Another member of Northwestern's 2025-26 basketball team has found a new home. Jayden Reid was part of a mass exodus from the program about a month ago, when nine players elected to enter the portal and leave Evanston. Today, he's committed to Memphis for his senior season.
Joe Tipton, of On3, reported the news via X this afternoon, citing Reid's agent as his source. Before coming to Northwestern last season, the point guard spent two seasons with South Florida (USF), so this will be his third school in four years.
Last season, Reid began the year as NU's starting point guard, before freshman Jake West started to eat into his minutes later in the year. Reid was a fairly productive scorer for a Wildcat offense that often struggled, racking up 10.1 points per game and five assists, on the nose. His career high in ppg came as a sophomore with USF, when he averaged just over 12, but that wasn't power-four basketball.
The main issue for Reid in the Big Ten was his stature. He's small, even for a point guard, standing at 5-foot-10, according to basketball reference. I'm here to tell you, as someone who covered him, that might even be generous.
As a result, Reid had a difficult time defensively, despite elite quickness. It also neutralized him at times as a transition threat, because he couldn't finish against larger defenders.
Still, Reid's speed was on display all season, and his shooting actually seemed to pick up when West took the keys to the offense on a more regular basis. He finished the season shooting 39% from the field and 32% from beyond the arc. Those aren't great efficiency numbers, but Reid has a solid stroke that should bounce back with the Tigers.
When Reid announced his decision to transfer, it wasn't shocking. West's emergence made it likely that Reid would either not start next season or be forced to play mostly at the two guard. But head coach Chris Collins seemed to like having Reid's frenetic energy out there, and it definitely was contagious. Reid and West also both talked about how much they enjoyed sharing the court late in the season.
Ultimately, though, with most of Northwestern's roster heading elsewhere, it makes sense that Reid joined that group. With Memphis, he'll likely have a better chance to get more minutes at point guard, which is the spot where he most certainly feels more comfortable.
If he wants to make a big impact as a senior, he's going to have to stabilize his shooting efficiency and try to minimize plays where his height works against him. Those were the two things that kept him from being really good for the Wildcats and a much bigger loss in the transfer portal.