Chris Collins has never been scared to play his young guys. Northwestern's two premier athletes of the last half-decade — Brooks Barnhizer and Boo Buie — shot inefficiently and struggled mightily as freshmen before blossoming into eventual stardom. Those opportunities for early playing time served as growth and learning experiences for the two, and Barnhizer and Buie are now competing in the NBA and G League, respectively.

After turning over 50% of his roster from a year ago, Collins will have to rely on youth even more in 2025-26 than he has before. The Wildcats' five-man class of incoming freshmen is set to immediately challenge the team's veterans for playing time, while the rising sophomores are widely expected to take a major leap this winter.

There will be bad shots and growing pains that come along with the development, and that's just part of Collins' philosophy. Even as the program attempts to return to the NCAA Tournament in All-Big Ten forward Nick Martinelli's senior season, Collins intends to let his young athletes play freely and learn from their mistakes.

"Offensively, I've always been pretty lenient with our guys in terms of letting it rip," Collins said on Tuesday. "That's who I was as a player, so a lot of times when I coach, I think back to the way I was coached and what worked with me. I never want those guys to feel constrained on the offensive end. What we're sticklers about is defense: being in the right spot, making sure you have your teammates' back when they're switching or in post traps, things of that nature. I'll live with a bad shot here or there if that'll keep a guy free of mind."

Tre Singleton — Northwestern's highest-rated recruit in program history — appears to fit that mold. The 6-foot-8 forward and four-star prospect comes to Evanston on the heels of winning the Indiana State Championship, and he immediately slotted into the 'Cats' starting lineup in their exhibition game against Iowa State.

In 31 minutes on Sunday, Singleton posted 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting, as well as five rebounds and three assists. Collins has raved about how his top recruit's playmaking ability can complement Martinelli, who has a different skillset despite filling out a similar frame.

"I think you saw a sample size of what we feel high on about Tre Singleton," Collins said. "I think Tre is a guy that you could play through. He can initiate offense, he can handle the ball. He had a couple really nice moves the other night where he just got his own shot on one-on-one isolation situations."

Sophomore wing Angelo Ciaravino spent last season as mainly a defense-centered role-player, but also earned a start against the Cyclones. After putting on 15 pounds this summer, the Chicago native finished with eight points, three rebounds, two blocks and two steals while flying around the court. Ciaravino and guard K.J. Windham will look to sustain their flashes over a full season in larger roles.

"I think what he's done in this whole preseason, which is why we started him, is he really complements Nick and Tre, and even Arrinten [Page] inside, and our point guard when we get those guys back, he complements that group really well," Collins said about Ciaravino. "He's a terrific athlete. He's a hard-nosed defender. He's gonna get you blocked shots. He's gonna run the floor. He's gonna get deflections. He crashes the offensive boards. He's improved as an open shooter... He got in the gym, he got better, he got stronger, and you're seeing it pay off early in the season."

Additionally, freshman Jake West is set to be the Wildcats' second-unit point guard when he returns from a concussion, and Holy Cross transfer Max Green could immediately become an electric scorer on the wing.

As Martinelli steps into a leadership role with Barnhizer, Ty Berry and Matthew Nicholson out the door, he'll be tasked with leading Northwestern's young roster to wins. There may be some bumps in the road as the talented freshmen and sophomores develop, but if Collins' plan comes to fruition, the Wildcats could exceed their expectations and surprise the outsiders once again.

Read More Northwestern Wildcats Coverage

MORE: Chris Collins Gives Injury Update on Starting Center, a Key Cog For The 'Cats

MORE: Hulking, Three-Star Offensive Lineman Commits to Northwestern Wildcats

MORE: What is Northwestern's Best Path to a Bowl Game After Loss to Nebraska?

MORE: Mistakes Doom Northwestern in 28-21 Road Loss to Nebraska

MORE: Former Northwestern Commit Flips, Now Headed to Clemson Tigers