For years, DePaul has recruited players from the Chicago Public League — one of the top high school basketball conferences in the country.

Kevin Garnett, now of the Minnesota Timberwolves, skipped college altogether, but not before graduating from Chicago’s Farragut Academy.

The Blue Demons boast a pair of players from the Public League, including freshman Lorenzo Thomas of Crane High School, a Chicago Sun-Times All-City selection.

But with DePaul, Illinois-Chicago, Illinois and teams from around the nation recruiting players from the Public League, Northwestern has stayed on the sidelines.

The Wildcats, who take on DePaul tonight in Rosemont, lack a single Public League player. And Jitim Young, a product of the Catholic League’s Gordon Tech High School, is the only NU player from Chicago.

“We need to keep guys home,” Young said. “We need to keep our talent here, in the state of Illinois.”

The Blue Demons also have a couple of Catholic League players, including Leo High School’s Andre Brown. Four years ago, Brown’s squad defeated Young’s — and now NU’s senior guard wants some payback.

“I can’t go back in the summer time having these guys talk crazy about beating us,” Young said.

While NU coach Bill Carmody said he’ll continue to recruit players from throughout the nation, he recently inked a Public League player, the Cats’ first since 1979. Sterling Williams, a senior at Whitney Young High School, will enroll at NU in the fall.

“I’m more happy about the kid coming than I am about the historical aspect of the story,” NU coach Bill Carmody said.

Williams averaged seven points per game last year, mostly serving as a sixth man.

“I think people were pleasantly surprised,” Carmody said. “They asked, ‘Why don’t you do it more often?'”

Williams is the first Chicago player recruited by Carmody, but the coach said there will likely be others.

“I just want to get the good guys,” he said. “If I didn’t have to go out, I’d just recruit Chicago guys. But you don’t always get the picks you want right in your backyard.”

Young said he’d like to see more Chicago kids come to NU. And although Brown beat him out for Catholic League Player of the Year back in high school, Young knows who’s a better player now.

“I’m going to have to say myself,” he said. “But we’ll see tomorrow.”