The next time Aaron Jordan visits Northwestern will be his fourth trip to campus, and there could be a few more after that. The 2015 four-star shooting guard attended the Wildcats’ scrimmage against Lewis last Wednesday, and left with the same opinion of the program that he had after his last Northwestern visit, the weekend of the Ohio State game.
“They are high on my list,” Jordan, who spoke with Northwestern coaches before and after the Wildcats’ 57-46 win over the Flyers, said of the Wildcats.
After taking in College Gameday at the lakefill the morning of October 5, Jordan connected with 2014 commits Bryant McIntosh, Scottie Lindsey and Victor Law while watching Northwestern nearly knock off then-No. 4 Ohio State on October 5. Jordan said the three future Wildcats urged him to consider following their lead and pledging to Northwestern.
There’s a chance that happens eventually, but Jordan doesn’t plan to decide on a school until next year.
The first time Northwestern -- who offered Jordan in September -- contacted Jordan, he was playing at a holiday Tournament in December 12. Former assistant Tavaras Hardy, now at Georgetown, watched Jordan play, and the Plainfield, IL, native has kept in touch with Northwestern despite the program’s coaching staff overhaul. Jordan visited Northwestern in the spring to meet with new coach Chris Collins and his staff.
While Northwestern hasn’t enjoyed nearly as much success as some of the schools Jordan counts on his offer list (Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Creighton), Jordan is confident Collins has the Wildcats headed in the right direction.
“I feel like coach Collins can turn the program around,” he said. “They’re on the rise. It might take a while, but I think they’ll get where they need to be.”
The basketball aspect of Jordan’s recruitment to Northwestern is likewise intriguing for Jordan, who says Collins – whose motion-based offense is a good fit for versatile guards like Jordan – envisions him playing a number of different roles. Jordan, a 6-4, 175-pound guard who averaged just under 16 points for Plainfield East high school last season, says he can play anywhere in the backcourt.
The prospect of helping to spur Northwestern’s rise from Big Ten obscurity, with the assistance of “great players” like McIntosh and Law, is perhaps the biggest reason why Jordan holds the Wildcats in such high esteem. Jordan also likes Northwestern because of its academic reputation.
“You can tell they have good potential coming,” he said. “Those are two great players, and with the coaches on the staff, Northwestern will get where they want to be.”
Not lost on Jordan is Collins’ history with Duke, as well as his experience coaching LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and other NBA superstars on Team USA. “I’ve looked at him [Collins] like that,” he said.
There is a strong possibility, Jordan said, that he will be back at Northwestern for another game in January or February.
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The Profile
School: Plainfield East (IL)
AAU: Illinois Star
Stars: 4
Other offers: Creighton, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, La Salle, others
247 profile
Notes: received offer in September, considers Northwestern high on his list, plans to visit again.