Three keys for Northwestern men’s basketball against UCLA

Northwestern will try to carry momentum from its win over USC into Saturday’s matchup against UCLA. The Bruins enter the game fresh off a statement 69-67 victory over No. 4 Purdue and have won three of their last four games. While UCLA is currently unranked, it climbed as high as No. 12 earlier this season and remains one of the more talented teams on Northwestern’s schedule.

UCLA’s depth and scoring options present a real challenge, and Northwestern will need to be sharp on both ends of the floor to keep pace. Finding ways to limit the Bruins’ weapons and control the game will be critical. With that in mind, here are three keys to a Northwestern victory.

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Knock down open threes

Three-point shooting has been a persistent issue for Northwestern this season, and while the Wildcats were able to beat USC, it is difficult to rely on wins when only three threes fall over the course of a game. NU shot just 20% from deep against the Trojans and is shooting 31% from three on the season, second-worst in the Big Ten and ahead of only Washington.

Nick Martinelli has been the lone consistent threat from distance, shooting an outstanding 52.1% from three on 2.7 attempts per game. Jake West has also provided a recent boost since moving into the starting lineup, knocking down at least one triple in each of the last four games and shooting 60% during that stretch.

Beyond those two, consistency has been harder to find. Max Green has been streaky and is 2-for-11 from deep over the last four games while shooting 31.6% on the season. Jayden Reid has flashed upside, most notably with a four-trey performance against Illinois, but he is still shooting 32% from beyond the arc.

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Against Northwestern, the Bruins are likely to pack the paint and force the ‘Cats to win from the perimeter. Last game’s starting lineup featuring West, Green, Tre Singleton, Martinelli and Tyler Kropp was solid and gives NU three credible shooting threats, but maintaining that spacing will be…

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Publish date : 2026-01-23 20:48:00

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