BREAKING: NU lands 2025 big man Cade Bennerman

[lou v]

Cats land high-ceiling big man Cade Bennerman to top off 2025 class

Northwestern topped off its program-defining 2025 recruiting class with 6-foot-11 Cade Bennerman.

northwestern.rivals.com

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Basketball. School.

Potentially program defining is 100% right.

I don’t know exactly why this didn’t happen when we first made the tourney, but the program that Boo Buie built is becoming a reality.

 

[wocka]

Basketball. School.

Potentially program defining is 100% right.

I don’t know exactly why this didn’t happen when we first made the tourney, but the program that Boo Buie built is becoming a reality.

I mean, the 2018 class, at the time, was that. Two four-stars (and a third lined up before Lathon's legal issues) was pretty monumental for NU at the time, they just didn't pan out as good as their rankings (and I'd argue Collins is a much better coach now + Lowery is great). Especially pre-portal whiffing on large amounts of players was just a backbreaker for a program like NU.

 

[platinocat]

Between the tournament appearances, the program had good players but were often 2 or more good players short of being really competitive. The depth coming in is really encouraging.

 

[hdhntr1]

Basketball. School.

Potentially program defining is 100% right.

I don’t know exactly why this didn’t happen when we first made the tourney, but the program that Boo Buie built is becoming a reality.

It did. He got what looked to be a huge recruiting class with guys like Nance, Kopp and company. They did not fit together as well as people exepcted. CCC has found that he does better with junk yard dogs that believe in each other and will bust their butts. . That is what he had the first time and it worked. And that is what he has gone back to leading to two more appearances and that is what he appears to be continuing with this group

 

[IGNORE2]

What a great recruiting class. I still think we have one more spot to be held for a big man transfer. Hunger will step into MN role but this young man does not sound ready to step into Hungers spot. So adding a grad transfer big man should seal the roster next year.

Btw, any truth that ncaa expanding MBB schollie limit to 15?

 

[clarificationcat]

It did. He got what looked to be a huge recruiting class with guys like Nance, Kopp and company. They did not fit together as well as people exepcted. CCC has found that he does better with junk yard dogs that believe in each other and will bust their butts. . That is what he had the first time and it worked. And that is what he has gone back to leading to two more appearances and that is what he appears to be continuing with this group

The biggest recruiting issue for Collins post-tourney was a failure to recruit guards. He recruited Ash, Brown, Gaines and Greer over a 4-year period. Hard to consistently win if those are your lead guard options. Those guys were supposed to be the bridge from McIntosh to Buie.

 

[SDakaGordie]

I will cherish the day, if it ever comes, that we can all just assume it’s easy to get the recruits that we want. If anyone thinks Collins “failed” by not being able to recruit better guys, then I would like to wholeheartedly disagree.

 

[lou v]

I will cherish the day, if it ever comes, that we can all just assume it’s easy to get the recruits that we want. If anyone thinks Collins “failed” by not being able to recruit better guys, then I would like to wholeheartedly disagree.

I think the 2016 class was a killer for Collins: Rapolas Ivanauskas, Barret Benson and Isiah Brown. Rap suffered season-ending injuries two years in a row and transferred to Colgate. That was just bad luck. Benson never fulfilled his promise and was a bench player who transferred to SIU when he was expected to finally elevate to a starting job. Brown played two years of limited minutes and then transferred to GCU. Those were the guys who were expected to take over and carry the torch after the 2014 class (BMac, Vic, Scottie, et al). There were a few other misses, too, but essentially losing a whole class like that was crippling for a development program like NU. It's not necessarily because Collins couldn't recruit "better guys" -- Rap and Benson were nationally ranked four-stars -- but the bottom line is that none of them panned out.

 

[SmellyCat]

I really thought Benson was going to be a great.

We have to remember that for all of their pluses and minuses, guys like Miller Kopp, Robbie Beran, and Ivanauskas were all considered huge gets for NU. They were at best mediocre starters who occasionally contributed, but none of them were game-changers. On the other hand, NU's all-time greatest game-changer was likely an afterthought when he signed (if you knew Boo would be great before he ever stepped on the court, I tip my hat - I just know people in general were more excited by Kopp coming to NU than Boo).

Is it all a crapshoot? Other than the very very best like Zion Williamson or Anthony Davis (and I guess this year, Cooper Flagg), there are always going to be misses. Just need more hits than misses. If we get four out of these new five who even *meets* expectations, that will be an incredible ratio. And if some of them exceed expectations, we're talking NCAAs.

