The Wildcats star gives his first look at the NBA Draft Combine's drills.
Northwestern senior forward Nick Martinelli showed up on the second day of the 2026 NBA Draft Combine on Tuesday, going through strength and agility tests and shooting drills at Wintrust Arena in Chicago—just miles from where he cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players in program history.
Despite enduring a struggling senior campaign with the Wildcats, Martinelli wrapped up his collegiate career with his best statistical season, averaging a career-high 23.0 points and 6.5 rebounds while leading the Big Ten in scoring for the second consecutive year.
He also posted 51% field-goal percentage, 41.7% three-point percentage and 80.9% free-throw percentage, demonstrating his efficiency and versatility as a scorer. His single-season scoring total set a new Northwestern program record, further solidifying his place among the Wildcats' all-time greats.
Following his dominant performance throughout the season, Martinelli garnered attention in several major mock drafts. The Athletic's Sam Vecenie projected him at No. 54 to the Golden State Warriors, where former Northwestern standout Pat Spencer currently plays. ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel had him going No. 59 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, while ESPN's Jeremy Woo projected him at No. 58 to the New Orleans Pelicans.
These projections suggest Martinelli is firmly in the second-round conversation as he looks to become Northwestern's next NBA player following Brooks Barnhizer, who was drafted 44th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in last year's draft.
Here's a summary of Martinelli's performance on Tuesday, including overall rankings behind each catagory.
Anthropometric Measurements:
- Height: 6 foot 6.5
- Weight: 223.6 lbs.
- Wingspan: 6 foot 10
- Standing reach: 8 foot 8.5
Strength and Agility Tests:
- No Stop Vertical Jump: 26.5 inches (67th among 71 participants)
- Maximum Vertical Jump: 33.0 inches (58th among 71 participants)
- Pro Lane Agility drill: 11.01 seconds (31st among 70 participants)
- Shuttle Run: 2.88 seconds (23rd among 71 participants)
- 3/4 Square Run: 3.48 seconds (69th among 71 participants)
Shooting Drills:
- Three-point shooting around the arc: 12/25 (35th among 67 participants)
- Shooting off the dribble: 21/30 (19th among 67 participants)
- Side-mid-side shooting: 12/26 (43rd among 59 participants)
- Spot-up three-pointers: 15/25 (21st among 67 participants)
- Free throw: 6/10 (51st among 59 participants)
What's Next
On Wednesday and Thursday, Martinelli will participate in the NBA Draft Combine's 5-on-5 scrimmages for Team Weems, per an NBA release. Under the current CBA, attending scrimmages is optional. Currently, 39 of 74 invited players will participate, though the roster may change.
As Martinelli wrapped up his Tuesday schedule with a half-court, five-on-five scrimmage, the upcoming full-court scrimmages will provide him another opportunity to showcase his versatility with the ball, basketball IQ and ability to impact winning with his competitiveness — traits that defined his Northwestern legacy and could elevate his draft prospect heading into June.