Northwestern basketball might not have the full history of some of its fellow Big Ten members, but the school has plenty of history around the game. A majority of the first several years of the NCAA Tournament spent a lot of time in Evanston, Illinois. Long before what we all know and love as March Madness used to be played at the University of Northwestern.
Despite existing for a long time, the Wildcats took even longer to sniff the big dance itself. They have had some historically good players, but not until more recently did Northwestern basketball finally reach a level of notoriety. Their first NCAA Tournament berth was in 2017, and they have since gone to the tournament the last two years in a row. They have won a tournament game in each of their three appearances. Though they have two conference championships to their name, they haven’t sniffed the top of the Big Ten since 1933. Their seven NIT appearances are nothing to frown at, and a majority of the players that made the Wildcats’ all-time starting lineup come from within the last two decades or so.
Without further ado, here is the lineup.
Northwestern Basketball: Wildcats All-Time Starting Lineup
Guard: Boo Buie
Boo Buie redefined the term annoying for fans outside of Northwestern basketball. Still, there was no denying that Buie was a great basketball player. He was an important figure as soon as he arrived in Evanston. Buie played in 26 games as a freshman including 11 starts. He quickly rose to fame for being labeled a ‘Spartan Killer’ as he had some of his greatest moments against Tom Izzo and Michigan State. His numbers continued to climb throughout his time at Northwestern, and he helped get the Cats back to the NCAA Tournament both as a junior and a senior.
Both campaigns resulted in All-Big Ten honors for Buie. The younger brother of former Penn State guard Talor Battle, Buie was born to be a pain in MSU’s side, and he did that throughout his career at Northwestern. He helped completely change the future of Wildcats basketball. Not to mention he left as the school’s all-time leading scorer. Buie ended his Wildcat career with 2,187 points. He also took home the 2024 Lefty Driscoll Award which goes to the best defensive player in Divison I college basketball. Buie will look to make the Phoenix Suns roster this season, after going undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft. The name Boo Buie will forever be feared by Northwestern foes.
Guard: Bryant McIntosh
Talk about a point guard who was a real difference-maker in helping guide Northwestern to somewhere never seen before. Bryant McIntosh came to Evanston with one goal, to help get Northwestern to the NCAA Tournament. McIntosh was a day-one starter when he got to Northwestern. His freshman season in 2014-15 was a good one, as he made the All-Big Ten Freshman Team.
He showcased his passing ability from day one, and it paid off as a sophomore as he set the Northwestern single-season assist record. He finished that campaign with 213 assists. That led to him being a co-captain for the 2016-17 season, and that was a historic season for the Wildcats, as McIntosh alongside Vic Law and Dererk Pardon led the team to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. McIntosh also became the school’s all-time assist leader during that run. His senior season may not have been as great as expected going in, but he broke the school single-game assist record, when he recorded 16 assists against Minnesota in January 2018.
In all, McIntosh left Northwestern as the best assist man in school history, and certainly won’t be forgotten. He was so instrumental in the Cat’s run to the NCAA Tournament in 2017, he’s a must-have in this line-up with 700 career assists. That is still good for seventh all-time in Big Ten history.
Guard: Pat Baldwin Sr.
Long before he was coaching his son Patrick Baldwin Jr at the University of Milwaukee, Patrick Baldwin Sr., was hooping it up himself in the Big Ten. He was a special player, because of his all-around ability. He certainly had a knack for stealing the ball. Baldwin still holds the single-season steals record in school history, which he set as a freshman during the 1990-91 season. Ninety steals as a freshman was incredible. He didn’t just steal the ball, as he was a solid passer and scorer as well.
Baldwin played for the Wildcats from 1990-1994. He left the school as the all-time steals leader with 272. His senior season put him amongst the elite in terms of defense as he was the 1993-94 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. That says a lot when he had to guard the likes of Shawn Respert, Jalen Rose, and Michael Finley.
Baldwin also left Northwestern with 452 assists and 1,189 career points. It was a great all-around career for the former Wildcat. After a brief stint playing pro ball in Europe, Baldwin entered the coaching ranks. He was the head coach at Milwaukee Wisconsin from 2017-2022. He currently serves as an assistant at Valparaiso University. His name will forever be remembered in Northwestern basketball history.
Forward: John Shurna
John Shurna was a well-established high school player in the state of Illinois, by the time he chose Northwestern as his college. He quickly turned it into a very memorable career for the Wildcats. Shurna was certainly the face of Northwestern basketball at a time when the Wildcats could only imagine being competitive as a team. After starting 31 games as a freshman, Shurna turned his success into three-straight All-Big Ten seasons. That includes his senior campaign in 2011-2012 when he averaged 20 points per game. He also ended that season First Team All-Big Ten alongside the likes of Michigan State’s Draymond Green.
Shurna was certainly a great scorer, and he is still the only player in Northwestern history to score over 600 points in a single season. He did so during his senior campaign with 611 points. Shurna left the Wildcats with 2,038 points, which was the school record until Buie broke it. He never got a look in the NBA, but has turned his college success into a great pro career in Europe, where he was part of a EuroCup Championship in 2023. He currently plays for Herbalife Gran Canaria in Spain.
Center: Evan Eschmeyer
The final piece to the puzzle is certainly the best rebounder to ever wear Northwestern purple. That honor goes to Evan Eschmeyer, who still holds the all-time rebounding mark of 995 rebounds. Eschmeyer played for the Wildcats from 1993-1996, so six years total, after missing his first two because of a foot injury. Despite the early injuries, Evan quickly became a force in the post, especially on the boards.
He led the Wildcats in both scoring and rebounding for three straight seasons. He also helped get the Wildcats to the NIT in 1999, after they nearly upset the #1 ranked Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament. That season also saw him earn Consensus Second Team All-American honors. He was certainly one of the best centers that the Big Ten had to offer during his time.
His great run in college at Northwestern, led to an NBA chance in 1999 as he was the 34th overall pick. Eschmeyer spent four seasons in the NBA. Though he never quite reached the level of his college days, a four-year run in the NBA wasn’t bad for the last Wildcat to be named an All-American since 1967.
See Previous All-Time Big Ten Teams Below:
Illinois Fighting Illini All-Time Starting Lineup
Indiana Hoosiers All-Time Starting Lineup
Iowa Hawkeyes All-Time Starting Lineup
Maryland Terrapins All-Time Starting Lineup
Michigan Wolverines All-Time Starting Lineup
Michigan State Spartans All-Time Starting Lineup
