Returning Nick Martinelli leads Northwestern into opener vs. Mercyhurst

Northwestern forward Nick Martinelli elevated his game last season, leading the Big Ten in scoring as multiple teammates endured injuries. With much of the supporting cast graduated, Martinelli will aim to lead a new group of Wildcats starting with the Nov. 3 season opener against visiting Mercyhurst. Martinelli averaged 20.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a junior. He considered entering the NBA draft but decided not to declare. "I thought that I'd get a real look," Martinelli said. "I got the sense that I was kind of just there to be a sparring partner with those really high-level guys that both teams were looking at. That's definitely a humble experience, a motivating experience for me." Former teammate Brooks Barnhizer, who struggled with injuries last season, was a second-round pick of the Oklahoma City Thunder, setting a precedent for Martinelli to follow. Northwestern, which finished 17-16 overall and 7-13 in the Big Ten last season, welcomes three transfers and five first-year players to its roster. Returners include guards Justin Mullins, Angelo Ciaravino and K.J. Windham. Ciaravino and Windham averaged double-digit minutes as freshmen in 2024-25. "Literally every day in practice, I've been mixing and matching lineups. Putting new guys together — not just for them, but also for me," Wildcats coach Chris Collins said. "I'm trying to learn about this team and what kind of team we want to start. How do we want to close? What guys play well together?" Mercyhurst will begin the season with a Chicago-based road trip, facing Loyola Chicago on Nov. 6 after the Nov. 3 Northwestern game. The Lakers will return to the Windy City on Jan. 31 to face Chicago State in Northeast Conference play. Mercyhurst finished third in the conference in 2024-25 with an 8-7 record, completing a solid debut in NCAA Division I under veteran coach Gary Manchel, who enters his 23rd season with the Lakers. Jeff Planutis and Aidan Reichert, the top two scorers from an overall 15-16 team, have graduated, but the Lakers return guard Bernie Blunt III, who averaged 12.5 points a game. Transfer point guard Vladimir Pavlovic hopes to help push the attack after seeing limited action in two seasons at Cal. –Field Level Media

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