An assortment of players can make their mark on NU’s roster.
Northwestern has picked up two quality transfers in Fairfield guard Jalen Leach and Stony Brook center Keenan Fitzmorris. The team has one scholarship spot available. Here are some of the possible options to fill it:
Braeden Smith, Point Guard (Sophomore – Colgate)
Smith would be the perfect addition to round out NU’s squad. Not to be confused with Purdue’s Braden Smith, the Colgate point guard had a terrific year last season. The sophomore was named the Patriot League Player of the Year, averaging 12.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. His ranked 25th in the country in assists per game and had five or more dimes in 23 games. Although undersized as a 6-foot guard, he has proven to be a solid defender, with 1.9 steals per game last year.
Northwestern is sorely lacking a traditional point guard as Leach is more of a scoring guard. Smith would be a seamless fit with the ‘Cats. While Smith had a tougher year from the field and from deep this season, 39.3% and 31.1% respectively, the guard has shown that he is a capable shooter. In Smith’s first season, on high volume, he shot 48.1% from the field and 36.1% from long range. Additionally, the transfer has been an 80.6% free throw shooter in his two years in college. Having played in the NCAA tournament during his first two seasons, Smith would bring valuable postseason experience to whichever team he transfers to.
If Smith ended up joining NU, he would most likely force Nick Martinelli back to his super-sixth man role. Martinelli would still see significant playing time, but he would be more in the role that he occupied when Northwestern was fully healthy this year. It might hamper Martinelli’s individual development, but it would be in the team’s best interest to find a player like Smith.
The point guard position has proven to be an extremely important position in Northwestern’s offense. Boo Buie, and before him Bryant McIntosh, had the ball in his hands and was the engine for the ‘Cats. With Smith in the fold, Leach and Ty Berry would be able to resort to their more comfortable off-ball roles.
Brooks Barnhizer would have a smaller responsibility of taking the ball up the court, and he could focus on being NU’s primary one-on-one face-up/post player. Smith’s distributing skills would also benefit Matthew Nicholson, as the 7-footer is best when he’s rolling to the rim. Smith would be a dream piece to add to Northwestern’s puzzle, and he would become the team’s point guard for the next two seasons.
Derin Saran, Point Guard (Freshman – UC Irvine)
Saran would be a quality addition to NU’s roster. Last season, he averaged 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. The Istanbul, Turkey native was productive when he was on the court and only played 19.1 minutes per game. Whenever he was in the game, Saran had the highest usage rate on his team, allowing him to achieve quality stats in limited minutes. The first-year shot 50.2% from the field, 34.9% from three and 80% from the free throw line.
Derin Saran scored a team-high 16 points in a loss to Utah in the NIT
No other Euro freshman had a better year at the MM level: 10.1 PPG in 19.0 MPG for UC Irvine
Super smooth bucket getter at the rim, improving shooter, has a knack for grabbing steals. Bright future ahead. pic.twitter.com/gWyoI38TPb
— CBB Europe (@CBB_Europe) March 20, 2024
As stated above, the 6-foot-4 guard has proven to make the most of his minutes. During the early part of the season, Saran had eight straight games in double figures, all while playing 23 minutes or fewer. He played behind fifth-year point guard Pierre Crockrell II, one of the main reasons why his minutes were limited.
At UC Irvine, Saran came off the bench, but he fills a need at point guard, and the incoming sophomore could join the starters if he commits to NU. As a point guard last year, Saran only averaged 1.6 assists per game, so he still has room to grow into a distributor.
However, Saran is more of a longshot to join Northwestern because of the other teams he’s interested in. He’s taken a visit to Stanford and is also considering Cal. Saran’s father played soccer at Cal, and his older sister attends USC. Thus, it seems likely that he will want to stay on the West Coast. Still, if Saran is willing to move to the Midwest, he would be a great fit as Northwestern’s point guard of the future.
Niccolo Moretti, Point Guard (Redshirt Freshman – Illinois)
Niccolo Moretti is another potential transfer point guard for the ‘Cats. Even though Moretti played at Illinois, NU fans might not be familiar with his game. This is mainly because he was injured for two months with a foot injury. For that reason, the Bologna, Italy native doesn’t have the stats that you would expect from a potential transfer. He played in 18 games last season, averaging only 5.9 minutes and 1.5 points per game. The point guard also shot 66.7% from three, but that came on two made triples on three attempts.
