Northwestern basketball: How the Wildcats look after massive transfer additions and departures
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The early April weeks were harrowing for Northwestern basketball.
Tyler Kropp and Tre Singleton, two of the best recruits in Wildcat basketball history, entered the transfer portal.
It was a difficult pill to swallow, as NU's future hopes were basically dependent on Singleton and Kropp's development in Evanston.
So, what was next for Northwestern? It started with the transfer portal.
NU has a chance to land its transfers because of what Collins has done with the program and his reputation as a player developer, but these decisions might come down to resources. If NU doesn’t have the NIL resources, then it was going to be a fight to land one of their targets, let alone multiple.
However, the ‘Cats have reshaped their roster with a veteran look.
What we know:
Transfers going out
- Cade Bennerman
- Tyler Kropp
- Tre Singleton
- KJ Windham
- Arrinten Page
- Jayden Reid
- Jordan Clayton
- Max Green
- Blake Smith
Transfers coming in
- Jack Karasinski
- Colin Smith
- Luke McEldon
- LA Pratt
Incoming freshmen
- Jayden Hodge
- Symon Ghai
Returning players
- Angelo Ciaravino
- Phoenix Gill
- Jake West
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - MARCH 04: Head coach Chris Collins of the Northwestern Wildcats reacts against the Purdue Boilermakers at Welsh-Ryan Arena on March 04, 2026 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Big picture view:
The Wildcats’ roster is starting to fill out. It started with their first commitment of the transfer portal cycle and it’s a player who will fill Nick Martinelli’s shoes.
Bellarmine transfer Jack Karasinski committed to Northwestern this week. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 21.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game this past season. It’s a win for Northwestern, who needs to replace their entire front court after all their transfers and departures.
Another frontcourt addition is forward Colin Smith. The University of California Santa Barbara transfer averaged 11.9 points and 4.2 rebounds last season while shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc. He stands at 6-foot-8 and brings size next to Karasinski.
NU got its traditional post player in Luke McEldon. He’s a 6-foot-10 forward that slots in where Arrinten Page played last season, as Page transferred to Providence. He averaged 11.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, giving NU a rebounding presence.
The post has a new look. Last year’s team relied on freshmen to make an immediate impact, and those players are now gone. It’s given way to an experienced lineup, with Karasinki, Smith and McEldon all having years of experience under their belts.
The backcourt needed players, too. Jayden Reid transferred to Providence, Jordan Clayton transferred to UMass and KJ Windham transferred to James Madison. Windham had an exciting freshman season, but never found his spot in the 2025-2026 rotation. Clayton was a budding defensive-minded guard.
Northeastern transfer guard LA Pratt is another veteran player who committed to NU. He averaged 11.2 points per game in the 2024-2025 season and averaged 17 points per game in the three games he played in 2025-2026 before suffering a broken foot.
Pratt joins returnees Angelo Ciaravino, Jake West and Phoenix Gill in the guard rotation. It’s a rotation that has a defensive centerpiece in Ciaravino, its lead point guard in West and a two-way guard in Gill. This guard rotation is dependent on player development, but that’s also Collins’ specialty.
What's next:
It’s not over yet, there should be at least one more transfer.
NU could use another guard for depth, too. Karasinski and Smith immediately improved the team’s 3-point shooting. NU did make a run at Cornell sharp-shooting transfer and Wilmette native Jake Feigen. He visited Evanston, but NU couldn't beat out Villanova for his commitment.
After that, it’s all about Collins’ penchant as a coach who specializes in player development.
The dream scenario is if incoming freshmen four-star forward Jayden Hodge and 7-foot-3 center Symon Ghai can figure into the rotation. They both bring rebounding and a presence at the rim as prospects. Hodge is known for his ability to drive to the basket and score there, and standing over 7-foot Ghai brings the energy to live in the low block on both sides of the ball.
Considering where NU was just a few weeks ago, standing near the panic button as Singleton, Kropp and more entered the portal, this is a positive development for Collins and his roster. It isn’t ideal that Collins’ best recruiting class has departed so quickly, but he adapted well to the portal era and landed transfers who solve the biggest red flags his young team had last season.
What remains to be seen is if that brings success in 2026-2027, and if that’s going to be the norm for Northwestern from now on.