You heard it right: NU's class is ranked EIGHTH in nation

[lou v]

Just months after leading Northwestern to the NCAA Tournament, head coach Chris Collins has a Top 10 recruiting class.

Story: You heard it right: NU's 2018 class ranked 8th in nation

 

[hdhntr1]

Just months after leading Northwestern to the NCAA Tournament, head coach Chris Collins has a Top 10 recruiting class.

Story: You heard it right: NU's 2018 class ranked 8th in nation

So does that mean the class rank goes up when Young actually gets rated? Looks on par with IND. Their top recruit is 50 and the rest 101, 112 and 142. If Young is 162 then NU's rankings are 61, 97,118,162. Sounds pretty comparable.

 

[VirginiaWildcat]

Ho hum. Another day, another NU top 10 recruiting class.

 

[NJCat]

Ho hum. Another day, another NU top 10 recruiting class.

Just like football.

 

[Windy City Cat Fan]

not to rain on the parade, but there are a lot of top 150 kids that are still uncommitted. Finishing 8th in the BigTen is still a possibility

 

[VirginiaWildcat]

not to rain on the parade, but there are a lot of top 150 kids that are still uncommitted. Finishing 8th in the BigTen is still a possibility

Questionably the highest ranked class ever? I don't mind parading.

 

[DaCat]

not to rain on the parade, but there are a lot of top 150 kids that are still uncommitted. Finishing 8th in the BigTen is still a possibility

Just glad because it seems Collins got the recruits that he wanted, with probably the best class he possibly could've gotten at this point in time.

 

[NJCat]

not to rain on the parade, but there are a lot of top 150 kids that are still uncommitted. Finishing 8th in the BigTen is still a possibility

I think NU ends up 6th. Most of the Big 10 teams are nearly out of scholarships:

Illinois 3 scholarships/0 commits
Indiana 5/4
Iowa 1/2 (Someone gets Creaned)
Maryland 5/2
Michigan 4/3
MSU 4/5 (Bridges likely goes Pro next year)
Minny 5/3
NE 4/1
OSU 5/2
PSU 3/2
PU 5/2
RU 3/0
WI 2/1

OSU, Purdue and MD will likely pass NU given how they recruit. WI, Iowa, NE, RU and PSU will all finish below NU either because they are done or because they don't have highly rated guys left on their offer boards. Illinois will probably fall below NU just because of numbers. Michigan will be very close to NU. So will Minny.

 

[lou v]

Just months after leading Northwestern to the NCAA Tournament, head coach Chris Collins has a Top 10 recruiting class.

Story: You heard it right: NU's 2018 class ranked 8th in nation

And remember, even though Rivals doesn't count transfers in its rankings, AJ Turner is technically part of this class too.

 

[hdhntr1]

And remember, even though Rivals doesn't count transfers in its rankings, AJ Turner is technically part of this class too.

Is he next years class or this years? Or does he have to sit for a year? I forget.

 

[NJCat]

Is he next years class or this years? Or does he have to sit for a year? I forget.

He sits this season, plays 2018-19 and the following season......

 

[pawildcat]

I think NU ends up 6th. Most of the Big 10 teams are nearly out of scholarships:

Illinois 3 scholarships/0 commits
Indiana 5/4
Iowa 1/2 (Someone gets Creaned)
Maryland 5/2
Michigan 4/3
MSU 4/5 (Bridges likely goes Pro next year)
Minny 5/3
NE 4/1
OSU 5/2
PSU 3/2
PU 5/2
RU 3/0
WI 2/1

OSU, Purdue and MD will likely pass NU given how they recruit. WI, Iowa, NE, RU and PSU will all finish below NU either because they are done or because they don't have highly rated guys left on their offer boards. Illinois will probably fall below NU just because of numbers. Michigan will be very close to NU. So will Minny.

Could be wrong, but I think Rutgers has at least one recruit who is highly rated.

 

[DaCat]

He sits this season, plays 2018-19 and the following season......

If this class doesn't turn out to be the best one yet, then something will have gone awfully wrong. Two guys could start as true frosh (Lathon and Kopp) and the others will be starting or playing significant minutes by their sophomore year. Add AJ Turner into the mix and this class has an unbelievable ceiling.

 

[NJCat]

Could be wrong, but I think Rutgers has at least one recruit who is highly rated.

