Northwestern Basketball: 2023-24 season preview for the Wildcats

Schedule Preview

Non-conference Schedule

11/6 – Binghamton (H)

11/10 – Dayton (H)

11/14 – Western Michigan (H)

11/18 – Rhode Island (N, Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament)

11/19 – Mississippi State or Washington State (N, Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament)

11/27 – Northern Illinois (H)

12/1 – Purdue (H, Big Ten season opener)

12/10 – Detroit Mercy (H)

12/13 – Chicago State (H)

12/16 – Depaul (A)

12/20 – Arizona State (A)

12/29 – Jackson State (H)

Big Ten Schedule

1/2 – Illinois (A)

1/7 – Michigan State (H)

1/10 – Penn State (A)

1/13 – Wisconsin (A)

1/17 – Maryland (H)

1/20 – Nebraska (A)

1/24 – Illinois (H)

1/27 – Ohio State (H)

1/31 – Purdue (A)

2/3 – Minnesota (A)

2/7 – Nebraska (H)

2/11 – Penn State (H)

2/15 – Rutgers (A)

2/18 – Indiana (A)

2/22 – Michigan (H)

2/28 – Maryland (A)

3/2 – Iowa (H)

3/6 – Michigan State (A)

3/9 – Minnesota (H)

Schedule Outlook

Northwestern is set to have a rather tame non-conference schedule that will have a few interesting matchups. The first of these matchups will be their second game of the season against Dayton. Dayton is projected to finish near the top of the A-10 this season, and the team has had some solid seasons recently.

A little over a week later, the team will get to face off against either Mississippi State or Washington State, two teams that appeared in the NCAA tournament and NIT tournament, respectively, last season. And in the team’s second-to-last non-conference game of the season, the Wildcats will have a road matchup against Arizona State, another team who appeared in the NCAA tournament last season.

Sandwiched in between those matchups will be the Big Ten opener against Purdue, which will take place on December 1st, and a month before their next in-conference matchup.

Big Ten play will present its usual rigors and challenges; however, Northwestern has been dealt a tough start to conference play, and will have to face off against the aforementioned Purdue, along with Illinois and Michigan State, to open conference play. These early season matchups could be an early litmus test as to where the team stands in the Big Ten, and winning at least one of those matchups could be a good sign for the Wildcats.

Northwestern will also have several other tough road tests at Wisconsin, Maryland, Rutgers, and Indiana, while also having their second matchup of the year against both Purdue and Michigan State on the road. The early season matchups against Michigan State and Purdue, along with Michigan, Iowa, and Ohio State, highlight Northwestern’s home slate of games in conference play.