I'm excited about Bennerman, even as I know he's a toolsy guy who we have to project a few years down the road, rather than having Patrick Ewing joining our frontcourt next year. Will a mature Bennerman be Nicholson/Pardon? Will he be Hunger? Will he be Chier Ajou? Will he be like nothing we've ever seen? No idea yet, but I'm excited to find out.

 

[lou v]

I really thought Benson was going to be a great.

We have to remember that for all of their pluses and minuses, guys like Miller Kopp, Robbie Beran, and Ivanauskas were all considered huge gets for NU. They were at best mediocre starters who occasionally contributed, but none of them were game-changers. On the other hand, NU's all-time greatest game-changer was likely an afterthought when he signed (if you knew Boo would be great before he ever stepped on the court, I tip my hat - I just know people in general were more excited by Kopp coming to NU than Boo).

Is it all a crapshoot? Other than the very very best like Zion Williamson or Anthony Davis (and I guess this year, Cooper Flagg), there are always going to be misses. Just need more hits than misses. If we get four out of these new five who even *meets* expectations, that will be an incredible ratio. And if some of them exceed expectations, we're talking NCAAs.

I'm excited about Bennerman, even as I know he's a toolsy guy who we have to project a few years down the road, rather than having Patrick Ewing joining our frontcourt next year. Will a mature Bennerman be Nicholson/Pardon? Will he be Hunger? Will he be Chier Ajou? Will he be like nothing we've ever seen? No idea yet, but I'm excited to find out.

You're right. There are always going to be misses. I point to the 2016 class because all three of them were misses. It's tough when you miss on a whole class like that.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Oh man. Cher Ajou. Now I have the shakes.

Kyle Rowley, where are you?

 

[wocka]

You're right. There are always going to be misses. I point to the 2016 class because all three of them were misses. It's tough when you miss on a whole class like that.

And then the year after was just Anthony Gaines. Back-to-back years.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Collins had plenty of mishaps and disappointments in recruiting and player development after that first class.
So much so that people wrote a gospel proclaiming that "admissions" was preventing us from competing!

And the portal required undergrads to sit out a year, so quickly solving roster problems was damned near impossible.
Thankfully Collins mindset changed and we stopped chasing "stars" and focused on recruiting winners.

After Gragg wrecked the 2023 class, things have been much better.

 

[SDakaGordie]

Collins had plenty of mishaps and disappointments in recruiting and player development after that first class.
So much so that people wrote a gospel proclaiming that "admissions" was preventing us from competing!

And the portal required undergrads to sit out a year, so quickly solving roster problems was damned near impossible.
Thankfully Collins mindset changed and we stopped chasing "stars" and focused on recruiting winners.

After Gragg wrecked the 2023 class, things have been much better.

The point about admissions is that it limits our pool so recruiting is tougher. We can succeed - of course, Collins proved this. But it is a known factor in preventing us from succeeding relative to other schools. In other words, we are less likely to succeed as often as others without these limitations. After 80+ years of this - are we good?

“Focused on recruiting winners”. You just managed to insult virtually all of our former players. And where is that “winners” label posted in a player’s recruiting profile? Come on, man - please watch what you say and who you might denigrate while trying to futilely and continuously prove to us that somehow Collins used to be an idiot and now is a genius.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

The point about admissions is that it limits our pool so recruiting is tougher. We can succeed - of course, Collins proved this. But it is a known factor in preventing us from succeeding relative to other schools. In other words, we are less likely to succeed as often as others without these limitations. After 80+ years of this - are we good?

“Focused on recruiting winners”. You just managed to insult virtually all of our former players. And where is that “winners” label posted in a player’s recruiting profile? Come on, man - please watch what you say and who you might denigrate while trying to futilely and continuously prove to us that somehow Collins used to be an idiot and now is a genius.

You always go to extremes when it comes to NU basketball, specifically regarding the head coach.

If I call some guys "winners" that doesn't in any human way mean that I am calling all the other guys "losers." And yet you are pretending that is the case and using your incorrect assertion to chastise me. What is the point of that? It is nonsense. "Please watch what you say" - GIVE ME A BREAK. I'm complimenting our current guys and our coach.

Collins has modified his approach to recruiting. That seems obvious. If it happens to better align with what some of us have said for years, well thats okay, right? This issue has been litigated and resolved.

