Inside NU
Roll Damn 'Cats
Total reads
2,837
This week
2
Rank
#82 of 460
Published
963 posts
Most read posts
Featured on Sportsblogs
Run this blog? Add the badge to your site to show readers you're featured — it links back to this page.
Latest Entries
Collins’ Classroom: Clayton’s Clamps
The Wildcats only played one game this week, a close loss at Butler. It was yet another game that followed a similar script, although offense was the problem in this one sans Martinelli, rather than the defensive issues that have plagued the ‘Cats all year. But like Virginia, Oklahoma State and Ohio State before, the […]
Inside NU’s Christmas wish for each Northwestern sports team
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! Alongside our own personal Christmas wishes, the Inside NU editors-in-chief and managing editors came together to come up with one wish for each of Northwestern’s 18 varsity athletic programs. From a healthy Grace Sullivan to new football transfer portal additions, there are many things that Wildcat fans would love […]
Impact of key injuries on Northwestern men’s and women’s basketball
The 2025-26 season opened with both urgency and optimism for both of Northwestern’s basketball teams. For the men’s team, Chris Collins put together a completely retooled lineup following the departure of Brooks Barnhizer, welcoming eight new arrivals and bringing back seven returners. On the women’s side, the team is embracing a farewell tour for the […]
Why Northwestern football will/won’t beat Central Michigan
It’s been quite a long wait for ‘Cats faithful, but that wait is over. Why? It’s bowl week. That’s why. Friday is make-or-break for Northwestern. Sitting at 6-6, the GameAbove Sports Bowl decides whether the ‘Cats finish above or below .500. In other terms, the final game of the season will be the ultimate determinant […]
Big Ten Basketball Weekly: Gearing up for a Conference Gauntlet
As non-conference action wraps up for teams around the country, the Big Ten will be getting its final tests outside the conference before the B1G gauntlet begins in January. But for now, there was still plenty that went down this past week that gave us a new perspective on who’s up and who’s not in […]
Hoosier Hysteria, Wildcat Wavering: How Indiana’s rise the top serves as a blueprint for Northwestern football
If you told a college football fan three seasons ago that powerhouse Indiana, the No. 1 team in the country and sole undefeated team left would be taking under underdog Alabama in the 12-team College Football Playoff, they might pass out. At the end of 2023, the Hoosiers were on the heels of a hard-to-watch […]
After a historic pregame reunion, the Wildcats’ sixth straight loss was marred by key absences
For Northwestern women’s basketball head coach Joe McKeown, Sunday’s return to his former school provided closure for a decorated head coaching career that spanned five decades. “It was so surreal to be here,” McKeown said postgame. “I didn’t even know where to sit with the bench. I was walking around like a zombie.” Unfortunately for […]
Three keys for Northwestern football against Central Michigan
It’s finally bowl game week. After a nearly month-long break, the Northwestern Wildcats (6-6, 4-5 B1G) will finally be back in action this Friday against Central Michigan (7-5, 5-3 MAC) in the GameAbove Sports Bowl. The ‘Cats should be heavily favored in this contest given their superior strength of schedule, but the Chippewas have had […]
Big Ten Bracketology, Week 7: Impenetrable Iowa
The Big Ten had a relatively quiet week overall, although a few marquee matchups on neutral courts certainly turned some heads. However, outside of the top teams in the conference, most B1G teams turned heads in a bad way by struggling in those matchups, and with conference play just around the corner, the B1G has […]
Rapid Reaction: Shorthanded NU unable to keep up with GW, falling 75-62 in McKeown’s homecoming
Shorthanded and on the road, Northwestern (6-6, 0-1 B1G) hung around early but couldn’t match George Washington’s (8-5, 1-0 A-10) fourth-quarter surge, losing 75-62 in Joe McKeown’s homecoming for its sixth straight loss. The Wildcats were plagued by the absences of Grace Sullivan, Casey Harter and DaiJa Turner in Sunday’s contest. Without those three key […]
Wrestling: Northwestern rolls over Rock Haven 19-13 for home opener victory
Northwestern wrestling improved to 2-1 on the young season with a decisive 19-13 victory over Lock Haven in its home opener on Friday night. The ‘Cats have now won two straight after a frustrating loss to SIUE to open dual meet season in mid-November. Northwestern’s lightweights set the tone in this one as the hosts […]
Once again, Northwestern men’s basketball suffers a down-to-the-wire loss
Another big opportunity, another down-to-the-wire showdown and another narrow loss. That’s become the theme of the 2025-26 Northwestern men’s basketball season of late. The Wildcats have now played five games that were decided by fewer than six points — all against Power Conference opponents, with four of those games being losses. Their 61-58 loss to […]
Gamethread/How to watch Northwestern women’s basketball vs. George Washington: TV, streaming, radio, injury report
