Arrinten Page had an up-and-down season in Evanston this year after making stops at USC and Cincinnati.
Coming into the year, he seemed poised to play a lot and make a big difference for the Wildcats offensively. After four years of relying on the defensive-minded Matt Nicholson at the five, Page was supposed to give head coach Chris Collins a different look.
In that way, his tenure with Northwestern wasn't unsuccessful. Page was a legitimate offensive threat, and his bag of tricks in the post rivals that of NBA-level talent. However, Page had some effort questions that are impossible to get around, and he was a serious let-down defensively.
For that reason, which also led to reduced playing time as the season went on, it wasn't surprising when Page entered the portal for a fourth time earlier this offseason. Yesterday, we learned where he will be headed.
According to DraftExpress reporter Jon Chepkevich, Page will take his talents to Providence for his final year of eligibility. The seven-footer will likely be given the opportunity to see the floor again, and he needs to prove he's capable of consistency on offense and competency on defense.
In some ways, Page is taking a bit of a risk and betting on himself by staying in the power-four. If he struggles in the same ways he did in Evanston, then he'll likely see a similar season-long trajectory with the Friars. He won't be able to solely rely on his offensive gifts to secure playing time.
But if Page comes out of the gates looking bought in on the defensive side especially, then Providence fans should be excited about what they're getting. Page did average 10 points per game last season, a career high, and he's capable of knocking down outside shots.
For Northwestern, letting Page walk probably made sense. It never felt like he was a particularly good fit for the 'Cats, and he made it incredibly clear that the Collins defensive system requires a good five. Nicholson locked that position down, and his absence severely hurt the system's efficacy in 2025-26.
Looking ahead, though, Northwestern is still filling out its roster after eight players left in the portal this offseason. It hasn't fully addressed the center position at all and is likely still looking for its starter to replace Page.
Don't be surprised if that player has some offensive upside, but expect Collins to have learned his lesson. There should be two non-negotiable as he's building his front court: defensive ability and depth. Northwestern lacked both of those things this year, and it's a big reason why it failed to reach expectations.