The fact is that people around here used to say we couldn't compete because of admissions. In many cases this was to make excuses for our bad years under Chris Collins. Unlike many, I said repeatedly that NU had advantages over nearly every other school and if we played to those advantages instead of chasing the highest profile guys, we could be successful.

Thankfully, Collins has proven that assertion correct. And he has publicly stated that he re-thought his entire approach to NU basketball when he hired Lowery in the wake of Gragg's ultimatum, so its pretty tough to debate that, right?

 

[SDakaGordie]

You always go to extremes when it comes to NU basketball, specifically regarding the head coach.

If I call some guys "winners" that doesn't in any human way mean that I am calling all the other guys "losers." And yet you are pretending that is the case and using your incorrect assertion to chastise me. What is the point of that? It is nonsense. "Please watch what you say" - GIVE ME A BREAK. I'm complimenting our current guys and our coach.

Collins has modified his approach to recruiting. That seems obvious. If it happens to better align with what some of us have said for years, well thats okay, right? This issue has been litigated and resolved.

The fact is that people around here used to say we couldn't compete because of admissions. In many cases this was to make excuses for our bad years under Chris Collins. Unlike many, I said repeatedly that NU had advantages over nearly every other school and if we played to those advantages instead of chasing the highest profile guys, we could be successful.

Thankfully, Collins has proven that assertion correct. And he has publicly stated that he re-thought his entire approach to NU basketball when he hired Lowery in the wake of Gragg's ultimatum, so its pretty tough to debate that, right?

It was wrong to say he recruits winners recently - just no doubt about that and not an “extreme” position for me to take.

You still don’t acknowledge that our recruiting limitations (academics) vastly outweigh advantages that most high-level players do not value (academics). Oh well.

Collins always emphasized defense first - always. Lowery was a great hire by him: Borovich was not getting it done. Collins adjusted like any good coach.

 

[PURPLE Book Cat]

I think the 2016 class was a killer for Collins: Rapolas Ivanauskas, Barret Benson and Isiah Brown. Rap suffered season-ending injuries two years in a row and transferred to Colgate. That was just bad luck. Benson never fulfilled his promise and was a bench player who transferred to SIU when he was expected to finally elevate to a starting job. Brown played two years of limited minutes and then transferred to GCU. Those were the guys who were expected to take over and carry the torch after the 2014 class (BMac, Vic, Scottie, et al). There were a few other misses, too, but essentially losing a whole class like that was crippling for a development program like NU. It's not necessarily because Collins couldn't recruit "better guys" -- Rap and Benson were nationally ranked four-stars -- but the bottom line is that none of them panned out.

Playing at Allstate definitely didn’t help.

Separately - why is the class ranked so low? There are two state #1 players and three in the top 200 nationally apparently, and the class is in the 50s?

 

[Katatonic]

The biggest recruiting issue for Collins post-tourney was a failure to recruit guards. He recruited Ash, Brown, Gaines and Greer over a 4-year period. Hard to consistently win if those are your lead guard options. Those guys were supposed to be the bridge from McIntosh to Buie.

Which coincided with CC's then infatuation with stretch forwards, who, as it turned out, weren't particularly good at much else and for that matter, even at shooting the 3 (certainly not at the level they needed to in order to make up for deficiencies elsewhere).

CC has gone back to the blueprint of his first tourney team - a lineup of scrappers with an assortment of varying skills, but with the emphasis on D.

What's amazing about the current roster is that both Simmons and Roper (from the 2021 class) transferred out and have yet to get significant contribution from the '23 class.

Hitting on both Martinelli and Hunger really helped to make up for that, along with Berry and Big Matt still being eligible.

This team has the potential to be like the 1st tourney team, with scoring spread out and not so focused on one star player.

 

[IGNORE2]

Which coincided with CC's then infatuation with stretch forwards, who, as it turned out, weren't particularly good at much else and for that matter, even at shooting the 3 (certainly not at the level they needed to in order to make up for deficiencies elsewhere).

CC has gone back to the blueprint of his first tourney team - a lineup of scrappers with an assortment of varying skills, but with the emphasis on D.

What's amazing about the current roster is that both Simmons and Roper (from the 2021 class) transferred out and have yet to get significant contribution from the '23 class.

Hitting on both Martinelli and Hunger really helped to make up for that, along with Berry and Big Matt still being eligible.

This team has the potential to be like the 1st tourney team, with scoring spread out and not so focused on one star player.

