Last night’s win was a lot of fun. The season hasn’t been what we or the team hoped for after last year, but they’ve clearly been more competitive late. That showed again. They struggled to guard the three in the first half and fell behind a good shooting bubble team in IU. Second half was different. The effort level, the physicality, the discipline defensively, it all tightened up. Northwestern controlled the game. They won the hustle plays, they dictated tempo, and they were the better team over the final 20. They deserved that win.
Martinelli is a beast offensively. Flat out. He’s a three level scorer now. The three ball has become a real weapon which opens up everything else. He can get downhill and play through contact. His mid range and post work are as polished as anyone in the Big Ten. What’s impressed me most is the growth in his recognition versus doubles. He’s not just trying to score over them anymore, he’s reading them and making the right pass. Defensively he’s taken a massive jump. I’d call him slightly above average on that end, which is leaps and bounds from where he started. The season might not end the way he deserves, but individually he’s having one of the best years in the league. I hope the accolades follow because they should.
West is starting to emerge. Those clutch free throws matter. His vision is improving every game. He’s seeing help earlier and making reads instead of just playing fast. He’ll still overdrive at times or try to force a pass because he has the ability to difficult plays off the bounce. The adjustment is understanding that in this league everyone can make a play too. You have to pick your spots. The weight room is going to help him a lot with finishing through contact and holding up defensively at the point of attack. Early in the year he wasn’t creating, scoring, or defending at this level. Now he is. That’s real development.
Singelton is going to be a very very good player for the Cats. Elite frame. Great size. Strong fundamentals. He’s smooth and comfortable with contact which you don’t always see from a freshman. He’ll go into his bag against developed Big Ten players and doesn’t look rushed. The next step is consistently knocking down the three to open the rest of his game. Defensively he might be their most versatile piece. He switches across positions, moves his feet well, and understands angles. That’s impressive for a freshman. He just has to clean up the hand usage and avoid unnecessary fouls. He’s solid on the glass and can handle it in space too. With Tre and West you have a fun young core.
Gelo is the most improved player in my opinion. His defense is night and day. The positioning is better which lets the athleticism actually show up. The weight room has helped him a lot with both finishing through contact and absorbing it defensively. If he finds consistency from deep he can be a very good role player in this league. Even if he doesn’t, he profiles as a high energy slashing defensive piece off the bench. That has real value.
Reid has been up and down. He creates well and he’s excellent in transition. Defensively he can struggle when he gets pinned inside without help, but he’s disruptive. He gets steals. He can guard the ball and recover in full court pressure. The swing skill is finishing at the rim. He’s streaky from three and with the pull up. If he makes defenders respect the drive and converts those layups, everything else opens up. A couple makes at the rim gets him going. He’s so good at penetrating and creating separation. If he starts finishing, he looks like a different player. Worst case that’s an energetic streaky sixth man. Best case you’re talking about two legitimate lead guards next year.
Page has also had an up and down year. In his first real minutes role he’s flashed both elite offense and rough stretches. Games like last night and against scUM show the ceiling. He can score from anywhere. Three ball, midrange, post fade, footwork on the block, straight line drives. He’s an elite passer for a five. He’s making reads and passes that some lead guards can’t make, and he was the biggest guy on the floor doing it. With his size and athleticism they’re better on the glass when he’s out there. Defensively he’s been solid when asked to protect the paint. The growth area is in hedges and communication on switches. That’s positioning and reps. If he finds consistency defensively this offseason, he profiles very well as a modern five at the next level.
This team has a lot of potential. Potential can be frustrating because it’s not results. It’s ifs. It’s projection. But this is a young team that’s developing in a tough league. The flashes have been real. I do think Reid and Page can take jumps this offseason that change the ceiling of the group. Tre and West are real building blocks. Kropp can be a solid role player. Gelo is trending the right way. There’s a high upside redshirt freshman developing behind the scenes and another solid class coming in. And Chris Collins is still one of the better coaches in the country.
