Northwestern HC Chris Collins Calls Out Big Ten After Team Gets Hotel with No AC

Northwestern men's basketball coach Chris Collins is not happy with the Big Ten.

After helping lead his team to a 72-64 victory over Minnesota in the first round of the conference tournament Wednesday, Collins revealed his team was placed in a hotel without air conditioning and said he was tired of the Big Ten's treatment of the Wildcats.

"We're used to being treated like that by this league," Collins said, per Scott Dochterman of The Athletic. "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."

The coach also said he and the staff reported the issue on Tuesday to no avail.

"You just hate it for the guys," Collins said. "I have seniors, and they're 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."

It is certainly noteworthy for a head coach to so blatantly suggest his team's conference is "trying to get us," but Northwestern does have some reason for complaints this season.

Nick Martinelli led the league in scoring at 20.2 points per game but was not named to the All-Big Ten First Team by the coaches or media. In fact, he became the first player to lead the conference in scoring and not earn first-team honors since Michigan State's Maurice Ager in 2006.

What's more, Collins may have been thinking about some officiating during the campaign.

"Something tells me this has something to do with some of the officiating gaffes that have crippled the Cats this season," Kevin Sweeney of Sports Illustrated wrote. "Hotel seems to be the straw that broke the camel's back."

Collins himself said, "You guys watch the games... 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."

Fortunately for the Wildcats, no officiating or lack of air conditioning stopped them from advancing with a win over Minnesota. 

Martinelli poured in 28 points on 12-of-22 shooting from the field, and the game was never in doubt down the stretch. 

Next up for the Wildcats is a showdown with Wisconsin on Thursday.