The Northwestern Wildcats have never reached the NCAA tournament. Losing Drew Crawford ten games into the 2012-13 season to a shoulder injury didn’t help matters, and in the end the school decided that it needed to make a coaching change.
With former Duke assistant Chris Collins replacing Bill Carmody, many wondered when (or if) the Illinois native would be able to turn the program around and make history. Well, an important step in that direction was taken Thursday as 2014 small forward Vic Law announced his decision to commit to Northwestern.
Law, who attends St. Rita High School in Chicago, is a four-star prospect rated in the Top 100 by many of the major scouting services. Law’s decision to commit to Northwestern is a big one for coach Collins and his staff, not only because of his talent (Law also boasts a 3.8 GPA according to the Chicago Tribune) but also because of the possibility of landing other area prospects down the line.Law said it was incredibly meaningful to be this first commit under Collins. This is one step, and Law wants to be the catalyst in attracting other top recruits. That list includes but is not limited to Tyler Ulis, who he identified as his current top target. (Both played together on the AAU circuit.)
“I won’t be the only top player going to Northwestern,” Law said. “I can tell you that. I’ll pull some other guys.”
How many players Collins and his staff can ultimately get to commit in their first recruiting class remains to be seen. But in landing Law, there’s no doubt that the first-year head coach’s tenure is off to a good start.
Raphielle can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.
