Walk-On Northwestern Basketball Freshman Living His Childhood Dream

A new Northwestern addition is a Wildcat of destiny.

Mar 12, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Chris Collins talks with his team against the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Longtime Northwestern University Wildcats men's basketball head coach Chris Collins has constructed a very different roster heading into the 2026-27 NCAA season. Nine Wildcats who had remaining eligibility for college hoops defected for other clubs, while senior leading scorer Nick Martinelli struck out for this month's 2026 NBA Draft.

Among the new players is a familiar face, for those versed in Northwestern basketball lore: freshman walk-on addition Elijah Eschmeyer.

The small forward spoke about his Wildcat connection with Yoni Zacks of The Daily Northwestern.

“Ever since I started watching basketball, I’ve always been a Northwestern fan,” Eschmeyer explained.

Both his parents, Evan and Kristina, met as Northwestern basketball players in Evanston. Evan, a 6-foot-11 center, ranks fifth all-time in scoring, third in shooting and tops in rebounding. He was selected with the No. 34 overall pick by the then-New Jersey Nets in 1999, and also suited up for the Dallas Mavericks across a four-year NBA career.

“The whole thing’s like a chain, and it’s only as strong as its weakest link, and that goes from coaches down to managers,” Evan said. “(Coach) Chris (Collins) has created a value system that embraces everyone’s contribution.”

Meanwhile, Elijah hopes to return Northwestern to its recent NCAA Tournament glories, as the program has missed the Big Dance for the last two seasons.

“It means a lot to be a part of the program at a time where playing (in the) tournament is part of the conversation,” Elijah said.

Elijah will wear his father's No. 42 for his own jersey with Northwestern.

Elijah's parents aren't the only Eschmeyers with prior Northwestern basketball experience. His uncle, Jeff, suited up for Northwestern from 1997-2000 as a walk-on, too.

“He’ll have an opportunity to go up against some amazing players and to see who he is as a basketball player while doing it at a program, for me, that represents what college sports and basketball is still about,” Jeff said.

During her junior season, Kristina Eschmeyer (then Kristina Divjak), a 6-foot forward, paced the Big Ten Conference as a scorer (with 22.1 points on .445/.398/.853 shooting) and earned All-Big Ten First Team honors.

“As parents, you just want the best for your kids,” Kristina said. “And we want to make sure that they all take their own journey. We just want to make sure that this was not just a family thing — this is something that he wanted, and it very much was.”

Elijah's journey to Northwestern feels like destiny. Now, it's up to him to make the same kind of his impact his family did a generation before.

“It feels surreal to be seeing a picture of myself in the uniform and just knowing that I’m gonna be practicing with these guys,” he said. “I’m a part of the program that I’ve grown up really loving.”

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