For the first time since his departure in 2008, Wildcat head coach Joe McKeown will face George Washington, the school he led to 15 NCAA Tournaments during his tenure. The two teams in Sunday’s contest are on opposite trajectories, with the ‘Cats (6-5, 0-1 B1G) sporting a five-game losing streak and the Revolutionaries (7-5, 1-0 […]
Rapid Reaction: Northwestern basketball narrowly falls 61-58 to Butler without Nick Martinelli in Indianapolis
The Wildcats mounted a late comeback attempt after trailing for double digits for parts of the second half, but Butler (9-3, 1-1 Big East) held on for a narrow 61-58 win over Northwestern (7-5, 0-2 B1G). Northwestern was without its lead scorer Nick Martinelli, who suffered a concussion. With its worst offensive output of the […]
Gamethread/How to watch Northwestern men’s basketball at Butler: TV, radio, streaming, injury report, betting line
The Wildcats will be without their star player, Nick Martinelli, when they travel to Indianapolis to take on Butler this Saturday afternoon. While being shorthanded, they have an opportunity to gain a Quad One win against the Bulldogs in Indianapolis and avenge their narrow loss from last season. Here’s how to follow along. Broadcast Information […]
2025 Northwestern Football Know Your Opponent: Central Michigan Chippewas
It’s been a while since I wrote one of these (the previous one was posted on Aug. 23). However, Northwestern football has a 13th game on its schedule, the Mid-American Conference’s Central Michigan Chippewas. As the two teams are set to face each other at Ford Field in the GameAbove Sports Bowl on Friday, Dec. […]
In his final coaching season, Joe McKeown’s return to George Washington reawakens a storied past
On Sunday, the Charles E. Smith Center will welcome one of its most legendary coaches for the first time in 6,504 days. March 1, 2008, is the date of the last home game Joe McKeown coached at George Washington before his departure to the Chicagoland area. Since then, the women’s basketball head coach has won […]
Volleyball: Why Northwestern should take on Nebraska at Wrigley Field
In 2024, Northwestern put on the biggest volleyball event in school history, selling out Welsh-Ryan arena for the first time ever in its conference matchup against Nebraska. Although the ‘Cats dropped the matchup, getting swept at home, that specific contest can be seen as the launching pad for the beginning of the turnaround for the […]
Collins’ Classroom: Defense Doesn’t Travel
I’m back, folks. For the three of you out there that noticed my absence, I have been traveling Australia and New Zealand for the past four weeks, spending time with family and on the road. Rest assured, I have watched every Wildcats game since my last article and I finally have time to write about […]
Rapid Reaction: Thomas’ dominance not enough as Northwestern women’s basketball falls to Loyola Chicago, 69-68, in Sullivan’s absence
A furious fourth quarter comeback would not be enough for Northwestern, as the Wildcats fell 69-68 to Loyola Chicago. The loss was Northwestern’s first to Loyola since Nov. 2023, and the Wildcats’ fifth straight loss after a 6-0 start to the season. The game was marred by a Grace Sullivan ankle injury in the first […]
Gamethread/How to watch Northwestern women’s basketball vs. Loyola Chicago: TV, streaming, radio, injury report
Grace Sullivan might be on a tear, but the Wildcats certainly are not. While the senior forward is averaging 24 points per game this season, Northwestern women’s basketball has now lost four games in a row and sits at 6-4 (0-1 B1G). But hope springs eternal; the ‘Cats are back in action today against crosstown […]
Field Hockey: Northwestern midfielder Maddie Zimmer wins second-straight National Player of the Year award
The national championship isn’t the only title Northwestern field hockey won back-to-back in 2025. On Thursday morning, the National Field Hockey Coaches Assocation (NFHCA) named Northwestern graduate midfielder Maddie Zimmer the 2025 Division I National Player of the Year, which is presented annually to the top player in college field hockey. The occasion marks the […]
Answering all your holiday mailbag questions!
From Jaybird: Do one of you attend every post-game basketball press conference? If you do attend, would you consider asking commenters here for suggestions on a question to ask? And if you aren’t always able to send a representative, would you consider allowing a commenter to do so? Yanyan: Yes, we try to be at […]
Thanks to its veterans, Northwestern has found its winning ways again
Nick Martinelli has seen some massive games in his time at Northwestern. Whether it’s the pair of Purdue upsets, the breakout game against Maryland his sophomore year or the game-winner against USC last season, Martinelli knows what it takes to win big games. By comparison, Northwestern’s 86-70 victory over Valparaiso on Tuesday night had very […]
Rapid Reaction: Northwestern controls the game from start to finish in 86-70 defeat of Valparaiso
Facing two games in four days, the Wildcats took care of business at home before another big test ahead on the road. On Tuesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena, Northwestern (7-4, 0-2 B1G) beat Valparaiso (6-5, 0-0 MVC) 86-70, collecting two successive wins after a previous three-game skid. Despite encountering a series of rallies from the […]