While Nick Martinelli’s missed game-winner was the defining moment in Northwestern’s 67-66 loss to Minnesota, I want to call your attention to an extended sequence from ten minutes earlier.
Northwestern scored 12 points in the first 5:48 of the second half, all courtesy of first-years Tre Singleton and Jake West. Throughout the eight possessions during that nearly six-minute long stretch, Martinelli touched the ball just four times and took one shot, a contested layup which he missed.
Martinelli leads
the Big Ten in usage rate at 31.04%, and his overall usage rate against Minnesota came in at 31% on the dot. He has the greenest of green lights, the type of unconditional faith earned by posting the two highest scoring seasons in program history in the last two years. Yet for those six minutes, Martinelli’s usage rate dipped to just 9.2%. Minnesota’s zone denied Northwestern’s bell cow the ball in the inside and pressured him high at the top of the key. When Martinelli did get the ball, he didn’t force it, leaving his trust in his supporting cast with Minnesota leading by double-digits.
Singleton stayed out of foul trouble and filled the stat sheet, finishing with ten points, six rebounds and four assists. All but two points and two rebounds came in the second half. West finished with 14 points and four assists, tying his career-high with four made threes on seven attempts, also a career-high.
As the clock winds down on Martinelli’s collegiate career, such performances from Northwestern’s leading two first-years should calm at least some of the anxiety concerning a future without No. 2. Last night’s loss marked the best combined performance from West and Singleton that we’ve seen all season.
Martinelli believes in the youth movement, and Chris Collins does too. The Northwestern head coach has been effusive in his praise of both first-years, especially over the last two weeks.
Collins has made a habit out of mentioning Purdue All-American point guard Braden Smith when asked about West. He mentioned Smith and West in the same breath for at least the second time before the Oregon game last week, complimenting West for holding his own in what he called “an incredible year for guards” in the Big Ten.
“You can only learn from playing extensive minutes and being in big games,” said Collins. “And I think that’s what’s happened for him, and it’s been fun. He’s such a competitive, tough kid. Even though he’s had his his tough times and been knocked to the pavement, he bounces back. I’ve noticed big growth in him over the last month.”
Collins was similarly gushing towards Singleton after last night’s loss.
“[Singleton] took the Purdue loss really hard,” Collins said postgame. “We knew Arrinten [Page] wasn’t going to play, so we needed his aggressiveness. He did a really good job against the zone, made some good passes. Really encouraging to see him with that type of force.”
Singleton, a former four-star recruit and the highest rated member of Northwestern’s five-man class of 2025, was not at his best in Wednesday’s loss to the No. 15 Boilermakers. He finished with more fouls (five) than points (three) and committed a brutal turnover against the Purdue press with 14 seconds remaining and the ‘Cats trailing by two. Last night’s performance is indicative of a kid who can take a punch.
Martinelli retook control of the Northwestern offense late in the second half, scoring 11 of his 23 points in the game’s final eight minutes. He wasn’t able to replicate the magic of last week’s game-winner against Oregon, missing the front end of a crucial one-and-one with 19 seconds remaining and Northwestern leading by one. After Minnesota’s Langston Reynolds capitalized on the miss to give the Gophers a one-point lead, Collins called Martinelli’s number again.
The senior received the ball at the top of the key and launched a go-ahead attempt from three without any hesitation. After the game, Martinelli said he saw his defender back off a bit and liked the look. Collins said he told Martinelli to “take whatever he saw.”
Maybe Martinelli should have taken the ball to the rim with Northwestern trailing by just one, but he’s more than earned the benefit of the doubt.
Next year, Martinelli won’t have the ball in his hands in such a have-to-have-it moment, and No. 2 has no clear successor, for next year and beyond.
West and Singleton may have the keys sooner than they think. And if last night was anything to by, Northwestern has a lot to be excited about with those two at the helm.
