Northwestern guard KJ Windham enters the transfer portal
Northwestern sophomore guard KJ Windham entered the transfer portal on Wednesday, according to his agents in a social media report by Sam Kayser.
Windham’s decision shouldn’t surprise Wildcat basketball observers. The 6-foot-3 guard appeared in less than half of Northwestern’s games this season and seemed to fall out of favor with head coach Chris Collins.
The Indianapolis, Ind., native has two years of eligibility remaining.
Windham played in 25 games and even started two as a freshman in 2024-25. He averaged 11.6 points per game over the last nine games that season, after injuries decimated the Northwestern backcourt. He scored 20 or more points twice against Big Ten teams.
But that hot stretch run didn’t carry over into his just completed sophomore year. Windham played in just 14 games despite a clean bill of health. He averaged 3.5 points and 1.4 assists per game in just 12.4 minutes per game, the ninth-most on the team.
Collins wouldn’t detail his decision not to play Windham, but it seemed that Windham struggled with defense and shot selection, as several other guards passed him in the rotation. Transfer guard Jayden Reid, true freshman Jake West, sophomore Angelo Ciaravino and junior Jordan Clayton ended up as the main components of the backcourt for the Wildcats.
Windham was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2024 that committed to Northwestern over offers from Miami (Ohio), Indiana State, Purdue-Fort Wayne and more. His departure means that Ciaravino is the only remaining member of the two-player freshman Class of 2024 still on the roster.
Windham is the second Wildcat to enter the transfer portal since the end of the season. Freshman center Cade Bennerman entered the portal on March 20.
