Five Things We’ve Learned About Northwestern Men’s Basketball

NU has shown plenty of promise, but there’s still a lot to improve upon.

Northwestern has had a decent start to its season, going 2-1. The team opened with a dominant 90-46 win over Lehigh. However, the following game against Dayton was a setback, as NU struggled against full-court pressure, squandering a 13-point lead and ultimately falling to the Flyers after holding a 10-point advantage with just 10 minutes left. Against UIC, NU overcame a slow start to gain control over its MVC opponent. Though it’s still early and the team hasn’t been at full strength—Brooks Barnhizer remains out, and Ty Berry and Matthew Nicholson are easing back from injuries—I’ll focus on five key takeaways from these opening games.

Nick Martinelli has taken a massive jump

Martinelli has emerged as one of the best players in the conference throughout the early slate of the season. Though the sample size is small, Martinelli has looked nothing short of phenomenal. The Glenview native opened his season with 26 points and 10 rebounds in just 28 minutes, then followed it up with an even stronger performance against Dayton, dropping 32 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. With that play, he took home the Big Ten Player of the Week.

In his most recent game, Martinelli posted 27 points, three rebounds and three assists, showcasing his ability to create his own shot and elevate the team’s offensive flow whenever he’s on the court. Through this early stretch, he’s averaging an impressive 28.3 points and nine rebounds per game, shooting a ridiculous 71% from the field and is still a perfect 7-for-7 from beyond the arc. While this level of play may be tough to maintain throughout the season, it’s been a thrilling start.

Martinelli wasn’t initially supposed to be a Wildcat. Initially committed to Elon University, he decommitted after Elon’s head coach Mike Schrage joined Duke’s staff. Still, he was undervalued in recruiting, and Northwestern was the only Power Four school to offer him a spot.

Martinelli’s NU career got off to a slow start, as he wasn’t in the rotation early on and saw limited minutes by season’s end. Across 20 games his freshman year, he averaged just under 10 minutes on the court, contributing 2.6 points per game. In his sophomore campaign, Martinelli improved his game averaging 8.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in 34 games, including 11 starts. His major turning point came after Ty Berry’s injury, which thrust Martinelli into the starting lineup. He immediately made an impact, including a 27-point game against Maryland that helped the Wildcats secure a crucial win. He continued his hot streak with solid performances, scoring 17, 12 and 14 points over the following games.

Those games gave Martinelli the confidence he’s now playing with. While losing a key player like Berry was tough for NU, it ultimately set the stage for Martinelli’s rise—a trajectory that now seems poised to reach new heights.

The team doesn’t have a true point guard right now

When Boo Buie graduated, it left a huge hole for Northwestern to replace. Back in May, I had hoped NU would bring in a strong point guard and wrote an article on the potential fit of Braeden Smith. Right now, it looks like Jalen Leach is the primary point guard. Leach struggled against Dayton and is still adjusting to the point guard role—a position he never fully held at Fairfield, where the team relied on a point guard by committee approach with Caleb Fields and Jasper Floyd.

The impact of this point guard gap was evident against Dayton, with Nick Martinelli often bringing the ball up the court. While Martinelli’s a terrific player, his six turnovers underscored that handling the primary ball distribution isn’t his ideal role. When Barnhizer returns, he should help alleviate some of these issues, but he isn’t a traditional point guard either.

Leach and K.J. Windham have tried to run some of the actions Buie led, but it’s challenging to replicate Buie’s playmaking ability. Northwestern managed only 11 assists against Dayton, with the absence of a true distributor visibly hampering ball movement.

Against UIC, Leach and the NU offense struggled to find rhythm in the first half, but Leach looked revitalized in the second. The Fairfield transfer showed assertiveness, finishing with 16 points and effectively using his size against smaller defenders to get to his spots. If Leach continues to play with this confidence, he will be huge for NU’s offense. While the team doesn’t have a traditional point guard just yet, Leach’s growth could help fill that role as the season progresses.

NU needs Brooks Barnhizer back, and soon

Against Lehigh, the absence of Barnhizer wasn’t felt, as Northwestern completely overpowered the Mountain Hawks. While Lehigh came close to an NCAA Tournament berth last year and returned most of its core, they don’t pose the same challenge NU will face in Big Ten play.

In its next game against Dayton, Northwestern initially looked strong, but things fell apart, with Dayton going on a 20-3 run that Northwestern just couldn’t stop. Turnovers piled up, and the ‘Cats struggled to handle the press. Had Barnhizer been on the court, it’s unlikely NU would’ve lost that game. His size, like Martinelli’s, would have created mismatches against Dayton’s smaller lineup, and his ball-handling skills could have relieved Martinelli, Leach and Windham from bringing the ball up under pressure.

Barnhizer was expected to be NU’s star and focal point heading into the season. His nagging foot injury has definitely put him behind the eight ball in missing the first few games of the season. While he still has the chance to lead the team, Martinelli’s emergence gives the Wildcats a strong one-two punch. Whether Barnhizer becomes the primary option or thrives as the Robin to Martinelli’s Batman, his return will be a major boost for Northwestern.

K.J. Windham and Angelo Ciaravino are serious contributors

K.J. Windham and Angelo Ciaravino have taken on key roles for NU in their first-year campaigns. Windham will likely become the sixth-man once Barnhizer returns. He’s shown flashes of his potential with solid performances, scoring 10 points and dishing out six assists against Lehigh, followed by nine points and three assists against Dayton. While the Indiana native only scored two points in the game against UIC, as Chris Collins said in the postgame press conference about Windham and Ciaravino: “They’re going to be great some nights and then they’re going to be freshmen. They were freshmen tonight.”

Ciaravino has had a more limited role but has flashed his athleticism in each of his appearances. Averaging 7.7 points and 3.3 rebounds over the first three games, he’s logged over 17 minutes per game, showcasing his ability to elevate for rebounds and make smooth drives to the basket. Although both Windham and Ciaravino may see their minutes reduced when Barnhizer returns, their early season and international experience has provided valuable growth opportunities. Both players have the potential to become important contributors as the season continues, and potentially superstars throughout their respective Northwestern careers.

Ty Berry and Matthew Nicholson have to step up their play

Berry and Nicholson haven’t quite looked like their 2023 selves, though that’s to be expected as both are returning from injuries. Berry hasn’t logged more than 28 minutes in a game, and it looks like Chris Collins is easing him back into form. After a rocky start against Lehigh—going scoreless in the first half due to foul trouble—Berry found his rhythm in the second half, finishing with 10 points and two three-pointers. He struggled significantly against Dayton, going scoreless in his 21 minutes. Berry did bounce back against UIC, overcoming a slow start to score 13 points, including three three-pointers.

One aspect fans likely hoped Berry’s return would bolster is ball-handling, especially given the lack of a true point guard on the team. However, he’s still facing issues under pressure and had to be substituted against UIC’s press. When the team prefers to have a forward like Martinelli bringing up the ball over Berry, it shows the team’s trust level in his ball handling.

Nicholson has also had a slow start, averaging just 3.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and maxing out at 20 minutes in any game thus far. It appears he and Luke Hunger are sharing center minutes fairly evenly, with Hunger showing early promise, averaging 9.7 points per game. Northwestern has made efforts to involve Nicholson early in games through lobs, but he has tended to fade offensively as games progress. For Northwestern to reach its potential, both Nicholson and Berry will need to shake off the rust and regain form as the season unfolds.

With a 2-1 record, Northwestern has shown moments of promise, but substantial improvement—and the return of Barnhizer—will be essential if the team aims to make a meaningful run in conference play and the NCAA Tournament.