Chris Collins Takes Jabs at Big Ten Over Hotel Air Conditioning
Following Northwestern's win over Minnesota in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday, head coach Chris Collins spoke about the team's resiliency in battling through a tough season.
That adversity has been well-documented, as the team's second- and third-leading scorers, Brooks Barnhizer and Jalen Leach, both suffered season-ending injuries. However, Collins detailed another unfortunate circumstance that the Wildcats had to deal with the night before their game against the Gophers.
"Our guys are just a tough group of guys; they've had a lot thrown at them," Collins said. "Even last night, they put us in a hotel, the rooms were a thousand degrees. There was no AC in the hotel, and our guys' rooms were 85 degrees, and that's where the league puts you. Every way they turn, they're trying to get us, and our guys just are a resilient bunch."
Collins has held his tongue on criticizing the Big Ten this season, particularly the officials that have decided several Wildcat games with questionable calls. However, it appears the hotel air conditioning situation was the straw that broke the camel's back as Collins let loose in the postgame presser.
"We're used to being treated like that by this league," Collins said. "They'll put us in one that's hotter if we leave it up to the league."
Guard Ty Berry said he slept on top of the covers, while forwards Nick Martinelli and Angelo Ciaravino had to rub ice on their faces throughout the night to stay cool.
Collins said Northwestern was the only team that stayed in the hotel with the broken AC.
"You just hate it for the guys," Collins said. "I have seniors that are playing for their lives, and they come down and said, 'Coach, I have to have an ice bucket next to my bed. It's steaming hot.' Even this morning after we did our walk-through, our guys had to sit in the lobby or sit in our team room. They couldn't even go to their rooms. The worst thing you want to do before a game is sit in a sauna for two hours."
After losing to UCLA on a non-call that would've sent Martinelli to the line with the chance to tie the game, Collins remarked, "I like my paycheck," when asked about the officiating. Despite his initial frustration with the hotel situation, Collins declined to go scorched-earth on Wednesday regarding the conference's treatment of Northwestern, but he still voiced his displeasure.
"You guys watch the games, I don't have to get at anything," Collins said. "You guys are the ones tweeting out how we're being officiated and how we're being treated. I don't have to say anything. You guys watch the same games I do, so I'm not going to get into any of that stuff."
Northwestern will look to upset No. 5 seed Wisconsin in the second round of the tournament on Thursday. New hotel or not, taking down the Badgers will be a tall task for the 'Cats.
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Gavin Dorsey is the Lead Writer for Northwestern Wildcats On SI and covers a handful of other teams in the On SI network. Before joining On SI in February 2025, he wrote for the Star Tribune and Inside NU while broadcasting college sports for both radio and television. Dorsey is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, where he also studied psychology. In his free time, he enjoys running and being outdoors. Dorsey is currently a freelance writer for the Associated Press, covering Chicago area sports teams.