Nick Martinelli shines, but Northwestern does not: lessons from a long day in College Park

The Northwestern junior can feel like a one-man show sometimes.

“If you don’t see that Nick Martinelli is one of the very best players in this league, then I don’t know what you’re watching.”

Chris Collins’ remarks showcase his amazement with the offensive success the team’s top scorer, and true leader — especially following season-ending injuries to Brooks Barnhizer and Jalen Leach — has had amidst a season of difficulties and bad breaks.

Nick Martinelli has been nothing short of great this season. Expectations were moderately high for the rising junior heading into the year, but with Barnhizer, Leach and returning fifth-year Ty Berry also in the mix, it was presumed that Martinelli might take a backseat to them scoring-wise. The optimistic outlook in the preseason was that the junior would more so be a good defensive prospect while still being able to go get a bucket if need be.

But he’s proven everyone wrong. Now the second-leading scorer in all of the Big Ten, Martinelli has undoubtedly thrust himself into the conversation for all-conference First Team and has made a real name for himself just one year removed from the famed Boo Buie era.

In what could’ve been Northwestern’s final game of the season — though the team has in fact locked down a spot in the Big Ten Tournament as of this morning — Martinelli, once again, gave it his all. The Glenview native dropped 28 points and added seven rebounds on 8-19 shooting and was the game’s leading scorer, an all-too-familiar title for him by now.

In fact, Martinelli hasn’t dropped fewer than 15 points in a contest since early January when the ‘Cats lost to Purdue in West Lafayette. During that stretch, though? Northwestern is just 6-10.

So, what’s been the issue? There’s no doubt that Leach and Barnhizer’s absence has been a hindrance to the team’s performance. Guys who weren’t previously in the rotation like Jordan Clayton and first-years Angelo Ciaravino and K.J. Windham have seen their roles dramatically increase in the past few weeks.

But what’s really hurt the Wildcats, a quality that’s really been rearing its ugly head in the past few weeks, has been a lack of three-point shooting ability.

It’s no secret that this Wildcats team is shooting less from beyond the arc than in years past. Fortunately, it didn’t matter at the beginning of the year, mainly because the Wildcats were still relatively efficient from inside the paint and played stifling defense on the other end.

But the clear deficiency has finally caught up to them, and it showed itself on Saturday afternoon. Despite Martinelli’s aforementioned 28, it was a struggle for practically anyone else to really get going offensively. As a team, NU shot just 4-for-19 from deep, resulting in a stagnant-looking offense that was just too easy for a big team like Maryland to guard.

Berry and Windham have both been huge contributors in the wake of the injury bug that continually bit Collins and Co. Both had shaky starts to the year, but have since learned to step up and have each come into their own offensively in a big way.

But when going up against a team as good as 13th-ranked Maryland, at some point the shots simply need to fall. And yesterday, they didn’t: Berry, Martinelli, and Windham shot a combined 4-15 from behind the arc, many of which were good looks.

Even in a day in which Martinelli achieved a program milestone, converting the most made field goals in a single season in Northwestern history, the Wildcats still find themselves looking for answers on how to solve an ongoing problem.

Luckily for them, a chance for redemption remains. The Big Ten Tournament looms around the corner with the final day of regular season action today, and March inevitably calls for madness to ensue. More than anything, it’s a final chance for the ‘Cats to play like their best selves before time runs out.

Northwestern’s identity under its most successful years in program history has been rooted in three-point success to space the floor and allow guys like Martinelli to work without facing nearly constant double teams. As we look ahead to next year, Coach Collins ought to consider rebuilding as such.