Northwestern Basketball Rebuilds After Mass Exodus, Eyes Big Ten Comeback
Northwestern head coach Chris Collins faced the music at Big Ten Men's Basketball Media Day on Thursday, unveiling a dramatically reinvented roster after a spring exodus that left the program nearly bare. With nine players departing via the transfer portal, two exhausting eligibility, and Nick Martinelli drafted by the Clippers, Collins had just three scholarship players left on the roster.
Now, with eight new transfers and a 7-foot-3 freshman, the Wildcats are betting on a clean slate. Collins, Jake West, and Angelo Ciaravino all told reporters the same thing: nobody has seen this team play yet, and they like it that way.
What happened to Northwestern's roster?
Collins didn't sugarcoat how the spring unfolded.
“When I woke up one morning, and there were only three guys on the roster, [it] really gave me and my staff an opportunity to get together and say, okay, the slate is somewhat clean,” Collins said.
Those three players were West, Ciaravino, and sophomore Phoenix Gill. Collins said the staff had three main goals in the portal: experience, positional size, and shooting. Last year's roster featured five freshmen and three sophomores, which Collins admitted was too young to compete at the level required in the Big Ten.
The Wildcats shot just 33% from three-point range last season, 12th in the conference. Collins took responsibility, saying he didn't do a great job constructing last year's roster.
How will the new pieces fit together?
Collins found his size answer in first-year Symon Ghai (7-foot-3) and 6-foot-10 transfers Luke McEldon (Mount St. Mary's) and Ryan Soulis (Columbia). The offense will look different too, moving away from the isolation-heavy sets that featured Martinelli.
Collins expects a more balanced attack this season.
“I'd be shocked if we have a 20-point-per-game guy, but I think we could have four, five, six guys that are averaging double figures,” Collins said.
Key pieces include L.A. Pratt in pick-and-roll, Jack Karasinski coming off screens, Aleksej Kostic as a perimeter shooter, and McEldon as the low-post scorer. West expects the lineup to change nightly based on matchups.
Jake West gets the green light to score
Collins made it clear he wants West to become a scoring guard, not just a facilitator.
“There's no question that I want him to be a scoring guard, not just somebody that sets others up, 'cause we need his offense,” Collins said. “I want him to be the head of the snake.”
West, who played heavy minutes as a freshman, said his confidence is through the roof. He expects his scoring production to rise while maintaining his playmaking role.
Why did West and Ciaravino stay?
Both returners cited Martinelli's example as the standard. Martinelli barely played as a freshman, stuck it out, and became one of the conference's best scorers en route to the NBA.
“He could have jumped ship, he could have gone to a different school, but he trusted in what he knew,” West said. “He's a legend at Northwestern now.”
Ciaravino, a Chicago native, said experiencing the highs and lows in Evanston kept him loyal to the program.
What's the chip on the shoulder?
Collins noted Northwestern is always picked near the bottom of the Big Ten, but cited Iowa and Nebraska as teams that exceeded expectations with overlooked veterans. He praised his own former players, including Boo Buie and Brooks Barnhizer, who developed into all-conference talents without big-time recruiting pedigree.
“We've always wanted guys that carry a little bit of a chip on their shoulder,” Collins said.
Ciaravino is motivated by missing the NCAA Tournament in his first two seasons.
“It gets me upset that we weren't able to be there the past two years,” Ciaravino said, “and I feel like it's just fuel to the fire.”
Asked what he'd say to doubters, he kept it short: “We're zero and zero. Every other team in here is zero and zero.”
What's next for the Wildcats?
Northwestern plays two exhibition games before opening the season Nov. 2 against Binghamton. On Oct. 18, they travel to Normal, Illinois, to face Illinois State on the court named after Collins' father, Doug Collins. A week later, they host Iowa State, welcoming back Tre Singleton, who transferred from Northwestern this spring.