Northwestern University Men's Basketball

The 2022-23 Big Ten Coach of the Year, Sullivan-Ubben Head Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Collins has guided Northwestern men’s basketball to new heights over ...

Brendon Ziegler joined Northwestern as an assistant director of sports performance in 2022 and works primarily with the men’s basketball and fencing programs. Ziegler previously spent 11 seasons overseeing the strength and conditioning programs with Cal State Bakersfield basketball, handling the implementation of season and off-season programs. Ziegler helped the Roadrunners achieve the program’s first Big West Conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015-16. Ziegler helped CSU Bakersfield reach the NIT semifinals hosted at Madison Square Garden the following year in 2016-17. Prior to his time at CSU Bakersfield, Ziegler spent five years as an assistant sports performance coordinator at Oregon State working with the men’s basketball, football, softball and golf programs. He also has experience as a strength and conditioning coach at Hawai’I, Wisconsin and the Chicago Bulls. Ziegler is also a championship-winning weightlifter and captured men’s division titles in state competitions while at Oregon State. The Edgerton, Wisc. native graduated from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn. with a degree in exercise science/biology in 2004, where he played defensive line for the football team. Ziegler is married to former CSU Bakersfield head softball coach Crissy Buck-Ziegler. The couple has a son, Brock.

Brian James enters his 13th season on staff at Northwestern on head coach Chris Collins’ staff and begins his fourth season as special assistant to the head coach in 2025-26. James, who has been a part of three NCAA Tournament team in Evanston, is in charge of working with Northwestern's post players and out of bounds plays. He is credited for drawing up “The Play,” Nathan Taphorn’s length-of-the-court pass to Dererk Pardon that resulted in a buzzer-beating 67-65 win for Northwestern over Michigan in 2017 that all but clinched NU’s first NCAA tournament berth in program history. During his time in Evanston, James has worked with the top three shot blockers in school history in Alex Olah, Pardon and Matthew Nicholson. Northwestern has recorded its top four shot blocking seasons in program history during James’ tenure. Most recently in 2024-25, Nicholson recorded a career-best 45 blocks and became the first player in program history to register three seasons of 40+ rejections. The Wildcats posted their third straight winning season and Nick Martinelli became the first Wildcat to lead the Big Ten in scoring since 2011-12 (John Shurna), averaging 20.5 points per game, the highest scoring average by a Wildcat since Evan Eschmeyer (21.7) in 1997-98. Martinelli was named All-Big Ten Second Team. Brooks Barnhizer, who was named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and NABC All-District Second Team, posted averages of 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game

One of the most accomplished players in school history and career assist leader at Northwestern, Bryant McIntosh enters his fourth season as an assistant coa...

Chris Lauten enters his 13th season as the team's director of basketball operations in 2025-26. His duties include assisting in all day-to-day operations of the Wildcat basketball program, including scheduling, team travel, serving as the team's academic liaison and directing the summer basketball camps. Lauten came to Northwestern after working for the NBA Development League in New York, N.Y., since October of 2008. During his time with the NBA D-League, Lauten was responsible for scouting and signing players for the league's annual draft, for processing player personnel-related transactions, for providing NBA teams with information highlighting the D-League's top prospects and for managing the basketball operations behind the league's Showcase, All-Star and Summer League events among other responsibilities. He also served as an NBA Employee Volunteer from 2010-12, where he mentored New York-based middle school students. Lauten is a 2008 graduate of Duke University with degrees in sociology and history. He was a five-year letterwinner as a student manager for the school's men's basketball program and served as the head senior manager for the Blue Devils for two seasons. Lauten assisted with the logistics behind team practices, meetings and scout sessions, compiled video and statistical reports and was involved with on-court drills and skill work. He also served as a youth basketball camp counselor during the summers. He is a native of Orlando, Fla.

A veteran college coach with more than 25 years of experience, Chris Lowery enters his fourth season at Northwestern as an assistant coach in 2025-26. Since ...

Connor Barrett is in his first season as a graduate assistant with Northwestern men’s basketball in 2024-25. Before arriving in Evanston, Barrett attended Valparaiso University where he played four seasons on the men’s basketball team. The Chicago, Ill. native played in 77 games and made 16 starts over four seasons. He attended Loyola Academy HS and played a year of prep school at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire where he was a member of the 2019-20 NEPSAC championship team. Barrett graduated from Valparaiso in 2024 and majored in finance.

