The former Northwestern superstar forward is rapidly rising in NBA Draft projections.
Former Northwestern wing Brooks Barnhizer entered last offseason outside of the top 100 on most NBA Draft big boards, but after wowing scouts in pre-draft workouts and interviews, he managed to work his way into becoming a second-round pick. His college roommate, Nick Martinelli, appears to be on a very similar path.
The Big Ten's leading scorer in back-to-back years did not get much national or conference-wide respect, despite averaging 20.5 points per game in 2024-25 and 23.0 points per game in 2025-26. A lot of that was due to the Wildcats' poor record (32-35), but some was also because Martinelli's playstyle wasn't "flashy." The 6-foot-7 forward may have been "herky-jerky," but he was borderline unstoppable once he got to his spots.
NBA teams are taking notice. Martinelli took over the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago this week, and it's becoming increasingly more likely that the Wildcats' single-season scoring king hears his name called next month.
In Bleacher Report's latest mock draft, writer Jonathan Wasserman predicted Martinelli would land with the Phoenix Suns as the No. 47 overall pick.
"Seniors and players like Nick Martinelli could benefit from NIL bringing underclassmen back to college," Wasserman said on Friday. "Despite limited athletic ability and an unorthodox game, he was a top-10 scorer and improved shooter (41.7 percent 3PT) at 6'7". Martinelli's scoring versatility should be worth looking into, and after two productive NBA combine scrimmages, he should have a good chance to crack top-60 boards."
Jan 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Northwestern Wildcats forward Nick Martinelli (2) drives past UCLA Bruins guard Eric Freeny (8) in the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesMartinelli's professional comparison is Chandler Hutchison, Wasserman added. The Bulls took the 6-foot-6 Hutchison with the No. 22 overall pick in 2018, though he never really panned out at the NBA level.
Wasserman's mock is the highest projected draft slot yet for Martinelli. The Athletic's Sam Vecenie has Martinelli going to the Golden State Warriors with the No. 54 overall pick, while ESPN's Jeremy Woo (No. 58 overall, New Orleans Pelicans) and ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel (No. 59 overall, Minnesota Timberwolves) predict he will be taken at the end of the second round.
Martinelli scored 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting during Wednesday's NBA Draft Combine scrimmage, adding three rebounds, two assists and a steal as well. One day later, the former Wildcat chipped in 13 points, five rebounds and a block.
Barnhizer became the first Northwestern player to be drafted to the NBA in 26 years last summer, when the Oklahoma City Thunder selected him with the No. 44 overall pick. If Martinelli is picked, they'll mark the first pair of Wildcats to be selected in back-to-back NBA Drafts since Art Aaron (1984) and Andre Goode (1985).
