Chris Collins and Northwestern may not be in ideal position with a lone (if impressive) three-star commit in the class of 2020 thus far, but at this point last year, there were no commits in the class of 2019. There will be an increased sense of urgency for Collins and Co. as the summer approaches, so let’s take a look at who Northwestern has offered.
Point Guards
Adam Miller, Morgan Park High School, Chicago, IL
247Sports Composite: .9900
The local four-star is a hot commodity, with offers from UCLA, Kansas, Illinois, Wisconsin and Louisville among others, but no matter how unlikely his commitment, the Chicago native would provide Northwestern with their point guard of the future. Miller is an all-around point guard that thrives in isolation situations as well as in two-man sets. The 6-foot-3 lefty is capable of knocking down triples as well as finding the open man, and would bring a skill set to Northwestern that is desperately needed.
Caleb Love, Christian Brothers College, St. Louis, MO
247Sports Composite: .9871
Love is a quick guard that thrives on both sides of the floor. He’s picked up offers from North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Illinois, and is the fifth ranked point guard in the nation, right behind Miller. He possesses a similar skill set to Miller, with the same ability to give Northwestern a needed positive jolt in terms of ball-handling.
Ty Berry, Newton High School, Newton, KS
247Sports Composite: .9335
While Berry doesn’t have quite as impressive a pedigree as the previous duo, he is still a highly touted prospect for whom Northwestern will face plenty of competition. Berry has garnered offers from Iowa, Creighton, Colorado and Wichita State thanks to his athleticism and burgeoning passing ability. That being said, he’s a much more attainable target for NU than the others.
Shooting Guards
Zach Harvey, Prolific Prep, Topeka, KS
247Sports Composite: .9819
Harvey is a prolific shooter that has already collected offers from Gonzaga, UCLA, Ohio State and Oregon. He is capable of acting as a pure spot-up shooter but also has the talent and athleticism to attack the rim in spurts.
Anthony Leal, Bloomington South, Bloomington, IN
247Sports Composite: .9641
The Indiana native is a pure shooter that dominates on the defensive end. Leal isn’t the quickest player but is already an excellent two-way guy (think Vic Law). The big guard’s length allows him to defend multiple positions, while on the offensive end he has the capacity to shoot consistently both off the dribble and off the catch. He also seems to have significant interest in the ‘Cats despite holding an Indiana offer.
Joe Bamisile*, Monacan, Richmond, VA
247Sports Composite: .8962
Bamisile is currently the lone commit in Collins’ class of 2020. His commitment in April represented the addition of a lengthy shooter that excels at getting to the rim. Bamisile chose Northwestern over Miami, Virginia Tech and West Virginia, among others, and provided Northwestern with a much needed boost after the program lost three players in quick succession.
Power Forwards
Ben Carlson, East Ridge, Saint Paul, MN
247Sports Composite: .9699
Carlson is capable of scoring out of post up sets, and can be effective in finding and creating space for himself. If he is able to extend his game and create a deeper range of shooting, he could become a massive threat on the offensive end. Carlson holds offers from Stanford, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin, and again seems to have Northwestern near the top of his list.
Centers
Dain Dainja, Park Center, Minneapolis, MN
247Sports Composite: .9795
Dainja was an early offer from Collins, and for good reason. The big man is capable of putting the ball on the floor as well as scoring on the perimeter, making defending him an extremely hard task. He has picked up offers from Baylor, Illinois, Georgetown and Louisville.
Leal and Carlson seem to be the most likely out of this class to land in Evanston, but to build a big enough 2020 class, Chris Collins and co. will probably have to continue to put offers out there. For now, it would be impressive for the Wildcats, in their current state of flux, to land any of these sought-after recruits.