Northwestern Basketball: Why Jalen Leach is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

The last two seasons of college basketball represent the very best that we have ever seen from Northwestern basketball. Chris Collins has reached icon status for his work with the Wildcats, leading the program to its first three appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Two of those three trips came in the last two years, with the Wildcats fresh off a third place finish in the Big Ten.

Times are changing in Evanston, and it’ll look a lot different next season without Boo Buie. Not only did he leave town as the program’s leading scorer, Buie spearheaded all of the success of the last two years and will be sorely missed. While a few other names are gone as well, Northwestern doesn’t have bare cupboards, bringing back Brooks Barnhizer, Ty Berry, and a few other players who got starters minutes last season.

While Northwestern can’t reliably lean on the Transfer Portal like some other power conference schools, there is a bit of talent coming to Evanston next season. In addition to freshmen, Collins and his staff did land a pair of transfers. Even though none of these players can replace the kind of production and leadership that they’ve lost with Buie, there’s reason for intrigue with Keenan Fitzmorris, a former center at Stony Brook.

The other new face in Evanston is the more exciting addition, as Northwestern will see Jalen Leach in action this season. A former shooting guard at Fairfield, Leach took a major step forward in his senior season, averaging 16.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for the Stags. Not only did he earn First Team All-MAAC honors and help take Fairfield to a 24-win campaign, he was also his conference’s top free-throw shooter and one of its most explosive scorers.

There’s little complaint from adding an efficient scorer and shooter into the mix. While we’re not quite sure exactly what role Leach will play in his final collegiate season, it’s clear he can offer something valuable for the Wildcats. There will be surely be an adjustment from playing in the MAAC to the Big Ten, but his reputation as one of the nation’s top free throw shooters is undeniably a great asset.

Northwestern is leaning far more heavily on established players like Barnhizer and Berry, though getting another veteran presence in Leach really helps out. There’s no question that the Wildcats will take a step back after losing Buie and other talent from recent years, but this team has the talent to compete in this expanded Big Ten yet again.

What’s important for Leach is that Northwestern’s season isn’t riding on his efforts. He was a massive part of Fairfield’s 2nd place finish in the MAAC, but the Wildcats can win games without needing 15 points a night from his end. What kind of role will he play for Northwestern as the season goes on? How does this program adjust to a future without Buie and with new faces playing bigger roles?