Northwestern rallied from a 2-point loss to Butler on Thursday to beat UNLV, 66-61, and secure third place in the Arizona Tip-Off on Friday.

Brooks Barnhizer led the way yet again with 24 points, while the Wildcats got 15 from guard Jalen Leach and 12 from forward Nick Martinelli.

Some of the demons that have haunted Northwestern in tight losses to Dayton and Butler were addressed against the Runnin' Rebels. With the scoring effort from the aforementioned trio, the Wildcats continue to be undefeated when three players score 10+ points.

The Wildcats found their touch from beyond the arc, shooting 44% on 3s. Martinelli's point total wasn't as gaudy as some of his early season games, but his 4-for-11 mark nearly doubled the efficiency of his 3-for-15 rate from the field the night before.

But some problems did persist. The Wildcats got just seven points off the bench. Ty Berry and Luke Hunger both failed to make a field goal. While the 3-point percentage took a leap forward, the rate did not; Northwestern still took just 18 triples in this game.

Last year, with sharpshooters like Berry, Boo Buie and Ryan Langborg on the roster, they took 21 3s per game. Now they're taking fewer than 17 per game on average, one of the 25 least frequent 3-point shooting teams in the nation.

Northwestern also fell behind in the first half once again. It wasn't as catastrophic as the 15-point deficit to Butler, but they still found themselves down 25-18 with 2:24 left in the first. They swiftly cobbled together an 8-0 run to close out the frame and take a 1-point lead into the break, but the slow starts are unsustainable in the long term.

Here are our takeaways from Northwestern's mixed-bag win for third place that raised their record to 6-2 on the season.

Brooks Barnhizer is as advertised: Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown, but Barnhizer has worn it without flinching through his first four games back from injury.

There seemed to be a fraction of hesitancy in his first two games against Montana State and Pepperdine, where he averaged about 30 minutes per game. But he has dived into the deep end during this tournament and performed swimmingly.

Barnhizer is also back to his Iron Man ways, playing 38 and 39 minutes, respectively, against Butler and UNLV, and scoring 24 and 23 points while bearing the full brunt of the defense's focus. He's the team's best ballhandler and often initiates the offense while also serving as a key cog in their defensive schemes.

Barnhizer's rise has been meteoric year over year. Northwestern fans, coaches and his teammates knew he had this potential, but it's still impressive to see him realize it so clearly and immediately, even after an offseason injury. It's scary to think what he is capable of in the heart of this season, once he's played himself into the shape.

Small ball should be on the table to give Nicholson rest: After Hunger's massive struggles against Butler, head coach Chris Collins imitated the 30/10 minutes split in starting center Matt Nicholson's favor, even with Hunger out of foul trouble.

Nicholson finished with 8 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals in his 29 minutes. His free-throw shooting dropped back down to its expected levels with a 4-for-10 outing after a shocking 8-for-9 performance against Butler. But he's still far and away this team's best bet at big man, even though his scoring arsenal is limited to the restricted area. He's a capable passer and strong finisher, and he can deter opponents around the rim.

Hunger's best attribute is his midrange to outside shot, but the Wildcats haven't been running plays for him there, nor has he been hunting those looks. He was 0-for-4 from the field this game, with three of his shots blocked and the fourth as a very errant hook shot that sailed over the rim.

The redshirt sophomore served admirably in emergency relief for Nicholson, but he does not seem ready for this level of play just yet. He plays below the rim on offense and defense, getting several shots blocked out of the post while failing to affect or block shots on the other end.

Seventh-year senior Keenan Fitzmorris has been allotted a pure depth role and has played just 11 minutes this season. It's hard to get a read on his skill set in such a small sample size, but it's clear the staff has made their evaluation that his involvement in the rotation will be in emergencies only.

It's a tough ask to put more on Martinelli's plate, but Collins needs to consider a few lineups with him at the five or they'll hemorrhage points with Hunger on the court in conference play.

Martinelli's regression is expected: Martinelli's All-American candidacy has been cut short after two lackluster games in Tempe. He mustered just 7 points against Butler and clawed his way to 12 on Friday night.

Still, this was to be expected. No one had expectations for Martinelli to score 20 or more points per game this season, or really for the calendar year. With Barnhizer back and adjusted defenses, he should settle in around the 16-point range as a Big Ten secondary scorer.

That's not to say the staff should be patting him on the back for his 3-for-15 or even 4-for-11 nights, but the Wildcats need him to continue to be aggressive. The good sign has been that his competitive fire on defense and the glass has not wavered for a second when his shot hasn't been falling.

Collins was back to his old tricks and played Barnhizer and Martinelli nearly the entire game. Barnhizer logged 39 minutes and Martinelli had 37; you can expect those numbers to be the standard as they will be the work horses to which Northwestern hitches their wagon.

Martinelli's shots will fall and he continues to be an active and physical player on offense, something Northwestern sorely needs. A right-handed counter or two in his post arsenal would be a great way to throw a changeup at the defense and give him more versatility when his post-ups are stonewalled or stagnate, but that kind of player work is best done in the offseason and can't be expected overnight or in-season.

The Cats need more from Berry: Berry, on the other hand, is desperately needed to join the party. He's had three different games without a field goal, and since the season opener has never made more than three shots in a game.

Berry has been a historically mercurial player for Northwestern but seemed to have finally put it all together in 2023-24, before a torn meniscus brought his season to an abrupt end in February while he was averaging 11.6 points per game on 43.3% shooting from 3.

Collins has been one of Berry's biggest proponents every season, no matter how hot or how cold, and he was sure to point out in the early games that Berry has only been playing live basketball since September because of his rehab. However, the grace period is running short on Berry to show signs of his former self.

Northwestern's biggest weakness right now is a lack of 3-point shooting, both in frequency and in outright makes. Berry is still hovering around five attempts per game in 25 minutes, but his efficiency has dropped down to 35.5% from long distance. His defense has remained steady with 1.3 steals per game, but he lost a summer to rehab rather than add to his offensive tools, and his ability to create off the dribble or inside the arc has been severely limited. He's shooting an anemic 30.6% from the floor.

Collins' faith in Berry has been firm and has paid dividends in the past, but it's being sorely tested yet again. If he can't return to the form he showed last February, Collins should be forced to evaluate his rotations and consider elevating younger players like Justin Mullins or KJ Windham to spark the offense.