Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
Martinelli Named to Wooden Award Watchlist
11/18/2025 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – Northwestern senior Nick Martinelli was named to the 2025-26 Wooden Award Men's Preseason Top 50 Watchlist, the Los Angeles Athletic Club's John R. Wooden Award announced Tuesday.
Selected by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list comprises 50 student-athletes who are frontrunners for the Wooden Award All-American Team and the Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player.
Martinelli returns for his final year in Evanston after becoming the fourth Wildcat to lead the Big Ten in scoring. The Glenview, Ill. product averaged 20.5 points per game last season, the highest scoring average by a Northwestern player since Evan Eschmeyer posted 21.7 points per game in 1997-98. Martinelli broke the school's single-season scoring record, which was previously held by John Shurna (661, 2011-12), by scoring 676 points. His 676 points were the most by a Big Ten forward since Keenan Murray (Iowa) scored 822 points in the 2021-22 season. He also set the program's single-season field goals record with 251, breaking a record previously held by Shurna (228, 2011-12).
Martinelli is the fifth-leading returning scorer in all of college basketball this season and is second among all scorers who are returning to the school they played at in 2024-25, joining Markus Burton (Notre Dame, 21.3 ppg). Martinelli's prolific 2024-25 scoring season was marked by incredible consistency, as he scored 15+ points in 18 straight games to close the campaign, which is the longest active streak by a high-major player in the country. He scored 10+ points in 26 straight games, the longest streak by a Northwestern player since at least 2000.
In addition, Martinelli averaged 6.2 rebounds per game, becoming the first Northwestern player to register at least 20 points and five rebounds per game since Shurna in 2011-12. The junior played a league-high 37.7 minutes per game last season and was the first high-major player to post at least 20+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 37.5+ minutes per game since Kemba Walker at UConn in 2010-11.
Through four games, he is averaging 20.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game this season. He has scored at least 17 points in each game, which extends his streak of games with 15+ points to 22.
Celebrating its 50th year, the Wooden Award will feature special programming throughout the season with first winner and ambassador Marques Johnson, culminating in the 2026 John R. Wooden Award presented by Principal. Winners and All Americans will be honored at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Selected by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list comprises 50 student-athletes who are frontrunners for the Wooden Award All-American Team and the Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player.
Martinelli returns for his final year in Evanston after becoming the fourth Wildcat to lead the Big Ten in scoring. The Glenview, Ill. product averaged 20.5 points per game last season, the highest scoring average by a Northwestern player since Evan Eschmeyer posted 21.7 points per game in 1997-98. Martinelli broke the school's single-season scoring record, which was previously held by John Shurna (661, 2011-12), by scoring 676 points. His 676 points were the most by a Big Ten forward since Keenan Murray (Iowa) scored 822 points in the 2021-22 season. He also set the program's single-season field goals record with 251, breaking a record previously held by Shurna (228, 2011-12).
Martinelli is the fifth-leading returning scorer in all of college basketball this season and is second among all scorers who are returning to the school they played at in 2024-25, joining Markus Burton (Notre Dame, 21.3 ppg). Martinelli's prolific 2024-25 scoring season was marked by incredible consistency, as he scored 15+ points in 18 straight games to close the campaign, which is the longest active streak by a high-major player in the country. He scored 10+ points in 26 straight games, the longest streak by a Northwestern player since at least 2000.
In addition, Martinelli averaged 6.2 rebounds per game, becoming the first Northwestern player to register at least 20 points and five rebounds per game since Shurna in 2011-12. The junior played a league-high 37.7 minutes per game last season and was the first high-major player to post at least 20+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 37.5+ minutes per game since Kemba Walker at UConn in 2010-11.
Through four games, he is averaging 20.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game this season. He has scored at least 17 points in each game, which extends his streak of games with 15+ points to 22.
Celebrating its 50th year, the Wooden Award will feature special programming throughout the season with first winner and ambassador Marques Johnson, culminating in the 2026 John R. Wooden Award presented by Principal. Winners and All Americans will be honored at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Players Mentioned
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