​After finishing 15-19 (5-15 Big Ten), Northwestern has begun to finalize its schedule for the upcoming year. Northwestern’s conference schedule has already been announced, with home-and-home matchups against Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota being finalized. However, independent reporter Rocco Miller at Bracketeer.org recently broke the news on some of Northwestern basketball’s finalized non-conference games.They include a home showdown with DePaul, whom the ‘Cats narrowly edged out in an 81-79 thriller last season, as well as neutral matchups against BYU, Oklahoma State and more. The Wildcats’ non-conference slate looks pretty competitive, with several Quad I and Quad II games on the schedule. Some positive showings in the winter could build Northwestern’s case as a tournament team come spring.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMiller reported Northwestern will kick off the season with a trio of home tune-up games against Binghamton, Stony Brook and Boston University. None of these teams should be a big test for the Wildcats. Binghamton finished 360th in NET rankings and with just eight wins, three of which came against non-Division I opponents. Stony Brook finished 17-15 (9-9 in the Colonial Athletic Association) and lost most of its experience and talent to graduation and the transfer portal. Northwestern beat Boston University by 24 points away from home last season, and the Terriers will miss most of their main drivers from their improbable Patriot League tournament run.All of these teams look like Quad IV teams by the end of the season, per Barttorvik.com’s projections. Outside of the abnormal, they should be light work for a Northwestern team that will need to iron out the wrinkles before taking on high-major opposition.DePaul will be the first major test for Northwestern this season. DePaul appears headed for another season in the basement of the Big East, although it made huge leaps from its winless Big East record in the 2023-24 season. The Wildcats faced DePaul away from home last season and took home a razor-tight win thanks to two clutch Nick Martinelli free throws. According to Miller’s reporting, Northwestern will also travel to DePaul for the 2027-28 season, continuing the crosstown rivalry. Led by returning senior Layden Blocker, the Blue Demons will be the first real litmus test for Northwestern’s season. Beat this high-major team at home, and there is true cause for optimism in Evanston. Lose to them, and there is work to be done.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAfterward, Northwestern stays at Welsh-Ryan Arena to face Columbia University. Columbia is no pushover, but it figures to be a mediocre mid-major team that likely won’t make any real noise as a tournament team. Experience is on the Lions’ side; over half of their minutes played returned from last year’s roster. Still, they’re not as talented as Northwestern is, and the Wildcats should be heavily favored to win.Per several sources and repo