Yes they do. They have Montez Mathis, a 4*, two 3*s and a guy who hasn't been rated yet. So with the same number of recruits as NU, they are 7th in the Big 10 and will stay below NU no matter what happens to the other Big 10 schools.

 

[Walker Fan]

Who cares what other Big 10 schools might recruit? NU just had their best recruiting class in its history with 3 4-star players and an emerging big guy. Not a bad first five classes. 4-star players in Law, Falzon, Benson, Rapolas, Nance, Lathon, Kopp, Turner, Gaines. A player who plays like a 4-5 star player in McIntosh. A guy who has realized he has 4-star talent in Lindsey. Solid and athletic 3-star players in Skelly, Brown and Ash. Collins has built a top 20 program with a very high ceiling.

 

[freewillie07]

Who cares what other Big 10 schools might recruit? NU just had their best recruiting class in its history with 3 4-star players and an emerging big guy. Not a bad first five classes. 4-star players in Law, Falzon, Benson, Rapolas, Nance, Lathon, Kopp, Turner, Gaines. A player who plays like a 4-5 star player in McIntosh. A guy who has realized he has 4-star talent in Lindsey. Solid and athletic 3-star players in Skelly, Brown and Ash. Collins has built a top 20 program with a very high ceiling.

NU is not a destination for the one-and-done types, and maybe never will be. Thus, the recruiting classes may never be atop the Big Ten.

But that's ok.

Guys like Kopp and Nance are the ideal cornerstones for building a consistently great program. Top 100 talented guys who are probably going to continue to develop and stay all four years. The type of guys who grow into All Big Ten players as upperclassmen like BMac and Scottie.

Get a roster full of those type of guys -- kind of like what the 2018 team looks like -- and you've got a squad that should be able to consistently contend for the Big Ten year after year.

 

[NJCat]

NU is not a destination for the one-and-done types, and maybe never will be.

But that's ok.

Agree. Give me a roster with 6 or 7 22 year old grown men, a la Wisconsin or Butler or Notre Dame, who have been in the program 3 or 4 years, and NU will compete for titles every year. Collins calls NU a "development program" and I like that strategy.

 

[DaCat]

The one-and-done trend takes the fun out of college basketball for me as a fan. I would imagine it creates a lot of pressure for coaches as well, after recruiting a kid, to have him leave after one year and needing to do it all over again.

 

[VirginiaWildcat]

The one-and-done trend takes the fun out of college basketball for me as a fan. I would imagine it creates a lot of pressure for coaches as well, after recruiting a kid, to have him leave after one year and needing to do it all over again.

I don't like it either. Duke has joined UK and really taken to the one-and-done model. But what happens with teams like that every single recruiting class must be top-of-the-line. If it isn't, that particular season is a major disappointment. Love the way NU did it...building a team over four years.

 

[hdhntr1]

Who cares what other Big 10 schools might recruit? NU just had their best recruiting class in its history with 3 4-star players and an emerging big guy. Not a bad first five classes. 4-star players in Law, Falzon, Benson, Rapolas, Nance, Lathon, Kopp, Turner, Gaines. A player who plays like a 4-5 star player in McIntosh. A guy who has realized he has 4-star talent in Lindsey. Solid and athletic 3-star players in Skelly, Brown and Ash. Collins has built a top 20 program with a very high ceiling.

At least on Rivals, Gaines is 3 star and how could you forget Pardon?

 

[VirginiaWildcat]

Who cares what other Big 10 schools might recruit? NU just had their best recruiting class in its history with 3 4-star players and an emerging big guy. Not a bad first five classes. 4-star players in Law, Falzon, Benson, Rapolas, Nance, Lathon, Kopp, Turner, Gaines. A player who plays like a 4-5 star player in McIntosh. A guy who has realized he has 4-star talent in Lindsey. Solid and athletic 3-star players in Skelly, Brown and Ash. Collins has built a top 20 program with a very high ceiling.

Not only are the recruits strong, but can anyone argue with the Collins' strong ability to develop players?? We are incredibly lucky to have him.

 

[hdhntr1]

I don't like it either. Duke has joined UK and really taken to the one-and-done model. But what happens with teams like that every single recruiting class must be top-of-the-line. If it isn't, that particular season is a major disappointment. Love the way NU did it...building a team over four years.

