overall, making 26 out of 53 attempts, and 44.4% from beyond the arc (8 of 18), while Northwestern shot 52.4% at the free-throw line, converting 11 of 21 attempts. In terms of rebounding, Northwestern allowed UCLA to collect 29 total rebounds, including 7 offensive boards.
Nick Martinelli was a key player for the Wildcats, scoring 20 points in 37 minutes of play and contributing 2 assists. He hit 8 out of 19 shots for an efficiency of 42.1% and collected 8 rebounds.
Northwestern’s record stands at 9-11 this season. Offensively, the Wildcats have a shooting percentage of 46.5%, placing them 118th nationally. They have scored a total of 1,530 points this season (76.5 points per game) and average 33.1 rebounds per game. The Wildcats dish out assists at a rate of 17.8 per game (21st in Division 1) and average just 8.4 turnovers. They also commit 18.2 personal fouls per game and shoot 74.5% from the free-throw line.
On the defensive end, the Wildcats rank 128th in Division 1 for points allowed per game at 71.7. They force opponents into an average of 11.0 turnovers per game and allow a shooting percentage of 42.6% from the floor (120th in Division 1). Northwestern’s defense allows 30.6% from beyond the arc (139 of 454) and opponents convert 71.9% of their free throws. They also allow an average of 14.9 assists and 35.2 rebounds per game, ranking them 290th and 217th in Division 1, respectively.
Who will claim victory in tonight’s NCAA matchup against the spread?
Prediction: Back Washington
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