Ranking the best Big Ten basketball players at midway point
9. Nick Martinelli, F, Northwestern
Northwestern isn鈥檛 among the upper echelon in the Big Ten but the Wildcats have two of the best players in the conference with Brooks Barnhizer and Martinelli. Martinelli has taken a big step forward in 2024-25 and was recently named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy midseason watch list. After averaging just 8.8 points as a sophomore, the 6-foot-7 forward is putting up 19.7 points per game this season which ranks third in the Big Ten. Martinelli is shooting 47.5% from the field and 38.2% from deep with a solid jumper and a crafty game inside. The junior has scored in double figures in all but one contest and has 11 games with 20 points or more, scoring 27 in a recent win over USC where he hit the game-winning shot. Northwestern remains a tough team to play and Martinelli鈥檚 breakout season is a big reason why.
