With just three returning players this season, Northwestern gets its first chance to form an on-court identity when the Wildcats open the season at home against Binghamton on Monday (Nov. 2) at Evanston, Ill.
The Wildcats endured a disappointing season in 2025-26, going 15-19 overall and 5-15 in the Big Ten Conference. To make matters worse for head coach Chris Collins, the team lost 12 players to the transfer portal or graduation, leaving only junior Angelo Ciaravino and sophomores Jake West and Phoenix Gill — all guards — on the current roster.
Collins is confident that West, who averaged 5.3 points and 2.8 assists per game as a freshman last season, has what it takes to be the program’s next top point guard. West started 17 of the 33 games he played.
“I want him to be the head of the snake,” said Collins, who is entering his 14th season with the program. “He’s going to be the one with the ball. We need his voice in huddles. We need his voice commanding because all of our guys look up to him, and you know he’s going to be the one leading the way.”
With 11 newcomers, including eight transfers, the squad is building synergy ahead of the opener.
“The three returners just have to step up and show all the new guys the way and show what Northwestern’s about,” Ciaravino said.
Binghamton enters the 2026-27 campaign after an injury-riddled season that found the squad in last place in the America East. However, the Bearcats were ranked third in this year’s preseason conference poll, which is the program’s highest predicted finish in its 26 seasons in the America East.
A pair of seniors in center Demetrius Lilley and guard Jeremiah Quigley make Binghamton the only team in the conference with multiple members on the preseason all-conference team.
Lilley averaged 14.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game before a season-ending injury. Quigley started in 30 games last season and contributed 14.5 points, 6.4 assists and 1.2 steals on his way to earning third-team all-conference honors.
“It’s nice to be placed higher than ever before,” Binghamton head coach Levell Sanders said of the preseason poll. “But we still have to play. I think we will have a good squad and now it’s time to go out and prove it.”