Analysis: What the loss of Ty Berry means to Northwestern

Northwestern’s basketball program is fond of slogans.

“Pound the Rock” is almost as much a part of the team as the purple N. They regularly talk a lot about their toughness and having a “next man up” mentality.

Those words are going to be put the test now that Ty Berry is out for the year.

Northwestern head coach Chris Collins announced on Wednesday that Berry, a senior guard in the middle of his best season as a Wildcat, tore the meniscus in his left knee. Surgery was successful to repair the knee on Feb. 13, but the rehab process has ruled Berry out for the remainder of the season.

This is the worst-case scenario that fans have been dreading since Berry tweaked his knee in the first half of last Wednesday’s win over Nebraska. He didn’t play in Sunday’s win over Penn State, but there was still some hope that he would only need minor surgery and might be back after a few weeks. That turned out not to be the case.

You can imagine how devastating the injury is for Berry. He is the team’s best three-point shooter at 43.3% and ranks third in the Big Ten in threes per game. He is the team’s fourth-leading scorer (11.6 ppg) and third-leading rebounder (3.9 rpg), and ranks third in steals (31).

More than all the numbers, though, Berry is a stalwart, a grinder who exudes positivity and effort. He came into the program in 2020 as a marksman, but even though he sometimes struggled with his outside shot during his career, he worked hard to become an all-around player – a rebounder, a defender, a passer. He transformed his body. And this year, his shooting touch has been deadly.

Now, his season is over. But Northwestern’s is not. The goal of making the NCAA Tournament is still in front of them, but the road to a berth in the Big Dance just got a lot bumpier.

Berry’s loss means a lot more playing time for Nick Martinelli. The crafty sophomore got his first career start in Berry’s place on Saturday and excelled, finishing with 11 points and eight rebounds. He’s 6-foot-7, compared to Berry’s 6-foot-3, so he brings to the table more size and rebounding, two qualities the Wildcats lack. They currently rank last in rebounding and offensive rebounding in the Big Ten.

Martinelli’s height and presence in the paint was felt on Sunday. “He bullied us,” said Penn State head coach Mike Rhoades.

If there’s one positive here it’s that Martinelli looks ready to meet the challenge. He’s a slinky, funky player who can put the ball in the basket in a variety of ways. He unveiled his version of a sky hook on Sunday. He’s not a great defender as of yet, but he has worked hard to become passable, and at least his length can alter shots.

Furthermore, Martinelli is a gamer. He has been a pleasant surprise for the Wildcats and has risen to the occasion with every opportunity he’s been given. Now he’s getting a big one.

MORE ON BERRY: Ty Berry out for season after meniscus surgery

Martinelli is certainly not going to be the three-point shooter that Berry is. He is shooting an impressive 40% from long distance but he only has 10 makes on the season, 45 fewer than Berry, and has made more than a single triple once all year, at Nebraska. He was 0-for-2 from deep on Sunday against the Nittany Lions.

Martinelli is also not going to be the ballhandler Berry is, either. So Northwestern will have one less option to bring the ball up when teams are successful taking the ball out of Boo Buie’s hands – and that will continue to be their goal.

The Wildcats’ depth – or lack thereof – will be tested with Berry’s absence. Brooks Barnhizer and Buie rank 1-2 in the Big Ten in minutes per game, with 36.5 and 36.4, respectively. The other starting guard, Ryan Langborg, ranks sixth at 34.0. Those numbers may go up.

“I would hope so,” Barnhizer answering the question whether the 40 minutes he played against Penn State will be the new norm. “I love to play.”

Berry averaged a hair under 30 minutes per game at 29.7. Where are those minutes going to go? Martinelli will get most of them. In a sign of what’s to come, Martinelli had his two highest usage games of the season against Nebraska, when Berry was injured, and Penn State, when Berry didn’t play. He got 31 and 36 minutes, respectively, to boost his season average to 21.5 per game.

But others will have to pitch in, too. Freshman Jordan Clayton pulled double-digit minutes for the first time of his career in Big Ten games, against Nebraska and Penn State. That’s not a coincidence. Northwestern is going to need another ballhandler on the floor more often without Berry in the lineup.

Collins also surprised everyone by putting walkon Blake Smith in the game for two minutes against Penn State, doubling his total for the season. Barely used sophomore transfer Justin Mullins will have to be ready to grab a minute or two here or there with Berry in street clothes.

Martinelli was able to just about match Berry’s average scoring on Sunday, but it remains to be seen whether he can consistently score in double figures. More likely, Buie (18.8 ppg), Barnhizer (14.5) and Langborg (12.0) may have to up their output a tick. It’s going to take a team effort.

While the shock wave of Berry’s loss will continue to be felt the rest of the season, the Wildcats’ schedule is at least easing up a bit. Northwestern not only doesn’t face a ranked team; they have just one game against a team with a current winning conference record in their final seven games. They’ve already beaten two of the remaining teams once this season (Maryland and Michigan State) and lost in overtime to one on the road (Minnesota).

At 17-7 overall and 8-5 in the Big Ten, Northwestern is currently a No. 9 seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest NCAA Bracket. Last year, the Wildcats made the tournament with 12 conference wins. That would require them to go 4-3 down the stretch.

Can they do it? They’re going to have to keep pounding the rock to find out.