Certain Northwestern players need to show more as we enter an offseason of evaluation.
Northwestern is currently 11-16. It's won three conference games with four to play. Any way you slice it, despite the fact that this is a very young group of players, this season was unsuccessful.
Being around the program and watching Chris Collins and his players speak in press conferences all season, it would shock me if any one of them would push back on that statement. They aren't satisfied, and there's no reason fans should be either.
There have been some bright spots, for sure. Nick Martinelli is leading the Big Ten in scoring AGAIN, and he's cemented his legacy in Evanston as one of the best scorers in team history. Jake West and Tre Singleton have each had solid freshmen seasons, proving that they can be building blocks for the future.
This is far from a doom and gloom article. If you watch Chris Collins coach for long enough, you know to never count him out in any game against any team in any season. They could very well beat Purdue in a couple of weeks, who knows.
But the results didn't come this season, and that's the objective truth. After the Boo Buie-era, there was so much hope in this town. It's not gone, and it isn't even on life support yet, but concern is starting to slip in. We've seen the 'Cats regress after success when they made their first ever tournament in 2017. That can't happen again.
So, this offseason is a crucial time. Collins needs to construct a roster around this group of young talent that competes at a higher level than they did this year. It's crucial for fan interest, and it's crucial for maintaining the high level of player retention Northwestern has had in recent years. The portal could sink this ship if losses keep rolling in.
How exactly should Collins build that roster? It's unclear. Some players will probably leave after this season, opening up some scholarship spots. Others will stay, and it's impossible to project exactly who. But certain players have to prove more down the home stretch this year to convince me they belong on the 2026-27 team.
First, let's discuss Jayden Reid, the transfer point guard from USF who Collins brought in to run his offense this year. Flat out, I don't think he's cut out for that role in the Big Ten. Is that harsh? Maybe, but he's been a wildly inconsistent scorer, a poor defender at times and a turnover machine at other times.
Reid is incredibly fast, but he's just not tall enough to play point guard in this league. He can hit jumpers from the elbow, but his speed is often negated by an inability to consistently finish in traffic at the rim. Too many times, Reid is out on the break and gets stuffed by an athletic 7-footer at the rim.
However, that doesn't mean he can't be useful in the future. As I said, Reid has a clean jumper, and the potential to be a true threat from beyond the arc. I want to see more of him at the shooting guard spot, and more of him shooting the basketball. With West emerging at the 1, Reid needs a new role.
The second big one is Arrinten Page. I don't know how to evaluate his season at all, but I know his effort has improved as it's gone on. Defensively, he has a long way to go. It's been an obvious problem all year. But he's got a ridiculous offensive bag on the other end -- inconsistent, but dynamite.
Recently, I've seen Page work harder on the defensive side. Early in the year, he was timid and looked like he didn't know where to be, which was somewhat understandable in a completely new system. Now, even though he's not perfect, there's a slightly different energy, one that Collins has applauded in pressers.
Both of these transfers have fallen further out of favor than they probably envisioned when they came here. That means both player and staff have to have an honest conversation in the offseason about their future fit in purple and white. It will be fascinating to see what they decide.