Isaac Likekele joined Northwestern men’s basketball as a graduate assistant prior to the 2025-26 season. Before coming to Evanston, Likekele played collegiately at Oklahoma State and Ohio State. Over his five year college career (2018-2023), Likekele appeared in 146 games, starting in 125. He became the first player in Oklahoma State history to tally 1,000 points, 600 rebounds and 400 assists over a career and was a two-time honorable mention All-Big 12 selection during his four years in Stillwater, Okla. After his collegiate career, Likekele spent two years playing professionally in northern Europe. In 23 games playing for the Norwegian team Fyllingen BBK during the 2023-24 season, Likekele averaged 20.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 8.4 assists. For the ensuing season, Likekele signed with the Finnish squad Kouvot and appeared in seven games. During his senior year in high school, Likekele averaged 18 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists per game at Mansfield Timberview High School. In 2017, he led the school to the Texas 5A state title. Likekele was graded as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and ranked as the No. 10 player in Texas and No. 27 player in the country. He was a member of the United States’ 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup roster that won gold in Greece.

Jeff Tanaka joined Northwestern in November 2021. He is responsible for overseeing the health care of the men’s basketball team, supporting the athletic trai...

Jeren McGhee is in his second year with Northwestern Athletics as the Assistant Equipment Manager for men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and the spirit sq...

John Martinez joined the Northwestern Men’s Basketball program in June of 2021, and will begin his fourth season as Basketball Video and Recruiting Operation...

Lindsay Esposito joined Northwestern Athletics as the Assistant Director of Performance Nutrition in April of 2021 after serving the last four years as a sports dietitian at Purdue University. In her new role, her work is centered around helping student athletes use nutrition to fuel both athletic and academic success through individualized nutrition counseling, team education, meal planning, and assessment of food and supplement security. Previously, Esposito served in roles with University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Sports Nutrition in 2012-15, University of Houston in 2015, and Rutgers University in 2016. A Chicago suburb native, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Food Science & Human Nutrition with a concentration in Dietetics in 2015 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a master’s degree concentrated in Applied Exercise Science and Sports Nutrition at Concordia University Chicago in 2019. Esposito is a Registered Dietitian (RD) and a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) who is actively involved in the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA) and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She also is a dietetic internship preceptor where she provides guidance, practical experience, and training to RDs to be. In her free time, Esposito can be found spending time with family or outdoors hiking, running, or relaxing on a beach as weather permits.

Men's BasketballSkip AdGallagher, MattBarrett, ConnorCollins, ChrisEsposito, Lindsay Gallagher, MattJames, BrianLauten, ChrisLikekele, IsaacLowery, ChrisMartinez, JohnMcGhee, JerenMcIntosh, BryantSouthwell, ShaneTanaka, JeffWalsh, MauraZiegler, Brendon

Maura Walsh began her position as Assistant Director of Basketball Operations in January 2025. She previously held the role of Operations Assistant with Nort...

A former All-Big 12 player at Kansas State, Shane Southwell enters his second season at Northwestern as an assistant coach in 2025-26. During his first season on Head Coach Chris Collins’ staff, Southwell aided the Wildcats to their third consecutive winning season. Nick Martinelli became the first Wildcat to lead the Big Ten in scoring since 2011-12 (John Shurna), averaging 20.5 points per game, the highest scoring average by a Wildcat since Evan Eschmeyer (21.7) in 1997-98. Martinelli was named All-Big Ten Second Team. Brooks Barnhizer, who was named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and NABC All-District Second Team, posted averages of 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in 17 games before missing the remainder of the season due to injury. Southwell came to Evanston after spending two years (2022-24) at Northern Illinois as associate head coach and previously had coaching stops at his alma mater, Kansas State (2020-22), where he was instrumental in recruiting all-american Markquis Nowell, and Robert Morris (2019-20). He also served on Weber's staff as video coordinator for the 2019 U19 World Cup, helping the USA win a gold medal with a 7-0 record. In 2023-24, Southwell helped NIU to its best start since 2015-16 as the Huskies opened 5-1. The Huskies finished the season recording the fourth-most 3-point field goals in school history (227) while playing the toughest schedule in the Mid-American Conference. David Coit became just the fourth