Big Ten Trio Named Men's Basketball Academic All-Americans

ROSEMONT, Ill. – A trio of Big Ten men’s basketball student-athlete were honored today for their performances in the classroom, as the College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced its 2024-25 Academic All-America® men’s basketball teams.

Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli was named to the First Team, while Michigan State’s Jaden Akins claimed a Second Team honor, with Iowa’s Payton Sandfort collecting Third Team accolades.

Martinelli is a junior communications studies major, while Akins completed his bachelor’s degree in communications and is pursuing a master’s degree in strategic communication. Sandfort will graduate in May with a degree in finance.

Martinelli becomes just the fifth Wildcat to earn Academic All-America First team honors, joining Drew Crawford (2014), Shon Morris (1987, 1988), Mike Campbell (1980) and Jim Burns (1967).

Martinelli, an All-Big Ten Second Team honoree, completed the season as the Big Ten's leading scorer averaging 20.5 points per game, the most in a year by a Wildcat since Evan Eschmeyer posted 21.7 points per game in 1997-98. He broke the school's single-season scoring record, which was previously held by John Shurna (661, 2011-12), by logging 676 points. In addition, the junior averaged 6.2 rebounds per game, becoming the first Northwestern player to register at least 20 points and 5 rebounds per game since Shurna in 2011-12.

Akins is the first Michigan State men's basketball player to earn Academic All-America honors since Xavier Tillman Sr. was a second-team selection in 2020. He is the seventh Spartan to be named an Academic All-American and earns MSU's ninth honor.

Akins led the Spartans with 12.8 points per game, 58 three-point field goals, and 27.2 minutes per game, while ranking fourth on the team with 3.5 rebounds. Akins was an All-Big Ten Third Team selection by the league's coaches and was selected to the All-Big Ten Defensive Team.

This marks the second straight season Sandfort has earned Academic All-America honors as he was a second-team selection as a junior.  He is the 11th honoree in program history. 

Sandfort averaged 16.7 points and six rebounds en route to being named an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection. He scored in double figures in 27 games, which included a team-high 14 20-point contests. Sandfort made a team-high 84 3-point field goals, including a career-high eight in his final collegiate game against Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament, tying a tournament record.

Click here to view a complete list of 2024-25 Men's Basketball Academic All-America honors.