Northwestern is a unique job. Academic standards. Brutal conference. Limited NIL compared to league heavyweights. That makes it harder to reload and forces you to develop and rebuild. This rebuild is promising though, even if it’s frustrating in the moment. You take the wins. You take the flashes. And you trust the development with a historic coach like Collins.
Man it’s fun beating IU this many times in a row.
Martinelli is a beast offensively. Flat out. He’s a three level scorer now. The three ball has become a real weapon which opens up everything else. He can get downhill and play through contact. His mid range and post work are as polished as anyone in the Big Ten. What’s impressed me most is the growth in his recognition versus doubles. He’s not just trying to score over them anymore, he’s reading them and making the right pass. Defensively he’s taken a massive jump. I’d call him slightly above average on that end, which is leaps and bounds from where he started. The season might not end the way he deserves, but individually he’s having one of the best years in the league. I hope the accolades follow because they should.
West is starting to emerge. Those clutch free throws matter. His vision is improving every game. He’s seeing help earlier and making reads instead of just playing fast. He’ll still overdrive at times or try to force a pass because he has the ability to difficult plays off the bounce. The adjustment is understanding that in this league everyone can make a play too. You have to pick your spots. The weight room is going to help him a lot with finishing through contact and holding up defensively at the point of attack. Early in the year he wasn’t creating, scoring, or defending at this level. Now he is. That’s real development.
Singelton is going to be a very very good player for the Cats. Elite frame. Great size. Strong fundamentals. He’s smooth and comfortable with contact which you don’t always see from a freshman. He’ll go into his bag against developed Big Ten players and doesn’t look rushed. The next step is consistently knocking down the three to open the rest of his game. Defensively he might be their most versatile piece. He switches across positions, moves his feet well, and understands angles. That’s impressive for a freshman. He just has to clean up the hand usage and avoid unnecessary fouls. He’s solid on the glass and can handle it in space too. With Tre and West you have a fun young core.
Gelo is the most improved player in my opinion. His defense is night and day. The positioning is better which lets the athleticism actually show up. The weight room has helped him a lot with both finishing through contact and absorbing it defensively. If he finds consistency from deep he can be a very good role player in this league. Even if he doesn’t, he profiles as a high energy slashing defensive piece off the bench. That has real value.
Reid has been up and down. He creates well and he’s excellent in transition. Defensively he can struggle when he gets pinned inside without help, but he’s disruptive. He gets steals. He can guard the ball and recover in full court pressure. The swing skill is finishing at the rim. He’s streaky from three and with the pull up. If he makes defenders respect the drive and converts those layups, everything else opens up. A couple makes at the rim gets him going. He’s so good at penetrating and creating separation. If he starts finishing, he looks like a different player. Worst case that’s an energetic streaky sixth man. Best case you’re talking about two legitimate lead guards next year.
Page has also had an up and down year. In his first real minutes role he’s flashed both elite offense and rough stretches. Games like last night and against scUM show the ceiling. He can score from anywhere. Three ball, midrange, post fade, footwork on the block, straight line drives. He’s an elite passer for a five. He’s making reads and passes that some lead guards can’t make, and he was the biggest guy on the floor doing it. With his size and athleticism they’re better on the glass when he’s out there. Defensively he’s been solid when asked to protect the paint. The growth area is in hedges and communication on switches. That’s positioning and reps. If he finds consistency defensively this offseason, he profiles very well as a modern five at the next level.
This team has a lot of potential. Potential can be frustrating because it’s not results. It’s ifs. It’s projection. But this is a young team that’s developing in a tough league. The flashes have been real. I do think Reid and Page can take jumps this offseason that change the ceiling of the group. Tre and West are real building blocks. Kropp can be a solid role player. Gelo is trending the right way. There’s a high upside redshirt freshman developing behind the scenes and another solid class coming in. And Chris Collins is still one of the better coaches in the country.
Northwestern is a unique job. Academic standards. Brutal conference. Limited NIL compared to league heavyweights. That makes it harder to reload and forces you to develop and rebuild. This rebuild is promising though, even if it’s frustrating in the moment. You take the wins. You take the flashes. And you trust the development with a historic coach like Collins.
Man it’s fun beating IU this many times in a row.
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