2017 guard Anthony Gaines commits to Northwestern

Northwestern has secured a huge first commitment, reeling in high three-star guard Anthony Gaines out of New Hampton, New Hampshire. He announced his commitment via Twitter:

Gaines is an outstanding athlete and was ranked the 149th-best player in the class, per 247 Sports, with a composite score of .9136 (third-best in the state of New Hampshire). He picked Northwestern just nine days after his Sept. 18th visit, choosing Evanston over a host of potential suitors including Butler, Dayton, Cincinnati, George Mason, George Washington and Providence. Northwestern was the only Power Five school to offer, but that list boasts a ton of impressive mid majors.

At 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, Gaines has the length to play shooting guard, but as seen in his highlights below, he can handle the rock as well. The following highlights are from his summer league circuit, which included a stop at the prestigious Nike Peach Jam.

This is a very important get for Chris Collins, who up to this point did not have a commitment in his 2017 class. Gaines fills an immediate hole in the roster and could step in and play major minutes as a true freshman alongside Bryant McIntosh depending on how fellow guards Jordan Ash and Isiah Brown develop. Gaines is the most highly-touted recruit of the three.

This leaves Collins with at least one more open spot in the Class of 2017 and takes a huge weight off of his shoulders as well. Gaines was essentially a must-get, and Collins got him.