Great in-depth article on Martinelli

[CappyNU]

"Maybe the Northwestern staff knew back in 2022 that Martinelli could become the best scorer in the Big Ten. It's hard to imagine that even they could've seen this level of talent develop within Martinelli when he de-committed from Elon and eventually became a Wildcat.​

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That's who Martinelli has become, one of the elite scorers in not only the Big Ten, but all of college basketball. Success hasn't found the Wildcats this season, and Martinelli has publicly made it known how hard that's been on him. However, Martinelli is still a player that deserves recognition for not only becoming the player he's become, but for doing it for four years at Northwestern. I'm sure he could've gotten a lot of money to go play somewhere else this offseason, but he stayed true to himself and his team, something that deserves acknowledgement."​

Nick Martinelli: An Unstoppable Scorer

Maybe the Northwestern staff knew back in 2022 that Martinelli could become the best scorer in the Big Ten. It's hard to imagine that even they could've seen this level of talent develop within Martinelli when he de-committed from Elon and eventually became a Wildcat. That's who Martinelli has...

www.basketunderreview.com

 

[SimpsonElmwood]

What an amazing article. Thanks for finding it and sharing it. I will miss seeing Martinelli in purple and white.

 

[macarthur31]

I've listened to their podcast and found it super solid. However, this article is tremendous. Thanks for sharing.

I'm also saddened to see how we just haven't been able to parlay his improvement into wins. I know it's been dissected ad infinitum on these boards, but man, its still a bummer.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

I was an early believer in Martinelli early in his sophomore year before his minutes increased. People here said I was nuts. It’s not that I’m a great basketball mind, I think it’s the opposite: I’m ignorant enough not to be poisoned by his lack of traditional athletic qualities and instead I just noticed that his funky moves simply WORKED.

He’s so unorthodox and fun to watch - both for his freaky moves and his blue collar dog competitiveness - that I genuinely look forward to tuning in to whatever pro team he ends up a very well paid scorer for, whether that ends up being in the NBA or as a star in Europe.

 

[LathamLad]

Agreed that the article has excellent analysis. Nick's work is well described and illustrated. He's put in so much effort to improve through his NU years, and one can only be in awe over what he's achieved.

It's not disparagement of him to say, however, that I have doubts about his NBA future. The players at that level are just unbelievably athletic; it's doubtful Martinelli can guard them night in and night out. May I risk a comparison to another storied NU athlete? Three decades ago Pat Fitzgerald was a really dominant linebacker who dominated by effort and smarts -- and he inspired everyone around him by leadership off the charts. But ...

When Fitz showed up at an NFL camp, all the qualities that helped excel in college weren't enough to overcome the competition at a higher level of play. Hope I'm wrong, but I see the same potential block ahead for Martinelli in his sport.

Maybe there'll be opportunity in Europe, where the NBA is exploring (as I understand it) not just expansion but creation of a new league. The guess here is that Nick might find a place there that could allow him even to continue to develop and have a career. It's for sure that no one's likely to outwork him, whatever his future brings.