We have a different model partly because we currently have different goals. We are trying to build a program. One and dones might cause more harm than good for our program at this point. But Duke and UK are reaching for the brass ring of the title each year and anything less than at least a Final 4 is a failure. Can't say I like it but the model has been sort of working for them. I prefer the WIS, MSU model myself.

 

[lou v]

The one-and-done trend takes the fun out of college basketball for me as a fan. I would imagine it creates a lot of pressure for coaches as well, after recruiting a kid, to have him leave after one year and needing to do it all over again.

I don't like it either. Duke has joined UK and really taken to the one-and-done model. But what happens with teams like that every single recruiting class must be top-of-the-line. If it isn't, that particular season is a major disappointment. Love the way NU did it...building a team over four years.

I don't think Duke necessarily made a conscious decision to go to the "one-and-done" model. They go after the best players, and in the current landscape, those are one-and-done guys. Kentucky is the team that embraced it -- heck, they invented it -- and made it the hallmark of their program.

And let's be honest here -- NU isn't in the one-and-done game because they can't land those kinds of kids. They recruited guys like Jahlil Okafor and Jabari Parker; they just couldn't land them. You can bet that Collins would take one of those one-and-dones if he could get him.

 

[lou v]

I don't like it either. Duke has joined UK and really taken to the one-and-done model. But what happens with teams like that every single recruiting class must be top-of-the-line. If it isn't, that particular season is a major disappointment. Love the way NU did it...building a team over four years.

We have a different model partly because we currently have different goals. We are trying to build a program. One and dones might cause more harm than good for our program at this point. But Duke and UK are reaching for the brass ring of the title each year and anything less than at least a Final 4 is a failure. Can't say I like it but the model has been sort of working for them. I prefer the WIS, MSU model myself.

I don't understand how landing a five-star, one-and-done kind of player could cause "more harm than good for our program at this point." Add one to this team and they could win the Big Ten and make a Final Four.

 

[VBCat97]

I don't understand how landing a five-star, one-and-done kind of player could cause "more harm than good for our program at this point."

Lou, you should talk to Jereme Richmond. Ask for prisoner number JR911 at the Lake County Jail.

 

[hdhntr1]

I don't understand how landing a five-star, one-and-done kind of player could cause "more harm than good for our program at this point." Add one to this team and they could win the Big Ten and make a Final Four.

Because that type player is not someone you can build on. NU basketball now is more like family, working and growing together to kids who academics are hugely important. The one and done (a smaller subset of the 5 star group) is often more about punching ticket to the draft. It often becomes more about them than the team. Do you see them interested in academics? Then they leave that huge hole when they leave. KY has handled that by continuously having a couple more one and dones in each class. Just saying the program is not at that level yet and having such a player might disrupt what they are trying to build. Note, I did not say I was against a 5 star recruit. Just not in favor of the one and dones (about 5-7 per year) at this time

 

[lou v]

I don't understand how landing a five-star, one-and-done kind of player could cause "more harm than good for our program at this point."

Lou, you should talk to Jereme Richmond. Ask for prisoner number JR911 at the Lake County Jail.

First of all, that's one guy. There have been dozens and dozens of one-and-dones who were very successful on the court and not a problem off of it. You are arguing the exception. For every Richmond, I can give you a Parker, Davis, Okafor, Durant, Anthony, Love, etc.

Secondly, could Richmond even get into NU? Whoever NU's one-and-done is, he would still have to get past admissions.

 

[Windy City Cat Fan]

Because that type player is not someone you can build on. NU basketball now is more like family, working and growing together to kids who academics are hugely important. The one and done (a smaller subset of the 5 star group) is often more about punching ticket to the draft. It often becomes more about them than the team. Do you see them interested in academics? Then they leave that huge hole when they leave. KY has handled that by continuously having a couple more one and dones in each class. Just saying the program is not at that level yet and having such a player might disrupt what they are trying to build. Note, I did not say I was against a 5 star recruit. Just not in favor of the one and dones (about 5-7 per year) at this time

They don't leave a huge hole, they take the team far in the tourney and the next 5 stars whether they are one and done, two and done whatever sign on and continue the trajectory.

Also - why are one and dones bad but grad transfers (I.e. One and done) are not,

 

[lou v]

I don't understand how landing a five-star, one-and-done kind of player could cause "more harm than good for our program at this point." Add one to this team and they could win the Big Ten and make a Final Four.

