Northwestern Lands Four-Star Basketball Recruit in 7-foot-3 Center

Gavin Dorsey

Oct 24, 2025, 19:20

Gavin Dorsey

Oct 24, 2025, 19:20

Updated at: Oct 24, 2025, 19:20

Chris Collins continues to win on the recruiting trail.

The Northwestern men's basketball coach picked up a massive victory on Friday afternoon when 7-foot-3 center Symon Ghai officially committed to play for the Wildcats. Ghai, a four-star big man ranked the No. 9 center in the Class of 2026 by Rivals, announced his intention to join Collins and the 'Cats next year with a post on Instagram.

"Three years ago, I was a village boy surviving on deer and milk," Ghai said. "Today, by God’s grace, I’m blessed with opportunities I once could only dream of. Now, with my talents and hustle, I’ll be pounding the rock with the Northwestern University Wildcats."

Originally from South Sudan, Ghai plays for The Academy of Central Florida in Orlando, though his home is also listed as St. Louis, Missouri. According to recruiting analyst Sam Kayser, Ghai chose the Wildcats over schools such as Xavier, Santa Clara and Oklahoma State. The towering center also received offers from Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

Collins and the 'Cats hosted Ghai on an official campus visit last weekend, and he was spotted on the sidelines during Northwestern football's 19-0 win over Purdue on Saturday, October 18.

Rivals/On3 ranks Ghai No. 9 among centers, No. 11 among Florida athletes and No. 76 nationally in his class. Per ESPN and 247Sports, Ghai is listed as the No. 30 and No. 31 center, respectively. At 7-foot-3, Ghai weighs in at 210 pounds.

Ghai is the second four-star recruit Collins has signed to his Class of 2026, joining Montverde Academy's Jayden Hodge. The Floridian small forward committed to the 'Cats on October 6 and is currently ranked the No. 64 overall player in his grade by 247Sports.

The addition of Ghai marks a continuation of two very successful recruiting cycles for Collins. Indiana forward Tre Singleton became the highest-ranked recruit in Collins' tenure when he signed with Northwestern last fall, and he projects to make an immediate impact during his freshman season. The Wildcats also brought in Pennsylvania guard Jake West, Ohio forward Tyler Kropp, Tennessee center Cade Bennerman and Illinois guard Phoenix Gill to complete one of the strongest recruiting classes in program history.

Northwestern is set to tip off the 2025-26 regular season on November 3 against Mercyhurst.

Northwestern Lands Four-Star Basketball Recruit in 7-foot-3 Center