The 6-foot-2 guard’s best game of the season came against Iowa. He emerged as a key player in the second half, scoring nine points on two made threes and three free throws. Moretti wasn’t ever able to fully establish himself for the Illini as he was in and out of the rotation after his foot injury. While Moretti’s abilities are more of a projection than a sure thing, he’s proven to have suitors with an offer from USC out of high school before deciding on Illinois.
NEWS: Illinois’ Niccolo Moretti will enter the transfer portal, a source told ESPN. The 6’2 Italian point guard and NBA Global Academy graduate has three years of eligibility remaining. Will have a good market due to his pace, feel and pick and roll creativity. pic.twitter.com/i7pZPjPuNJ
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 29, 2024
Head coach Brad Underwood has shared how hard of a worker Moretti is, saying, “You can tell he’s a team guy. He hasn’t gotten wrapped up into any of that. He’s never come and asked me, ‘What do I have to do to play?’ He just shows up every single day and does his job and gets an extra lift with [strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher] every day. It’s amazing how good things happen to people who work hard.”
At Northwestern, Moretti would fill a hole at the point guard position. While he would probably come off the bench next year, the Italian native would add ball handling and distributing skills. He has the chance to be a great offensive point guard, and NU would be a solid destination for his services.
Chisom Okpara, Small/Power Forward (Sophomore – Harvard)
Although Northwestern doesn’t have a huge need at the forward position with Brooks Barnhizer and Nick Martinelli manning those spots, Okpara would be a welcomed addition to the team. Last season, Okpara averaged 16.5 points and five rebounds per game. He took a major step by nearly doubling his points, rebounds and assists per game from year one to year two. He had 17 games of 15-or-more points including two games where he scored over 25.
Harvard Sophomore Chisom Okpara went off against Holy Cross. He finished with
26 Points
6 Rebounds
4 Assists
71% FGHarvard also got the win pic.twitter.com/q2OdYBTQ5C
— KJ (@KJ__Hoops) December 22, 2023
In 2022, Okpara was rated as the 16th best power forward by 247Sports. He ended up choosing Harvard over Northwestern, Penn State and a few other schools.
Okpara has also shown to be an efficient player, shooting 47.9% from the field and 33.8% from three-point range. He’s also a decent free throw shooter at 67.3%. While he is a great offensive player, Okpara really makes his mark on the defensive end. He can guard all five positions and is extremely long and active defensively. His defensive stats don’t jump off the page with 0.7 blocks and 0.8 steals per game, but he would significantly bolster Northwestern’s defensive abilities.
Andy Borman, Okpara’s former coach in New York said, “Chisom can guard any position on the floor. He’s a very good rebounder. Physical. Strong. Dominant body. But what really separates him is his skill level. He can handle, shoot, and pass like a guard. He’s a nightmare to guard because he can space you out with his skill, but also drive you and overwhelm you with his physicality.”
If Okpara commits to Northwestern, he would probably be the starting power forward. He would be a huge addition to the team and would add athleticism that the squad currently lacks.
Blake Smith, Small Forward (Sophomore)
Blake Smith became a key player for the ‘Cats last year down the stretch. The walk-on started games when Berry and Ryan Langborg were out with injuries. Once Langborg got healthy, Smith was the team’s sixth man.
Smith was planning to redshirt this season until Berry’s injury. Even though he hadn’t played a game during the season until then, Smith decided to forgo his redshirt to help the team. He played 11 games and averaged 2.4 points. His best game of the year came against Iowa when he scored 11 points on perfect shooting from the field. However, Smith’s statistics don’t show his impact. He proved to be a valuable piece as a long and rangy defender. The sophomore guarded many of the opposing team’s best players, and he had an insane motor. Smith would dive on the floor and get loose balls that you wouldn’t expect him to. Smith has greatly outperformed expectations, and he has potential to be a key rotational player for Northwestern next year.
Smith definitely deserves to have a scholarship spot, but that will only happen if Northwestern isn’t able to find another transfer. NU has a real need for a transfer point guard, so it would make sense if they try to grab Smith, Saran or Moretti first. Okpara would also become a foundational piece. The ‘Cats have a number of possible transfer options, and all of these players would provide a significant boost for the team’s success next season.