Northwestern basketball: How the Wildcats look after massive transfer additions and departures

The early April weeks were harrowing for Northwestern basketball.

Tyler Kropp and Tre Singleton, two of the best recruits in Wildcat basketball history, entered the transfer portal.

It was a difficult pill to swallow, as NU’s future hopes were basically dependent on Singleton and Kropp’s development in Evanston.

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So, what was next for Northwestern? It started with the transfer portal.

NU has a chance to land its transfers because of what Collins has done with the program and his reputation as a player developer, but these decisions might come down to resources. If NU doesn’t have the NIL resources, then it was going to be a fight to land one of their targets, let alone multiple.

However, the ‘Cats have reshaped their roster with a veteran look.

What we know

Transfers going out

Transfers coming in

Incoming freshmen

Returning players

EVANSTON, ILLINOIS – MARCH 04: Head coach Chris Collins of the Northwestern Wildcats reacts against the Purdue Boilermakers at Welsh-Ryan Arena on March 04, 2026 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Big picture view

The Wildcats’ roster is starting to fill out. It started with their first commitment of the transfer portal cycle and it’s a player who will fill Nick Martinelli’s shoes.

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Bellarmine transfer Jack Karasinski committed to Northwestern this week. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 21.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game this past season. It’s a win for Northwestern, who needs to replace their entire front court after all their transfers and departures.

Another frontcourt addition is forward Colin Smith. The University of California Santa Barbara transfer averaged 11.9 points and 4.2 rebounds last season while shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc. He stands at 6-foot-8 and brings size next to Karasinski.

NU got its traditional post player in Luke McEldon. He’s a 6-foot-10 forward that slots in where Arrinten Page played last season, as Page transferred to Providence. He averaged…

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Publish date : 2026-04-18 21:01:00

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