ROUNDTABLE: Northwestern MBB plays of the year

There were quite a few photo finishes for the ‘Cats. Who tops the list?

At a very brief glance, Northwestern men’s basketball season might have seemed like a forgettable one — a multitude of injuries, 17-16 overall record and second round Big Ten Tournament exit will do that — but this year still had its fair share of memorable moments. Even if there was no court storm after an upset of a certain No. 1 team in the nation (you’re welcome, Purdue), between the buzzer-beaters, rim rockers and late-game heroics, there was no shortage of highlights from this past year. Our writers rank who tops the list this season:

5. KJ Windham three vs. Minnesota

3 fourth-place votes; 1 fifth-place vote

Despite all the adversity the team faced, the Wildcats were still able to sneak into the Big Ten Tournament in its new expanded format. In its first-round matchup, Northwestern was locked into a duel with Minnesota for the first chunk of the game, but a 10-0 run fueled by Nick Martinelli and Matthew Nicholson pushed the lead to 12 at the under-16. From there, the Wildcats kept Minnesota at bay, but the PTSD of a cursed 2024-25 campaign kept popping up. With the offense scoring just four points in a four minute span, it seemed as though Northwestern would find yet another way to suffer a knife-twisting loss. And then Windham found his footing on the baseline and slammed the door on any Minnesota comeback hopes. Corner pocket. Bang. — Brendan Preisman

4. Keenan Fitzmorris dunk vs. Iowa

3 fourth-place votes; 2 fifth-place votes

After transferring into from Stony Brook, Keenan Fitzmorris was never expected to play a massive role for the Wildcats this season. And while he may never have really reached his ceiling as a complementary big to the starting Nicholson, coming in and out of the rotation throughout the year, as time passed he began to play a super important role as a spark-plug player. There is no better example than his dunk against Iowa. The big man skied high off of a pick-and-roll and brought down the hammer, sending the Northwestern student section into a frenzy on Blackout Night in Welsh-Ryan Arena, and helped propel the ‘Cats to a 67-58 win to close out the month of February. — Miguel Muñoz

3. Matt Nicholson block vs. No. 19 Illinois

6 third-place votes; 1 fourth-place vote

Big Matt had an up-and-down season for Northwestern. However, in the team’s only ranked win of the season, he showed why he was so valuable to the Wildcats. In a game that went back and forth, Nicholson’s block on Kasparas Jakucionis late into overtime essentially sealed the deal for Northwestern — re-gaining possession for his team and preventing Illinois from taking the lead on a layup. That moment, as well as a few seconds later when he started hyping up the crowd with his bloodied arm, will be remembered as one of the defining ones of the 2024-25 season. — Yanyan Li

2. Martinelli game-winner vs. USC

8 second-place votes (unanimous)

What a game.at a shot. Not a buzzer beater, but by far the most anxiety-reducing shot of the season. Martinelli hit a jumper with 46 seconds left, putting the ‘Cats up 74-68. Then the game went awry. Chibuzo Agbo of USC was fouled on a trey by Blake Smith and, of course, it went in. Agbo did miss the free throw, but USC was down only a possession. Nicholson would go 1-of-2 from the free throw stripe, putting NU up four with just about 30 seconds to go. And, of course, in Northwestern fashion, USC hit another three and-one. This time it was Clark Slajchert. After hitting his free throw, the game was suddenly tied. Chris Collins took a timeout with 12 seconds to go after the ball had crossed into the front court for NU, and the rest, as they say, is history. Martinelli went to his classic razzle-dazzle and hit a close left-handed hook shot in Martinelli fashion to put ‘Cats fans at ease. — Charlie Jacobs

1. Nick Martinelli buzzer-beater vs. Maryland

8 first-place votes (unanimous)

We all knew this one was going to be here waiting for us the No. 1. In a season full of awesome accolades and eye-popping statlines, Nick Martinelli not only grew in his scoring ability, but further as a leader. The first of two last-second game-winners (both from the same spot, no less) from the Italian Stallion this season, Martinelli’s pure one-legged jumper over Tafara Gapare was just one of many times the junior put the ‘Cats on his back and clawed out a victory. We can only hope to see him next season, where more moments like these are sure to come. — Miguel Muñoz

Honorable Mentions:

Angelo Ciaravino dunk vs. Ohio State (1 third-place vote), Nicholson free throws vs. Michigan (1 third-place vote), Ty Berry falling three vs. UCLA (1 fourth-place vote; 1 fifth-place vote).