BREAKING: Anthony Gaines to enter transfer portal

Northwestern men’s basketball guard and senior captain Anthony Gaines has entered the transfer portal, according to VerbalCommits on Twitter.

Gaines, who has captained the team for the past two years, came to Northwestern as Chris Collins’ lone recruit in the Class of 2017, choosing NU over the likes of Butler, Dayton and Cincinnati. In his Northwestern tenure, Gaines averaged 3.9 points per game as well as 3.8 rebounds per game. Gaines never really made the necessary strides to become a top offensive threat at NU, but was widely regarded as Northwestern’s best perimeter defender.

Gaines’ exit doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise. Months ago, prior to Miller Kopp announcing his intentions to transfer, many Wildcat fans pondered whether or not Gaines would opt to return for a fifth season. Some felt Gaines’ leaving could open the door for a player with a higher ceiling, such as highly-touted recruit Patrick Baldwin Jr., to come to Northwestern on scholarship.

Looking forward, it will be interesting to see whether Gaines’ departure marks the end of Northwestern’s transfer exodus or is just the beginning. In and of itself, Gaines’ loss leaves yet another hole to fill. Gaines was the first recruit to enroll at Northwestern after it made the 2017 NCAA Tournament, and his decision to transfer, along with that of Kopp, could signal that more players plan to leave Evanston.