Because that type player is not someone you can build on. NU basketball now is more like family, working and growing together to kids who academics are hugely important. The one and done (a smaller subset of the 5 star group) is often more about punching ticket to the draft. It often becomes more about them than the team. Do you see them interested in academics? Then they leave that huge hole when they leave. KY has handled that by continuously having a couple more one and dones in each class. Just saying the program is not at that level yet and having such a player might disrupt what they are trying to build. Note, I did not say I was against a 5 star recruit. Just not in favor of the one and dones (about 5-7 per year) at this time

If you are in favor of recruiting a five-star, that means he could be a one-and-done. You don't necessarily know if they are or not when you recruit them. That was my point: if you go after the best guys, they might be one-and-dones, they might not.

Some of them are academic kids. Anyone who picked Duke, for instance. Anthony Davis was a good student.

Look, if an Okafor came along right now, NU would offer him and you could be damn sure they'd take him.

As far as building a program goes, land an Okafor and make a Final Four and I'm pretty sure the program will continue its upward trajectory.

 

[scru]

Look at what happened to the UW Huskies last year. Had the #1 pick in draft, couldn't deliver the goods in games, coach fired, top recruits bail, program in upheaval. Can be a bad thing for sure.

 

[Windy City Cat Fan]

Look at what happened to the UW Huskies last year. Had the #1 pick in draft, couldn't deliver the goods in games, coach fired, top recruits bail, program in upheaval. Can be a bad thing for sure.

So were they bad and everyone fired because the 5 star was bad or would they have been bad without the five star and everyone fired anyway?

 

[lou v]

Look at what happened to the UW Huskies last year. Had the #1 pick in draft, couldn't deliver the goods in games, coach fired, top recruits bail, program in upheaval. Can be a bad thing for sure.

So were they bad and everyone fired because the 5 star was bad or would they have been bad without the five star and everyone fired anyway?

Bingo. That was a bad Washington team with a head coach who was probably going to get the axe anyway. NU has a very good team and a strong, up-and-coming head coach. It would be a much different environment.

Plus, Collins wouldn't be recruiting a five-star guy who wasn't a good fit. It would be a Okafor- or Parker-type kid. He recruited them at Duke, I'm sure he would do it at NU too.

 

[hdhntr1]

If you are in favor of recruiting a five-star, that means he could be a one-and-done. You don't necessarily know if they are or not when you recruit them. That was my point: if you go after the best guys, they might be one-and-dones, they might not.

Some of them are academic kids. Anyone who picked Duke, for instance. Anthony Davis was a good student.

Look, if an Okafor came along right now, NU would offer him and you could be damn sure they'd take him.

As far as building a program goes, land an Okafor and make a Final Four and I'm pretty sure the program will continue its upward trajectory.

DUKE drops their academics standards considerably for the BB program. Many, such as Okafor, or Oden have their sights set on NBA. How much studying do you think they did? How does that go with rest of the team? when you look at Lindsey or Law, for example, they have developed a lot of chemistry with others on the team and that leads to synergy. The one and done disrupts that and can stifle the development of other players and the team in general . Just saying at this point in program development, I think it could hurt as much or more than it helps. Maybe it would work eventually after the program is developed. Just feel for now, it would not be best for the program.

 

[lou v]

If you are in favor of recruiting a five-star, that means he could be a one-and-done. You don't necessarily know if they are or not when you recruit them. That was my point: if you go after the best guys, they might be one-and-dones, they might not.

Some of them are academic kids. Anyone who picked Duke, for instance. Anthony Davis was a good student.

Look, if an Okafor came along right now, NU would offer him and you could be damn sure they'd take him.

As far as building a program goes, land an Okafor and make a Final Four and I'm pretty sure the program will continue its upward trajectory.

DUKE drops their academics standards considerably for the BB program. Many, such as Okafor, or Oden have their sights set on NBA. How much studying do you think they did? How does that go with rest of the team? when you look at Lindsey or Law, for example, they have developed a lot of chemistry with others on the team and that leads to synergy. The one and done disrupts that and can stifle the development of other players and the team in general . Just saying at this point in program development, I think it could hurt as much or more than it helps. Maybe it would work eventually after the program is developed. Just feel for now, it would not be best for the program.

