Northwestern Senior Nick Martinelli Named to Midseason Watch List for Major Award
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The Northwestern Wildcats' best player has been buzzy enough to warrant some attention on the national stage.
Per the official Northwestern Basketball X account, senior small forward Nick Martinelli is now on the Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List.
The end-of-year honor is awarded to the NCAA Division I player deemed to be the best in the nation for a given season, via the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. It's the longest-running honor in college hoops, having been in place since 1958-59. The award was renamed after Hall of Famer Robertson in 1997-98.
National Recognition 🤌
— Northwestern Basketball (@NUMensBball) January 16, 2026
Nick Martinelli has been named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List. pic.twitter.com/MdNa00FlIF
The USBWA announced the full tally of 25 contenders in a press statement.
“Our list is 25 names deep, but in tabulating the ballots, there are 30-plus players who have a viable case to be included,” USBWA President Matt Norlander revealed. “The next eight weeks are going to be riveting and could wind up producing a second straight season with a fantastic, up-for-grabs race for the best player in college basketball. All signs indicate we are in the midst of one of the best seasons for the sport in the past 25 years.”
Martinelli joins a talented throng of players, for the honor. Here's the full list:
- Arkansas Razorbacks point guard Darius Acuff Jr.
- Texas Tech Red Raiders point guard Christian Anderson
- Duke power forward Cameron Boozer
- Arizona Wildcats point guard Jaden Bradley
- BYU Cougars small forward AJ Dybantsa
- Michigan State Spartans point guard Jeremy Fears Jr.
- Houston Kingston Flemings
- Auburn Tigers small forward Keyshawn Hall
- Florida Gators power forward Thomas Haugh
- Gonzaga Bulldogs power forward Graham Ike
- Iowa State power forward Joshua Jefferson
- Connecticut Huskies combo forward Alex Karaban
- Purdue Boilermakers power forward Trey Kaufman-Renn
- Michigan Wolverines combo forward Yaxel Lendeborg
- Iowa State Cyclones point guard Tamin Lipsey
- SMU Mustangs guard Boopie Miller
- Kansas Jayhawks combo guard Darryn Peterson
- Alabama Crimson Tide combo guard Labaron Philon
- Purdue Boilermakers point guard Braden Smith
- Iowa Hawkeyes point guard Bennett Stirtz
- Vanderbilt Commodores point guard Tyler Tanner
- Ohio State Buckeyes point guard Bruce Thornton
- Texas Tech Red Raiders JT Toppin
- North Carolina Tar Heels power forward Caleb Wilson
Martinelli may be stuck on an 8-10 team seemingly doomed to miss March Madness, but he's already achieved a lot for the program.
The 6-foot-7 Glenbrook South swingman has appeared on two NCAA Tournament teams — which may be small potatoes to some, but it's more than other player had achieved before him in the history of the school.
He's also one of the most prolific scorers in the game today. Through 17 healthy bouts, the 2024-25 All-Big Ten teamer has been averaging 23.7 points on .563/.533/.789 shooting splits, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists a night. That scoring average ranks second in the college, behind only junior Tarleton State guard Dior Johnson's 24.1 points per.
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An Evanston native, Alex Kirschenbaum is also a proud Northwestern alum. He has written for Bleacher Nation, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Hoops Rumors, Trailers From Hell, Men's Journal, and Bulls fan sites Blog-A-Bull and Pippen Ain't Easy, among others. Alex knows Zach Collins has given the Bulls some good years, but he'll never forgive the then-Gonzaga center for that very obvious goaltend against the Wildcats during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.