Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
Nick Martinelli Named First Team Academic All-American for Second Straight Year
4/14/2026 11:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
AUSTIN, Texas — Senior forward Nick Martinelli has been named a recipient of First Team Academic All-America honors, the College Sports Communicators announced today. It marks Martinelli's second consecutive season as a First Team selection.
Martinelli and Shon Morris (1987, 1988) are the only Wildcats to claim First Team Academic All-America honors in consecutive seasons. He is the fifth Northwestern player to receive first team honors, joining Drew Crawford (2014), Mike Campbell (1980), Jim Burns (1967) and Morris.
Beyond his work in the classroom, Martinelli concluded his collegiate career by leading the Big Ten in scoring for the second consecutive season. The All-Big Ten Second Team honoree averaged 23.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 51.0% from the floor and 41.7% from beyond the arc.
Martinelli is just the second player this century to notch those figures, joining National Player of the Year winner Zach Edey in the 2023-24 season.
Martinelli's 23.0 points ranked eighth in the nation and were the most points per game by a Northwestern player since the 1969-70 season, when Dale Kelley averaged a program-record 24.3 points per game. The Glenview, Ill. native scored a program-record 759 total points on the season, the 15th-most in a single season by a Big Ten player, and made a program-record 268 field goals.
The senior scored 20+ points in 26 games this season, tied for the second-most in the country this season and tied for the third-most by a Big Ten player since 2004-05. Martinelli became the first player in Big Ten history to score at least 20 points against all 17 conference opponents over the course of his career.
He finished his career with 1,786 career points, ranking sixth in program history, and 664 field goals made, ranking fifth in program history. In addition, Martinelli's 46 games of at least 20 points are the most by a Wildcat since at least 2004
Martinelli is the 14th Big Ten player to be touted as a First Team Academic All-American in consecutive years since the honor began in 1963. Martinelli is the first Big Ten player to accomplish this feat since Nebraska's Shavon Shields did so in 2015 and 2016.
Martinelli and Shon Morris (1987, 1988) are the only Wildcats to claim First Team Academic All-America honors in consecutive seasons. He is the fifth Northwestern player to receive first team honors, joining Drew Crawford (2014), Mike Campbell (1980), Jim Burns (1967) and Morris.
Beyond his work in the classroom, Martinelli concluded his collegiate career by leading the Big Ten in scoring for the second consecutive season. The All-Big Ten Second Team honoree averaged 23.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 51.0% from the floor and 41.7% from beyond the arc.
Martinelli is just the second player this century to notch those figures, joining National Player of the Year winner Zach Edey in the 2023-24 season.
Martinelli's 23.0 points ranked eighth in the nation and were the most points per game by a Northwestern player since the 1969-70 season, when Dale Kelley averaged a program-record 24.3 points per game. The Glenview, Ill. native scored a program-record 759 total points on the season, the 15th-most in a single season by a Big Ten player, and made a program-record 268 field goals.
The senior scored 20+ points in 26 games this season, tied for the second-most in the country this season and tied for the third-most by a Big Ten player since 2004-05. Martinelli became the first player in Big Ten history to score at least 20 points against all 17 conference opponents over the course of his career.
He finished his career with 1,786 career points, ranking sixth in program history, and 664 field goals made, ranking fifth in program history. In addition, Martinelli's 46 games of at least 20 points are the most by a Wildcat since at least 2004
Martinelli is the 14th Big Ten player to be touted as a First Team Academic All-American in consecutive years since the honor began in 1963. Martinelli is the first Big Ten player to accomplish this feat since Nebraska's Shavon Shields did so in 2015 and 2016.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's BasketballMen's Basketball - Purdue Postgame Press Conference (3/12/26)
Friday, March 13
Men's Basketball - Wildcats Fall to Boilermakers in Big Ten Tournament (3/12/26)
Friday, March 13
Men's Basketball - 'Cats Advance in Big Ten Tournament with 74-61 Win Over Indiana (3/11/26)
Thursday, March 12
Men's Basketball - Indiana Postgame Press Conference (3/11/26)
Thursday, March 12
