Breakdown: Northwestern’s 2018 Targets Part II

With summer recruiting in full swing, the 2018 offers have begun to increase. Last week, we broke down three of the top guards in the 2018 class.

Northwestern will have four roster spots to fill in 2018, two of which right now are starting spots. For this class, Collins needs guards and forwards that will come in ready to play and some that could even compete for starting roles when they arrive on campus next summer.

Without a doubt, at least two of these four players, if not more, will need to be guards. With the two starting positions in the backcourt graduating, Northwestern should continue to add depth there. In the frontcourt, adding more length and athleticism to fill Gavin Skelly’s role will strengthen the bench.

If Northwestern chose to, adding another center in 2018 could be an option as well. Dererk Pardon has two years of eligibility remaining and Barret Benson has three, but bringing a player in to develop and possibly redshirt for a year could help as well.

Here are a few more players from the 2018 class that Collins and his staff have extended offers to:

-Tim Finke- Shooting Guard, Champaign Central High School, Champaign Illinois

Tim Finke is the brother of current University of Illinois forward, Michael Finke. He is currently ranked as a four- star player by Rivals, ESPN and Scout. Rivals and Scout have him listed as a shooting guard, while ESPN has him listed as a small forward.

He holds quite a few offers, including three from the Big Ten: Northwestern, Illinois, and Ohio State. He has had an Illinois offer since July of 2015, while Ohio extended an offer in January of 2016 and Northwestern followed suite in May of 2016.

Because his older brother goes to the University of Illinois, and Finke was born and raised in Champaign, 247Sports

has the crystal ball prediction at 100% for Illinois. If Finke wants to pick another local destination and compete with his older brother, Northwestern would be a great fit.

-Musa Jallow, Shooting Guard, Bloomington High School, Bloomington Indiana

Jallow is ranked as a four-start player by Rivals, ESPN and Scout. Scout and ESPN both have him listed as a small forward, while Rivals doesn’t have a position listed for him. He currently has 10 offers, including four from the Big Ten. Both Indiana and Purdue have extended offers, as well as Northwestern and Ohio State.

As seen by his highlight tape, Jallow is a high-flying athlete that loves to play near the rim. He goes above other players to get to the basket, and he uses his length to block shots. Jallow is exactly the type of all-around player that Northwestern needs. The tricky part of his recruitment will be if Northwestern can get him to come despite his offers from Indiana and Purdue.

-David Duke, Shooting Guard, Cushing Academy, Providence, RI

David Duke has only been rated by Scout as a four-star shooting guard, but he holds an impressive list of offers. He currently has 21 offers which span throughout. Northwestern and Rutgers are the two Big Ten schools that have offered him.

However, he also holds offers from Florida, Virginia, Villanova, Kansas, Syracuse, and UConn. Duke will have a tough choice as his draft stock will likely rise this summer as he puts his name on the map.

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Northwestern has a variety of options for 2018. With an NCAA Tournament under their belt and new facilities coming, they have the opportunity to compete for some elite prospects in the months to come.