The 2024-25 Northwestern men’s basketball season is underway.
Junior forward Nick Martinelli scored a team-high 25 points, knocking down 3-of-5 three-pointers, as he and graduate student guard Jalen Leach led Northwestern to an 89-62 win in an exhibition match against Lewis Wednesday.
In the Wildcats’ first matchup of the season back on the hardwood of Welsh-Ryan Arena, preseason jitters were evident, with the team logging eight turnovers in the first half alone.
Martinelli opened the scoring with a three-pointer, but NU’s offense struggled out of the gate.
Lewis took a 6-0 run into the 12-minute timeout and extended it to a 9-0 run by the 10-minute mark. Midway through the first half, the ’Cats had as many turnovers (six) as they had field goals made.
Martinelli snapped a three-and-a-half-minute scoring drought with a pair of consecutive buckets, cutting the deficit to one point with 10 minutes remaining. He and redshirt sophomore forward Luke Hunger contributed 17 of 22 NU points by the 8-minute timeout. The two combined for 7-of-9 from the field; the rest of the ’Cats shot 2-for-10.
NU regained its stride down the back stretch of the first half, going on a 12-3 run to retake and extend its lead as Lewis failed to tally a basket for more than five minutes.
The two teams went to the locker room with NU ahead 37-30.
Lewis attempted to claw back, at one point making the score 46-42 NU. The Flyers made four of their five second-half shots.
Leach began to heat up, however, scoring 14 points in the second half on 5-of-6 shooting as NU established a grip on the contest, securing its 14th straight win in exhibition games.
Here are three takeaways from Wednesday’s exhibition.
1. Martinelli stars as primary scorer
Someone has to replace the scoring output of graduated ’Cats Boo Buie and Ryan Langborg. During Wednesday’s game, Martinelli stepped up to the task.
The Glenview, Illinois, native started the game strong and continued his pace throughout the contest.
Martinelli starred in all facets of the game Wednesday. Not only did he lead the team in scoring, but he also led the team with six rebounds. He tied for the game-high with five assists.
The junior consistently drove to the rim and facilitated the NU offense.
Martinelli took a nasty fall with nine minutes remaining in the game, but jogged off under his own power and remained in the game.
’Cats coach Chris Collins told CBS Sports’s Jon Rothstein ahead of the season’s start that he saw a huge jump in Martinelli’s performance this offseason.
Judging by Wednesday’s exhibition, that statement rings true.
2. Windham excels in Wildcats debut
Freshman guard K.J. Windham, who excelled during NU’s European exhibitions, made his first start in Evanston on Wednesday. Collins rewarded Windham’s offseason work, and the Indianapolis native showed the coach that he made a good decision.
Windham scored nine points, tying a game-high five assists and logging two rebounds.
As the clock ticked down to end the first half, Windham somehow managed to pass around a Lewis defender, connecting with graduate student center Matthew Nicholson, who dunked it as time expired.
He also demonstrated his ability from long range, knocking down a pair of triples on three attempts.
With six and a half minutes remaining in the game, Windham drove to the basket, converting an acrobatic floater while drawing an and-one.
Windham only played 21 minutes, but his presence on the court extended past his share. If he keeps up his form, he’ll see an expanded role in Collins’s backcourt as a freshman, this season, echoing another NU point guard who started five years with the program.
3. Leach heats up in second half, turns in spectacle
Graduate student guard Jalen Leach made his Wildcat debut Wednesday after transferring from Fairfield last spring.
Leach showed some growing pains in the first half but caught fire in the second half, scoring 14 points in the final 20 minutes en route to a 20-point, 7-of-12 shooting, 3-6 from beyond the arc night.
The 6-foot-4 guard proved he could play both on and off the ball, excelling on offense throughout the second half as NU asserted its dominance on the court.
Leach has the opportunity to secure a role in NU’s backcourt for the remainder of the season –– if he plays like he did in the second half.
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