Martinelli Among Three Named Northwestern Men's Basketball Captains

Gavin Dorsey

Oct 31, 2025, 21:10

Gavin Dorsey

Oct 31, 2025, 21:10

Updated at: Oct 31, 2025, 21:10

The Wildcats are heading into the 2025-26 with a trio of upperclassmen captains.

With Northwestern's 2025-26 men's basketball season just days away from tipping off, the Wildcats have officially announced the three captains who will be leading their squad out of the tunnel on November 3.

In a social media post on Friday afternoon, the team revealed that senior forward Nick Martinelli, senior wing Blake Smith and junior guard Jordan Clayton had been named captains for the upcoming season.

Martinelli was a member of the All-Big Ten Second Team a year ago after he led the conference in scoring, putting up 20.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. The Glenview, Illinois, native is one of Chris Collins' biggest developmental success stories, as he made the leap from rotational bench player to bonafide star between his sophomore and junior seasons.

Now entering his final year in Evanston, Martinelli is widely predicted to be one of the top returners in the nation. He is a Preseason All-Big Ten honoree and was selected to the Malone Power Forward of the Year Award Watch List on Thursday, which features the 20 best athletes at his position nationwide. ESPN analyst Jay Bilas also tabbed Martinelli as a potential All-American candidate.

Joining Martinelli is Smith, a former walk-on who has risen to the occasion when called upon. Following widespread injuries to the 'Cats' most recent NCAA Tournament team in 2023-24, Smith went from out of the lineup entirely to starting for Northwestern in crucial games down the stretch. Smith ended up playing in 11 games and making two starts as a sophomore walk-on. The 6-foot-6 wing scored a career-high 11 points against Iowa and played 22 minutes in March Madness.

Clayton was the lone junior voted to be a captain for Northwestern, coming off a season in which he also stepped up in the wake of injuries. After point guard Jalen Leach suffered a season-ending ACL injury in February, Clayton similarly went from a non-rotational player to the Wildcats' primary ball-handler, starting the final 10 games for NU. Clayton had his biggest games in the Big Ten Tournament, combining for 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals in his last two games.

The Wildcats are set to tip off the regular season at home on Monday against Mercyhurst.

Martinelli Among Three Named Northwestern Men's Basketball Captains