With Boo Buie departing for the NBA, Northwestern has a point guard void, giving Windham the chance to compete for a rotation slot in his first year of study. Listed as a combination guard, Windham is capable of playing point guard, presumably as a backup. As seen by his second-place finish in assists during high school, he has the ability to be a valuable ball distributor.
Brooks Barnhizer, Ty Berry, Jalen Leach, Nick Martinelli, and Matthew Nicholson are most likely to start for NU. Jordan Clayton, Blake Smith, and Justin Mullins will be Windham’s rivals for the position as backup guard behind Berry and Leach. Smith, a forward by trade, could compete to be Barnhizer and Martinelli’s backup small forward. Despite having their chances the previous season, Clayton and Mullins did not leave a lasting impact in the minutes they played. Because of his excellent three-point shooting, Windham might have an advantage over them, giving the secondary lineup much-needed spacing.
With Northwestern’s current point guard shortage, Windham has a great chance to make an impact. Nonetheless, Chris Collins isn’t scared to rely largely on his starters, as demonstrated by the fact that Barnhizer and Buie played almost the entire game last year. Even so, as a rookie, Windham has the ability to have an influence.
Ciaravino, Angelo
Ciaravino is an explosive athlete who is coming to NU to showcase his skills. Even though Ciaravino had received 25 offers in all, two of which came from Power 5 colleges (Nebraska and Stanford), he was adamant on staying local and playing for Northwestern. His father, a former University of Wisconsin-Green Bay basketball player, urged him to have a strong bond with basketball and to concentrate only on it when he started high school. His choice to play for the ‘Cats was mostly influenced by Northwestern’s academic profile and close proximity to home.
In his junior year, Ciaravino led Mount Carmel to a 27-win campaign and a trip to the sectional championship game with an average of 16 points, six rebounds, and three assists per game. He played alongside incoming Notre Dame freshman Cole Certa during his summer stint with the Illinois Wolves, where he averaged 10.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while also greatly enhancing his three-point shooting.
Ciaravino guided Mount Carmel to a 32-6 record and a berth in the Illinois 3A State Championship Game during his senior year. With 15.8 points per game, he led the squad in scoring and had a remarkable 64% shooting percentage from the field. Ciaravino, who is renowned for his athleticism and outstanding defense, will be a great asset to the NU.
Ciaravino is anticipated to compete for a backup job at small forward or power forward in his first year at Northwestern, with a small forward emphasis most likely. Ciaravino will battle for minutes against players like Blake Smith, Blake Barkley, and maybe Luke Hunger and Justin Mullins because Barnhizer and Martinelli are expected to start at these positions.
Chris Collins may need to get inventive in order to control the rotation and prevent a recurrence of the center situation from the previous season, in which big men like Blake Preston and Hunger saw uneven playing time, given that the ‘Cats have three centers in Matthew Nicholson, Luke Hunger, and Stony Brook transfer Keenan Fitzmorris. The biggest obstacle for Ciaravino will be obtaining a backup position at small forward in spite of the congested frontcourt.
At Welsh-Ryan Arena, Ciaravino’s amazing athleticism and superb dunking abilities will most doubt enthrall spectators. His degree of agility is a great advantage for Northwestern as it gives the squad a dynamic presence they haven’t had in a while.
Ciaravino is a fantastic dunker, but he also plays excellent defense, using his length and agility to disorient opponents. His ability on defense will be a great asset to the ‘Cats’ starting lineup. Ciaravino showed his potential outside the arc in his junior season, hitting 36% from three-point range, however he may still need to work on his consistency.
Ciaravino can be a big impact at Northwestern because of his combination of athleticism and defensive prowess. The ‘Cats will surely benefit from his skills.
In the 2024–2025 season, Windham and Ciaravino could do better than expected. Their distinct skills and dynamic playing styles make them promising additions to Northwestern’s squad, even though their precise positions and playing time are still to be defined. Their contributions may be essential to the team’s success as they grow and change further.
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