NU plays virtually all its true freshmen now. It would be no different than that, right? It's just that the one-and-done would probably be a better, more polished, more physically ready and more gifted true freshman. He'd still make mistakes, but he'd offset that with making plays that other guys probably aren't physically capable of.

 

[pawildcat]

We have a different model partly because we currently have different goals. We are trying to build a program. One and dones might cause more harm than good for our program at this point. But Duke and UK are reaching for the brass ring of the title each year and anything less than at least a Final 4 is a failure. Can't say I like it but the model has been sort of working for them. I prefer the WIS, MSU model myself.

I'm not sure this model is that great for Duke and Kentucky. Sure, Kentucky has been very good the last few years, but Cal has only won one championship there, and that was in 2012. Duke is always good as well, but they have had some personality issues in recent years and never really seemed a threat to take it all last year. They haven't done badly with one-and-done, but both programs also won multiple titles before the one-and-done stuff started.

 

[Windy City Cat Fan]

Wouldn't grad transfer coming in for 1 year create the same concerns?

 

[lou v]

We have a different model partly because we currently have different goals. We are trying to build a program. One and dones might cause more harm than good for our program at this point. But Duke and UK are reaching for the brass ring of the title each year and anything less than at least a Final 4 is a failure. Can't say I like it but the model has been sort of working for them. I prefer the WIS, MSU model myself.

I'm not sure this model is that great for Duke and Kentucky. Sure, Kentucky has been very good the last few years, but Cal has only won one championship there, and that was in 2012. Duke is always good as well, but they have had some personality issues in recent years and never really seemed a threat to take it all last year. They haven't done badly with one-and-done, but both programs also won multiple titles before the one-and-done stuff started.

Kentucky and Duke have both won national titles in the last five years led by one-and-dones -- Anthony Davis and Tyus Jones, in fact, were MOPs.

But again, I don't think it's a model. Those programs go after the best players in the country, period. More and more of them turn out to be one-and-dones. Are they not supposed to recruit top guys because they're afraid they'll leave after a year? That's just part of the game now. Kentucky (especially) and Duke have adapted to the environment, that's all. They'd love for guys to stay longer, but they're not going to stop recruiting those guys just because they will likely bolt.

 

[DaCat]

Wouldn't grad transfer coming in for 1 year create the same concerns?

It's different because not many grad transfers are 5-star quality kids, the age difference is a positive factor where transfers are early twenties vs. late teens, and they probably have only a fraction of the hype and expectations of a one-and-done.

The one-and-done 5-star kid would present a new kind of challenge (note that I didn't say problem) to the existing culture and established upperclassmen. At some point, with the right kid, I don't see Collins hesitating to recruit him, but even if our program was elevated to a blue chip level program, I don't see us being able to go the one-and-done route on a frequent basis.

 

[lou v]

Wouldn't grad transfer coming in for 1 year create the same concerns?

It's different because not many grad transfers are 5-star quality kids, the age difference is a positive factor where transfers are early twenties vs. late teens, and they probably have only a fraction of the hype and expectations that a one-and-done.

The one-and-done 5-star kid would present a new kind of challenge (note that I didn't say problem) to the existing culture and established upperclassmen. At some point, with the right kid, I don't see Collins hesitating to recruit him, but even if our program was elevated to a blue chip level program, I don't see us being able to go the one-and-done route on a frequent basis.

Again, NU doesn't have any because they can't land them. They've tried -- they offered Okafor, Parker and Ellenson, and Parker and Ellenson even visited. But my point is that if another one came along that could get into NU and was interested, you can be damn sure Collins would go after him. Hard. He recruited those types of guys at Duke and he'd love to do it here. He wouldn't not recruit a kid because he might leave in a year.

And I agree, it's much more like playing a true freshman -- which NU does every year -- than it is a grad transfer.

 

[hdhntr1]

NU plays virtually all its true freshmen now. It would be no different than that, right? It's just that the one-and-done would probably be a better, more polished, more physically ready and more gifted true freshman. He'd still make mistakes, but he'd offset that with making plays that other guys probably aren't physically capable of.

What was the contribution from Frosh last year? Yes they played but more limited minutes as we brought them along. Heart of the team was Law, Lindsey, BMac, Pardon and Sanjay. If you have the one and done guy, he is going to displace minutes stifling the development of other players as they take up 30-35 minutes. Also do they become a black hole? How many of those one and dones did not take their teams to the promised land? I would suggest it is most.