Northwestern Expects Test From Northern Illinois

Wildcats Remain Unbeaten, Race Past Rhode Island

A visit from second-ranked Purdue and the start of the Big Ten season loom Friday, but Northwestern first faces a test from a surging nonconference foe.

The Wildcats (4-1) will host Northern Illinois on Monday at Evanston, Ill., eight days removed from their most recent game and lone loss to date.

Northwestern coach Chris Collins said “we learned a lot about ourselves” during the Hall of Fame Tip-Off tournament in Uncasville, Conn., which concluded with the Wildcats’ 66-57 loss to Mississippi State in the championship game Nov. 19.

One lesson: Even when star guard Boo Buie struggles (4-for-14 shooting, nine points), the Wildcats bring depth to complement him. Brooks Barnhizer and Ryan Langborg scored 13 points apiece, while Ty Berry led the way with 14.

Berry’s game included a team-best three 3-pointers and four steals to go with four rebounds.”

(Ty) is a huge X-factor to our team,” Collins said. “He’s a guy we’re relying on every night. We need Ty to step up, especially when defenses take (Langborg) or (Buie) away.”Northern Illinois (5-1) comes to Welsh-Ryan Arena on its best start to a season since the 2015-16 team opened 7-0.

Sparked by a career-best 34 points from David Coit, who matched a school record with eight treys, the Huskies topped host DePaul 89-79 on Saturday.

Zarique Nutter (19 points, seven rebounds) and Xavier Amos (12 points, eight rebounds) both had solid outings for NIU.”We are getting closer,” Huskies coach Rashon Burno said. “We led for 39:13 in this game. We are getting better; we just have to stay humble and stay focused on what got us here. I’m super excited for these guys to come here and play well. This is big for so many different reasons, recruiting, and making sure that people know we are on the uptick.”

NIU stopped a four-game losing streak in the series to earn its first win against DePaul since 2005. The Huskies have lost four straight to the Wildcats, who rolled to a 63-46 win in Evanston last season.

Northwestern leads the all-time series with NIU 10-2.

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College Sports News
WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025
WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University
Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.
The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.
Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.
As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.
Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.
The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.
The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.
The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.
Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.
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College Sports News
Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State
Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones
Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.
Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.
During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.
In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.
Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.
In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.
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College Sports News
Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer
View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball
Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.
At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.
She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).
In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.
Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.
VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”
“It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”
Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.
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