Northwestern loses Tre Singleton to the portal
In what has to be considered a major blow to the Northwestern basketball program, freshman forward Tre Singleton plans to enter the transfer portal, according to On3’s Joe Tipton.
Singleton, a 6-foot-8 former four-star recruit, averaged 7.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game for the Wildcats this season. He started 31 of 34 games and averaged 25 minutes per contest as Northwestern finished a disappointing 15-19 overall and 5-15 in Big Ten, missing out on postseason play.
More than the numbers, however, Singleton looked to be a player, along with fellow freshman point guard Jake West, that head coach Chris Collins would build his program around in the coming years. Now, those plans are scuttled as the Wildcats will look to the transfer portal to replace him.
Singleton had an impressive all-around game for a young player and showed potential of becoming a first-team All-Big Ten talent in the future. If anything, Collins and the coaching staff wanted him to be more aggressive and take on a larger role this season.
He was also one of the highest-rated recruits of Collins’ 13-year tenure in Evanston. He was ranked as a four-star by On3 and the No. 101 overall recruit in the nation out of Jeffersonville (Ind.). He chose Northwestern over offers from the likes of Purdue, Louisville, Notre Dame, Xavier and Clemson, among many others.
Northwestern has done an excellent job during the portal era under Collins of retaining their star players, such as Boo Buie, Brooks Barnhizer and Nick Martinelli. But this time, the Wildcats couldn’t hang onto an up-and-coming star who will no doubt attract lucrative offers from programs on the open market.
Singleton is the third Wildcat to announce his departure in this cycle, joining freshman center Cade Bennerman and sophomore guard KJ Windham.
