Copyright Nbc Sports
Northwestern men’s basketball is entering unfamiliar territory. In the past, NU head coach Chris Collins has relied on veterans that had been through everything together: losing streaks, rebuilding conversations and, finally, back-to-back NCAA tournament runs. That stability is gone. The Wildcats return just one starter from last year’s roster, senior forward and Big Ten leading scorer Nick Martinelli. The rest of the core — Brooks Barnhizer, Ty Berry, Jalen Leach and Matthew Nicholson — has moved on, taking more than half of the team’s scoring production with it. In Monday’s season opener, the Wildcats had three players starting in their Northwestern debut for the first time since 2007. Collins’ squad delivered a comfortable 23-point win over Mercyhurst as it now embraces the challenge of filling the gaps in the new campaign. Key Absences Northwestern’s roster typically features a few seasoned starters that Collins can count on to lead the young bench. Not this year. Nicholson, Barnhizer and Berry’s departure marks the end of an era in Northwestern basketball history. All three came to Evanston during a rough time for the Wildcats, three years removed from Northwestern’s last (and, then, only) NCAA tournament appearance and coming off multiple losing seasons. “We all understand when we lose great players like that, that as a team, we all have to step up,” senior guard Justin Mullins said at Big Ten Media Day. “And, you know, there is no really filling their shoes to the fullest.” Losing experience, familiarity and, most importantly, production will be one of the largest hurdles for Collins this season. And with so many departures, the question was never if Northwestern would look different — it was how. The New Additions After losing a litany of key players, Collins had no choice but to bring new faces to Evanston. The Wildcats roster features eight newcomers: five first-years and three transfers. Collins has one of the top recruiting classes in the nation this season, ranked No. 10 by 247Sports — the highest class ranking in program history during the modern recruiting era. “People are taking notice of what we’re doing,” Collins said. “Seeing Brooks get drafted, thinking, ‘Man, I can go there and be a draft pick.’ Those are things that really help your program and have really helped our recruiting.” Historically, Collins has been conservative with freshman playing time. This year, he doesn’t have that luxury. However, there are three transfers dotting the roster: guard Jayden Reid from USF, guard Max Green from Holy Cross and forward Arrinten Page from USC. These three join Martinelli and company to bring collegiate experience, and Page has drawn particular attention, especially following his Wildcat debut. Page became the first player since 2004 to record a double-double in his Northwestern debut, finishing with 18 points and 12 rebounds. “I think in terms of value, we really, really needed a big guy to step up out of the transfer portal,” Martinelli said. “And I think AP has done an unbelievable job. The energy that he possesses, the freak athleticism.” Instead of flipping the roster, Collins added pieces that change how this team can play. “We’re not going to be an eight portal guys in, eight portal guys out type of team,” Collins said. “We’re going to be a high school recruitment team that mixes in a few portal guys. And that’s how we’re going to continue to build. But we’re trying to win. Make no mistake, this isn’t a rebuild situation.” Reid, NU’s starting point guard, is listed at 5-foot-10: the first Northwestern player who is 5-foot-10 or shorter to start a game since 2011. With Reid at guard and Page as the lone natural center, the Wildcats will be forced to play small ball. “Obviously we would have loved to have two, three, four seven-footers,” Collins said. “Everybody would. But I think we’ve got to go with what we’ve got, and I feel comfortable because of our positional size that we can play a little bit smaller at the five, knowing that those other guys can help out.” But no matter how quickly the new faces adjust, Northwestern still revolves around one player. Nick Martinelli’s role This season, Martinelli isn’t just expected to score. He’s also expected to set the tone for how Northwestern plays both as a leader and as a high performing veteran. “Nick is one of those guys; he’s a frontline soldier,” Collins said. “He’ll run through the wall for his group. You guys know that. He’ll throw his body around. He’ll do whatever is necessary. But he wasn’t a very vocal leader. He was just a great player and a great fighter for us. Now he has to be that vocal leader.” Martinelli tested the NBA draft waters last spring, going through workouts and feedback sessions before deciding to return for his senior year. He spoke about the process at Big Ten Media Day, describing the experience as “humbling.” “Yeah, I mean, sports is all about humbling experiences,” Martinelli said. “If you don’t get embarrassed a little bit, you’ll never really grow at anything.” In his final season, Martinelli steps into the lead role, guiding a reworked roster with hopes of returning to the NCAA tournament stage. Now, it’s about proving it on the court. How to watch Boston University vs Northwestern When: Friday, November 7 Where: Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, Il. Time: Live coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. ET Live Stream: Peacock
