The Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball coach had an emotional response to Wednesday's big news from the NBA Draft.
The Northwestern Wildcats have become a team to watch in the Big Ten under head coach Chris Collins.
They've also become a team for NBA scouts to add to their radar screen after forward Nick Martinelli was drafted Wednesday night.
Martinelli was selected No. 55 overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in round two of the 2026 NBA Draft, establishing a new home for the back-to-back Big Ten scoring leader.
Martinelli will join fellow Big Ten standout Keaton Wagler of the Illinois Fighting Illini, who was drafted No. 5 overall by the Clippers.
As the night began to wind down, Collins shared his thoughts on Martinelli's drafting in an emotionally charged post that had fans reacting.
'Special Player and Person'
Collins let Clippers fans know the type of pick they were getting in a post shared to X on Wednesday night.
"What an Amazing Night!!" Collins wrote. "Couldn't be more Proud! This is what it's all about! @LAClippers got themselves a special player and person!!"
Martinelli became the second consecutive Wildcat to be drafted, following the selection of Brooks Barnhizer by the Oklahoma City Thunder at pick No. 44 of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Martinelli: From Three-Star Recruit to NBA Forward
Martinelli blossomed during his time in Evanston, ascending from a three-star prospect out of Glenview, Ill. (the 62nd-highest ranked in Wildcats history) to a player whose scoring feats placed him in elite company with former Big Ten greats Zach Edey of Purdue and Luka Garza of Iowa, who both won the Naismith Award as the nation's best player.
Martinelli was listed as a potential sleeper ahead of the draft and compared to several NBA players past and present, including Matt Harpring, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Max Strus.
Now, the goal will be for Martinelli to carve out a role for himself on a Clippers team that has worked diligently at getting younger in recent years.
Martinelli Pick Gets A- Grade
The pick got an A- grade from Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo! Sports, who acknowledged Martinelli's fiery disposition.
"Martinelli is a 6-7 lefty who hunts mismatches in the post, uses footwork and physicality to compensate for his average athletic profile, and he plays with a fire in his belly," O'Connor wrote. "He arrived at Northwestern as a three-star recruit, got notably better in each season, and proceeded to become the back-to-back Big Ten scoring champion."
However, Martinelli's defense is a question mark, the Yahoo! writer continued.
"There are no questions about his work ethic," O'Connor continued. "The real concern is about whether he can adapt at the next level when he can't feast on smaller players, and when he'll be targeted on defense. But he's beaten the odds so far and will receive chances to prove he belongs with the Clippers."
