Northwestern basketball player reviews 2019: Jordan Ash

After injury robbed Jordan Ash of a second straight full season, the senior spent much of 2018-19 on the bench. He leaned into his role as a captain and a mentor for younger talent, and it’s clear Ash was well-respected by his teammates. A member of the Class of 2015, Ash was stuck behind Bryant McIntosh at point guard for most of his career, before injuries took their toll. The Bolingbrook, Ill. native understandably opted to transfer to another institution for his final year of eligibility.

Stats

The following numbers are taken from KenPom.com.

There’s really not much to go off of because of Ash’s injury. He started the first two contests of the season, but never had the chance to play starters’ minutes as Chris Collins quickly demurred to Ryan Greer as NU’s back-up point guard. Ash managed 10 assists, seven points, seven rebounds, and six steals in 77 minutes.

Shot distribution

Via Hoop-Math.com

Again, not much to go off of here because of the sample size. Ash showed competency from the three-point line as a junior, but only shot 1-of-6 in limited time this past season.

The good, the bad and the bottom line

Ash was never able to recover from the knee injury he suffered back in early 2018. The guard missed the final seven games of the 2017-18 campaign. He played in 10 of NU’s first 11 games, but wasn’t able to find a rhythm on the court.

“We tried early in the year to get him out there a little bit, see if his knee would respond,” Chris Collins said in January. “[It] just wasn’t getting to the level where he felt he could contribute. And so after a lot of discussion with his family, with him, with us, we just decided the best way to go about it would be to shut him down, really focus on his rehab, his recovery and see if time can get that knee better and get him an opportunity to be successful in the future.”

A recent Twitter update from Ash shows positive developments in his rehab.

After his injury, Ash often acted as a coach and mentor. A team captain, Ash was on the bench for every game and often yelled out defensive instructions and encouragement to his teammates. On Senior Day, A.J. Turner even wore Ash’s No. 23 jersey.

The senior will be immediately eligible as a graduate transfer.