Y’all love battling w CCC through his SD burner account

 

[Catreporter]

Roper (from the 2021 class) transferred out

Noticed he is way at the end of the Notre Dame bench this year. Put up a zero in their romp last night.

 

[SDakaGordie]

Which coincided with CC's then infatuation with stretch forwards, who, as it turned out, weren't particularly good at much else and for that matter, even at shooting the 3 (certainly not at the level they needed to in order to make up for deficiencies elsewhere).

CC has gone back to the blueprint of his first tourney team - a lineup of scrappers with an assortment of varying skills, but with the emphasis on D.

What's amazing about the current roster is that both Simmons and Roper (from the 2021 class) transferred out and have yet to get significant contribution from the '23 class.

Hitting on both Martinelli and Hunger really helped to make up for that, along with Berry and Big Matt still being eligible.

This team has the potential to be like the 1st tourney team, with scoring spread out and not so focused on one star player.

Since I took issue with PWB’s “winners” comment, I must also take issue with “scrappers”. Just because Nance was not “twitchy” doesn’t mean he wasn’t good or tried really hard at defense. I’ll grant you Kopp, who was certainly an overall disappointment in some ways (defense for sure) though the guy was/is actively getting some pro chances. Beran was the definition of scrappy! Beran also took us to the dance and Nance was a few clutch missed free throws away. Not buying these manufactured arguments. You generally take the best available and try to get complementary skills.

 

[Hkjb]

Sad to see - he's a class act and always seemed to bring good energy when he was at NU.

 

[Hkjb]

The program has so much more momentum than it did after the 2016 team.

• We have a legit defensive tradition and a system everyone buys into and works their butt off to execute (Huge Chris Lowery contribution here)
• We have a work ethic that's not just imposed by the coaches - these guys are a bunch of gym rats. Look at Mart and Barny for example. They live for hoops
• We have a great home court w/no Allstate
• We have a lot of guys with talent who 'bring it' in practice everyday - not just 4-5 good ones with the rest being relatively less talented.
• Freshmen now come into the program seeing all that talent, work ethic, and intensity. They won't waltz into a strarting role and that puts positive pressure on them to develop their game. Feels like the intensity around this team is much higher than it has ever been
• the teamwork seems better - being unselfish seems like a hard, clear rule now - one our recruits opt into before they even commit.
• The Coaching staff seem to have a system and work together well
• CC has grown into a more mature head coach, and learned some lessons
• The student section shows up on our home court - every time
• Opposing teams now see our arena as a hard place to play

Lots of moving pieces, in a good way - all of which are self-reinforcing. By the way this is OT but we are gonna smoke Purdue this year.

 

[lou v]

Playing at Allstate definitely didn’t help.

Separately - why is the class ranked so low? There are two state #1 players and three in the top 200 nationally apparently, and the class is in the 50s?

As I explained in the story, Rivals has only ranked two of Northwestern's five commits -- West and Gill, who are both three-stars. That's why the class is in the 50s in the team rankings. Rivals doesn't have a national basketball analyst right now, so they are WAY behind in ranking players.

 

[SmellyCat]

As I explained in the story, Rivals has only ranked two of Northwestern's five commits -- West and Gill, who are both three-stars. That's why the class is in the 50s in the team rankings. Rivals doesn't have a national basketball analyst right now, so they are WAY behind in ranking players.

It's possible that we have overrated Bennerman, Kropp, and Singleton, but if they have no ratings at all, of course the ranking is going to suck. I like the 247 ratings much better (#10 when I looked yesterday).

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Katatonic and Hkjb:

Your comments are insightful and fair. Enjoyed reading them.
It helps with my sanity.

Winners are guys who play hard, work hard and lead by example. They put in extra time trying to be the best they can be. They rejoice when teammates do well. They don't care as much about their stat line as they care about winning. They don't seek to demean their opponent - just defeat him.

A lot of good players do not fit that mold. Ty Berry, Nick Martinelli and Brooks Barnhizer definitely fit that mold. Other guys are not as committed or intense.

This year's team looks to have a very tight core. That tends to lead to success, especially in tight games.

Its a natural byproduct of identifying and recruiting "winners."

 

[Hungry Jack]

One can become a pretty good hoops defender solely on the basis of smarts and effort (think Boo, Brooks, Berry). Add physical talent to that, and you have all-conference defensive capabilities (think Chase Audige, hopefully Angelo C someday).

 

[Figrating]

Huge get over top competition.

Really good to see the NU hoops recruiters close top recruits that can go anywhere.

Who's next?

Welcome, CB!