Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Northwestern Wilcats Picks and Predictions March 12th 2025

Northwestern and Minnesota Square Off in High-Stakes Opener

Both Northwestern and Minnesota enter the Big Ten Tournament desperate for a turnaround after closing the regular season on two-game losing streaks. The 12th-seeded Golden Gophers (15-16) and 13th-seeded Wildcats (16-15) will battle Wednesday in Indianapolis, with the winner earning a second-round matchup against No. 5 seed Wisconsin on Thursday.

For Minnesota, the stakes are clear.

“I don’t think anyone wants to lose or go out,” leading scorer Dawson Garcia said. “Everyone understands the circumstances. It’s win or go home. We have our goals set on high expectations for ourselves.”

Both teams finished 7-13 in Big Ten play, and their most recent meeting on Feb. 25 was a closely contested game before Northwestern pulled away late for a 75-63 road victory. The Wildcats leaned on their star, Nick Martinelli, who erupted for 29 points, including 19 after halftime.

Garcia did his best to carry Minnesota in that game, finishing with 26 points and nine rebounds, but the Golden Gophers lacked a strong secondary scoring presence. Reserve forward Frank Mitchell was the only other player in double figures, contributing 10 points.

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Key Players to Watch

Minnesota will once again look to Garcia to lead the way. After a slight scoring dip in the previous two games, he bounced back with 19 points and eight rebounds in an overtime loss to Rutgers on Sunday.

Northwestern, meanwhile, continues to rely heavily on Martinelli, who leads the Big Ten in scoring at 20.2 points per game. The Wildcats have been in scramble mode offensively since losing Brooks Barnhizer and Jalen Leach to season-ending injuries.

Martinelli has stepped up, posting three 20-point performances in the past four games, including 28 points in a 13-point loss to No. 13 Maryland on Saturday.

“If you don’t see that Nick Martinelli is one of the very best players in this league,” Northwestern coach Chris Collins said, “then I don’t know what you’re watching. … He’s a warrior, man. I love that he’s on my team.”

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What’s at Stake?

The loser will see its season likely come to an end, while the winner gets a shot at upsetting a Wisconsin team that has struggled with inconsistency down the stretch.

With both teams showing flashes of potential throughout the season, this Big Ten Tournament opener could go down to the wire, just like their last meeting. The pressure is on, and for one team, the journey will continue.