The Big East announced the last of the 2025-26 men’s basketball awards on Wednesday afternoon in advance of the start of the conference tournament, and we got a bit of good or at the very least somewhat unexpected news out of New York. Marquette guard Nigel James has been named Big East Freshman of the Year by vote of the head coaches in the league!
Let’s go to the Big East press release on the topic:
James finished his inaugural collegiate campaign as the second-leading scorer in the BIG EAST, at 19.3 points per game. It is the highest scoring average by a freshman in league play since the 2002-03 season, when Syracuse’s Carmelo Anthony averaged 21.4 points per outing. The Huntington, N.Y. guard reached double figures in 19 of 20 conference games.
A five-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week award recipient, James ranks among the conference’s leaders in five different statistical categories – overall and BIG EAST only. James is one of only two freshmen nationally to average at least 19.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game in league play. He scored 20 or more points on eight occasions, including three games with at least 30 points. James is one of only four freshman in the country to have at least three 30-point performances in league play.
And let’s go over to the Marquette press release:
Guard Nigel James Jr. of the Marquette University men’s basketball team has been named the BIG EAST Conference Freshman of the Year, the league office announced Wednesday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.
The Huntington, N.Y. native is the third Marquette player (Dominic James – 2005-06, Henry Ellenson – 2015-16) to earn the accolade since the program joined the BIG EAST in 2005-06.
Earlier this week, James Jr. was named All-BIG EAST Third Team and earned a spot on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team as well. He reached double figures in scoring in 19-of-20 league outings and ranked among the conference’s top-10 in five different categories (season long and BIG EAST only).
And they made a list of accomplishments, too:
James Jr. was also one of just two freshmen (Darius Acuff Jr. – Arkansas) in the nation to contribute at least 19.0 points, 5.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds per outing in conference matchups.
First BIG EAST freshman since Troy Murphy of Notre Dame in 1998-99 to have at least three 30+ point games in league regular season play.
First MU true freshman to have three games of 30-or-more points in a season.
Only BIG EAST player with three games of 30-or-more points in 2025-26.
Fourth among BIG EAST players with 10 outings of 20-or-more points (eight in league play).
Tied for 21st (top BIG EAST newcomer) in the country among freshman in scoring (16.4 ppg.), sixth in assists (4.8 apg.) and eighth in steals (1.9 spg.) through March 10.
Had first 30-point, 12-assist BIG EAST game (at Xavier) since Chris Thomas of Notre Dame against Miami on Feb. 23, 2002 (only two occurrences since 1996).
In a regulation game, James Jr. is the fourth freshman in the country with 30 points and 12 assists since 2001-02 (twice by Trae Young, Corey Sanders and Chris Thomas).
Scored 38 points vs. Providence on Jan. 19, the most by a Marquette true freshman.
On pace to finish in top-10 of nine different freshman season categories at MU.
No word on exactly what the voting was, but the press release says that the other award winners here — Zuby Ejiofor from St. John’s is Player and Student-Athlete of the Year, Seton Hall’s Shaheen Holloway is Coach of the Year — are unanimous picks for their trophies. By omission, that means James is not a unanimous pick, but that tracks with both 1) My pick of Villanova’s Acaden Lewis as FOY, and 2) Acaden Lewis getting a Second Team spot in the All-Big East awards and James ending up as Third Team. If there’s even one coach that’s not Marquette’s Shaka Smart voting for Lewis (coaches can’t vote for their own players) then that’s enough to make it not a unanimous pick.
Oh, and one more thing? Ben Steele made sure he clarified a comment from James at the press event for the awards: Nigel James will be back in a Marquette uniform next season.
Marquette returns to action later tonight when they face Xavier in the first round of the Big East tournament. The winner of that game will advance to the quarterfinals on Thursday, where #2 seed UConn awaits them.
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