Northwestern announced Tuesday redshirt freshman center Chier Ajou will transfer from the program.

Ajou is the second player who has decided to leave the school since coach Chris Collins started coaching. The team announced sophomore forward Mike Turner’s decision to transfer on Dec. 28. The sophomore took a leave of absence from NU in September. 

Ajou’s decision means Collins has an additional scholarship open to a potential transfer or high school player. Turner and Ajou’s departures suggest a retooling of Wildcats’ roster — particularly the frontcourt, which has lacked depth all season — under Collins’ watch. 

Last season, Ajou played 30 minutes over the course of seven games to rack up 8 points before sitting out the rest of the year with a knee injury. The redshirt freshman saw two minutes of playing time in NU’s November matchup against UCLA.

Turner’s stat sheet was a bit more full. The forward played 32 games for NU last season and scored just 61 points. Still, Turner proved to be an occasional frontcourt asset in the wake of a diminished roster. 

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