What we learned from DePaul vs. Northwestern men's basketball
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 06: Head coach Chris Collins of the Northwestern Wildcats reacts against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the second half at Welsh-Ryan Arena on December 06, 2024 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty
EVANSTON, Ill. - With non-conference games winding down, Chicagoland got treated to an in-state rivalry between two coaches who know each other well.
Chris Collins' Northwestern Wildcats took on Chris Holtmann's DePaul Blue Demons in Evanston on Saturday.
Collins is very familiar with Holtmann from Holtmann's time coaching Ohio State. It could be a new chapter in a local rivalry between these two programs.
In this particular page of the book, Northwestern got the final word.
DePaul clawed back to make it an eight-point game with three minutes remaining. Northwestern answered with an 8-0 run to close a win.
Nick Martinelli closed out a 84-64 win over DePaul with six points in the final three minutes. Martinelli led NU with 23 points, Brooks Barnhizer put the exclamation point on the win with a breakaway dunk for his 21 points and Matt Nicholson dropped in 14 points of his own.
Jacob Meyer's 18 points off the bench for DePaul couldn't overcome the 18 Blue Demon team turnovers.
Here's what we learned from the in-state showdown between Chicago's Big 10 team and Chicago's team based in Lincoln Park.
Holtmann's ability to adjust lifts DePaul
There's no way to sugar coat it. DePaul was getting run off the floor in the first eight minutes of the game.
After the Blue Demons got the first bucket of the game, Northwestern went on a 20-0 run. At the under-12 timeout, the Wildcats led the Blue Demons 28-10. DePaul, known for taking copious amounts of threes, was attacking the lane against NU. That was moot going against NU's frontcourt of Martinelli and Nicholson.
This game felt like it was going to be over by halftime.
Credit DePaul and head coach Chris Holtmann. The Blue Demons adjusted and found a way to stay in the game.
Holtmann inserted CJ Gunn and Jacob Meyer into the game and had Meyer shoot while Gunn attacked the basket. That drew DePaul within 10 at halftime.
For most of the second half, DePaul was a solid run away from making NU sweat on its home court. DePaul got it with a 6-0 run to cut Northwestern's lead to nine with 3:27 left.
Turnovers killed the dream, but it showed DePaul isn't a pushover.
The game did showcase Holtmann's ability to adjust mid-game and his players' ability to execute those adjustments during the flow of the game.
Northwestern is on a roll
After taking tough losses to Butler and Iowa, Northwestern was in a precarious spot.
Finishing the non-conference slate on a sour note was not an option. The Wildcats want to make a third-straight tournament. They need the data points in case it comes down them being on the bubble.
NU got one with an upset of Illinois. The team got another boost in taking care of business against the likes of Georgia Tech and DePaul after it too. Northwestern is on a roll right now with one more non-conference game against Northeastern left before resuming Big 10 play against Penn State in the new year.
Barnhizer is clearly 100 percent after starting the season off with an injury. Martinelli is a handful for any team that's remotely undersized. Nicholson continues to play stellar defense. Jalen Leach and Ty Berry fill in offensive roles when needed.
Having this kind of clarity on their roles can help Collins focus on his biggest task: making sure his freshman are up to the task of playing against Big 10 competition if their numbers are called upon.
Nick Martinelli, the closer
When Northwestern needed him, he answered.
Nick Martinelli's six points sparked the 8-0 run that sealed the win for NU. It was very much needed with DePaul holding onto the momentum.
His 23 points add another level of consistency to his game. The next step is to continue that play after the turn of the new year.
DePaul's rotations aren't set. That's not a bad thing
Holtmann switched up his rotations again. The Blue Demons were still able to find their footing.
Holtmann moved JJ Traynor into the starting five. His 6-foot-9 frame gave the Blue Demons some more length against NU's lineup.
The lineup move didn't cause the offensive issues at the beginning of the game, but having Meyer and Gunn coming off the bench is a luxury that can life the Blue Demons in Big East play if DePaul can find a way to make their starting lineups effective.