Brooks Barnhizer
| No. 13 – Northwestern Wildcats | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard / small forward |
| League | Big Ten Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 2, 2002 |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College | Northwestern (2021–present) |
| NBA draft | 2025: undrafted |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Brooks Barnhizer (born March 2, 2002)[1] is an American college basketball player for Northwestern Wildcats of the Big Ten Conference. In May 2025, Barnhizer was invited to the NBA G League Elite Camp, a pre‑draft showcase for NBA prospects.[2]
Early life and high school
[edit]Barnhizer grew up in South Bend, Indiana before moving to Irvington, Alabama in 2015.[3] He began playing for the varsity basketball team at Alma Bryant High School, where his father was the head basketball coach, while in eight grade.[4] After his sophomore year, Barnhizer's family moved to Lafayette, Indiana and he transferred to Jefferson High School.[5] He averaged 20.7 points per game as a junior.[6] As a senior, Barnhizer averaged a state-high 32.7 points per game while also averaging 11.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 3.8 steals, and 2.6 blocks.[7] Barnhizer was rated a three-star recruit and committed to play college basketball at Northwestern over offers from Butler, Xavier, and Western Kentucky.[8][9]
College career
[edit]Barnhizer played in 11 games during his freshman season with the Northwestern Wildcats and averaged 1.7 points per game.[10] He played in all 34 of the Wildcats’ games as a sophomore as the team’s sixth man and averaged 7.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.[11][12]
Junior Season (2023–24)
[edit]During his junior season, Barnhizer moved into Northwestern’s starting lineup and started all 34 games, averaging 14.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game.[13] He recorded 10 double-doubles—the most in a single season by a Northwestern guard—and was named third-team All-Big Ten Conference as well as earning a spot on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team.[14] He also played a key role in Northwestern’s consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including scoring the tying layup to force overtime in the Wildcats’ first-round win over Florida Atlantic.
Senior Season (2024–25)
[edit]In his senior season, Barnhizer was selected to the preseason All-Big Ten Conference team by media. Through 17 games, he averaged 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game, recording nine double-doubles with a streak of seven consecutive games—a program record.[15] In January 2025, he aggravated a lingering foot injury and missed the remainder of the season.[16] Despite the shortened campaign, he earned honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference honors and was recognized as Northwestern’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
Career Statistics and Milestones
[edit]Barnhizer finished his collegiate career with 1,067 points, posting career averages of 11.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists over 96 games (51 starts). He became the first Big Ten player since Michael Redd to reach at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 200 assists within his first 96 career games, while also recording 133 steals and 62 blocks.[17]
Pre‑draft process
[edit]On May 6, 2025, Barnhizer was one of 45 prospects invited to the 2025 NBA G League Elite Camp at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, scheduled for May 9–11. The event gives participants a chance to earn selection to the NBA Draft Combine based on their performance.[2][18]
References
[edit]- ^ "Brooks Barnhizer Player Profile, Northwestern - RealGM". basketball.realgm.com. Retrieved 2025-05-04.
- ^ a b "NBA G League Invites 45 Prospects to 2025 Elite Camp". NBA.com. May 6, 2025. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
- ^ "'Family affair:' Indiana native Mark Barnhizer, 2 sons putting Alma Bryant basketball on map". AL.com. January 11, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ "State's leading scorer Brooks Barnhizer having monster season. 'He does this every night.'". Indianapolis Star. January 23, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ "FAU's Dusty May got 'foundation of basketball' from Lafayette Jeff's Mark Barnhizer". Journal & Courier. March 31, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ "2021 Indiana Mr. Basketball: These 12 players have strong cases". Indianapolis Star. January 28, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ "J&C Big School Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Lafayette Jeff's Brooks Barnhizer". Journal & Courier. April 24, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ "Lafayette Jeff's Brooks Barnhizer commits to Northwestern basketball". Journal & Courier. June 21, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ "Brooks Barnhizer, a top-150 basketball recruit from Indiana, commits to Northwestern's 2021 class". Chicago Tribune. June 21, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ Ankony, Jack (October 26, 2023). "Big Ten Basketball Breakout Players For 2023-24 Season". SI.com. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ "Brooks Barnhizer lifting NCAA tournament bound Northwestern". Journal & Courier. March 14, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ Cole, Ryan (June 8, 2024). "What would Brooks Barnhizer look like running the point for NU?". InsideNU.com. SB Nation. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ Jacobs, Charlie (October 30, 2024). "2024-25 Men's Basketball Player Previews: Brooks Barnhizer". InsideNU.com. SB Nation. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ "Can Northwestern basketball finish with a winning record in 3 straight seasons for the 1st time since 2012?". Chicago Tribune. November 2, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ "Northwestern's Barnhizer making impact in senior season before injury". Journal & Courier. January 20, 2025. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ "Northwestern's Barnhizer sidelined with foot injury". Journal & Courier. January 15, 2025. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ Jacobs, Charlie (October 30, 2024). "2024-25 Men's Basketball Player Previews: Brooks Barnhizer". InsideNU.com. SB Nation. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ "Former Northwestern Star Brooks Barnhizer Heading to G League Elite Camp". Sports Illustrated. May 6, 2025. Retrieved May 6, 2025.