What Jake West and Phoenix Gill returning means for NU MBB

Mar 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Jake West (3) brings the ball up court against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Jake West and Phoenix Gill will be back in purple threads next season for Chris Collins, as announced via X. com in the latter part of last week.

The two first-years are the only members of Northwestern’s historic 2025 recruiting class to not enter the transfer portal, with Tre Singleton, Tyler Kropp and Cade Bennerman set to take their talents elsewhere for the 2026-27 season. Panic pounded through Northwestern basketball on April 6, with eight players entering the transfer portal just three weeks removed from the conclusion of its season. Cade Bennerman, the former three-star recruit who did not see playing time in his freshman year with the ‘Cats, was the first player to jump ship on March 20.

Five days later, on March 25, sophomore guard K. J. Windham followed.

However, panic didn’t really set in for Chris Collins’ squad until April 2, when Tre Singleton, a former four-star, top 100 recruit for the Class of 2025, entered the portal. Singleton, who started 31 games for Collins as a first-year, was supposed to be one of the faces of Northwestern basketball for years to come, and without him uncertainty set in about the program’s future. The situation only worsened in the following four days, when Blake Smith, Arrinten Page, Jordan Clayton, Jayden Reid and Tyler Kropp followed suit.