Shooting guard Chase Audige announces transfer to Northwestern

Chris Collins finally broke through in the transfer market on Thursday.

Chase Audige, formerly of William & Mary, announced his intention to transfer to Northwestern. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard will have to sit out a year before becoming eligible to play in 2020. Audige possesses a skill set that could prove to be very valuable for Northwestern. He has the requisite length, athleticism and range to fill the role of a modern 3-and-D wing.

Audige had a strong freshman season at William & Mary. He was selected to the Colonial Athletic Association’s All-Rookie First team while proving to be a consistent defender and potent 3-point shooter. He also finished the season shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc. Audige could prove to be an integral component for a Northwestern’s back court that struggled mightily last season.

Securing Audige is a huge get for a Northwestern program that has seen three players transfer since the end of the season. Barrett Benson, Aaron Falzon and Jordan Ash have departed the program for Southern Illinois, Qunnipiac and Wright State respectively.

The debut of the guard will have to wait, as he will be forced to sit out a year until the 2020-21 season. His health also remains a concern as he dealt with a nagging ankle injury over the final stretch of his freshman season at William & Mary.

The New York native received interest from Providence, Nevada, and Wake Forest before ultimately deciding upon Northwestern. According to 247sports, Audige was heavily considering Wake Forest.

There were high hopes that Javon Freeman, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Valparaiso, would transfer to Northwestern. This would have been a crucial pickup for Collins as Freeman could’ve added an element to the offense that was often missing at times last year: the ability to use his athleticism to penetrate the defense and force rotations on the defensive end. Unfortunately for Collins, the slashing shooting-guard elected to stay put.

On top of Javon Freeman, there were hopes that Kansas guard Charlie Moore would choose Evanston as his home for the foreseeable future. Yet, when the Chicago native stated that he wanted to play closer to home, Northwestern wasn’t what he had in mind. Moore recently committed to DePaul where he will be on his third team in the past four years.