Tip Off

When Jordan Ash committed to Northwestern, it just so happened that the school was in his backyard.

“Northwestern could’ve been in Texas somewhere and I still would’ve picked Northwestern,” said Ash, a senior guard at St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois. “At the end of the day, I didn’t have a better fit than Northwestern academically, athletically and socially. It really didn’t matter where it was.”

Ash is a top-10 senior in Illinois and a top-200 recruit nationally, according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings. He does a great job of driving and finishing at the rim, and his jump shot keeps opponents honest. He said rounding out his game by improving his jumper has been a key focus during his senior year.

Coach Chris Collins has talked about his appreciation for versatility and not necessarily assigning traditional positions to players. His coaching philosophy was a draw for Ash, who said Collins reminded him of his Amateur Athletic Union coach.

“Just being able to be a basketball player, not worrying about being a shooting guard or a point guard or a combo guard,” Ash said. “I don’t see myself doing anything differently than what I do (at St. Joseph). Just being a tough defender, excelling in transition, being able to hit open shots, handling the ball when I can. Just being an all-around player, being a leader, being vocal on the floor.”

Ash displayed his talent Friday at the Chicago Elite Classic. He used an array of mid-range jumpers, 3-pointers and transition buckets at the rim to score 17 points on 6-for-12 shooting in a win against Redondo Union (California). The 6-foot-3-inch guard also grabbed seven rebounds.

Although staying in Chicago was not Ash’s priority, signing local talent has been one of Collins’ recruiting goals. This is the second straight year he has succeeded in that regard. Last year he signed current freshman forward Vic Law, who played at St. Rita, and freshman wing Scottie Lindsey, who played at Fenwick.

“That’s something that’s been important to us, to keep the local talent home,” Collins said after Ash signed his Nation Letter of Intent in November. “(Ash) brings a great pedigree. He comes in as a winner.”

Ash teams up in NU’s 2015 recruiting class with forwards Aaron Falzon and Dererk Pardon, a verbal commitment who tweeted in November he plans on signing his National Letter of Intent during the April signing period. Ash said he thinks adding this group to the program could be what takes the Wildcats to new levels of success.

“I really see the progression from (former coach Bill) Carmody to Collins’ first year to this year, I see it starting to change,” Ash said. “It’s going to take some time. They’re going to have a great year this year. Once the ’15 class gets there, you’ll really see it start to grow.”

Email: jessekramer2017@u.northwestern.edu
Twitter: @Jesse_Kramer