The Northwestern basketball program may have found its next great rim protector.
The Northwestern Wildcats basketball team has been known more for their perimeter guards and forwards than any other position in recent memory, but coach Chris Collins and his staff have been hard at work searching for the team's next great post players.
The Wildcats watched fellow Big Ten team the Michigan Wolverines win the 2025-26 national championship on the strength of 7-foot-3 big man Aday Mara, and now Northwestern has its own giant in Symon Ghai, a freshman from Orlando, Fla.
On Saturday, Collins shared his thoughts about the young Wildcats freshman, describing his unique talents while sharing his excitement for what Ghai could become down the line for his team.
Mar 12, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Chris Collins directs his team against the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half at United Center. Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images 'Upside, Upside, Upside'
The buzz word that come to mind immediately for coach Collins on Ghai was "upside," denoting his future plans for developing the young big man.
"Upside, upside, upside," Collins said in a video posted to the Wildcats' official X account.
"All of 7-foot-3, he's mobile, no one works as hard as Symon," the Wildcats coach said.
Ghai weighs 210 pounds but plays with a ferocity around the basket on offense and defense that is hard to teach.
Whether or not he can stand up to the physical post players that line the Big Ten Conference this coming season depends on a variety of factors, and improving his strength in the weight room this offseason is certainly one of them.
Ghai Acclimating Himself to Evanston
Ghai is currently busy acclimating himself to the Wildcats' program and its Division-I power conference standards while getting to know his teammates in the process.
He is relatively new to the sport of basketball which has made his success even more remarkable.
"What I've learned most over this summer is actually getting to catch up with the guys that already have the experiences, I get to learn a lot cuz this is my fourth year playing basketball," he said.
"We really go at it and like, the competition just makes me want basketball more," Ghai continued.
Ghai has plenty of developing to do, but Collins, for his part, is fired up for the challenge of teaching him.
"It's super exciting to think about what the future holds for Symon," Collins said.
"And man, you can't teach, you know, 7'3 with that wingspan and that size.
Ghai the Ultimate Sleeper Recruit?
Ghai, who made his way to Orlando by way of St. Louis, Mo., was lightly recruited out of high school with offers from Ole Miss, Bryant, and Missouri State.
The Wildcats' opportunity to play in arguably the nation's best conference, under a proven developer of NBA talent in Collins, was ultimately too much for him to pass up.
The freshman center looks focused and confident while also knowing that he still has a lot to learn to become the player he is capable of being.
A three-star prospect, Ghai could be one of the better Big Ten centers of the Class of 2026 soon, once Collins' teaching starts to sink in and his physical maturity reaches its next milestone.
Ghai is relishing in the competition and excited for what he and his teammates can become.
"Everybody else gonna give it their all, I can't wait to see how far we're gonna go this season," Ghai said about his new team.
