Oklahoma City Thunder Land Northwestern Star Brooks Barnhizer in NBA Draft
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For the first time since 1999, a Northwestern men's basketball player has been selected in the NBA Draft.
With the No. 44 overall pick on Thursday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder drafted senior wing Brooks Barnhizer, snapping a streak of 25 consecutive years without a Wildcat getting picked. Barnhizer is the 32nd former Northwestern player in history to be drafted, dating back to 1947, but just the third player since the NBA Draft was shortened to a two-round format in 1989.
Barnhizer, 23, projects as a versatile wing defender, using his 6-foot-6 size and 6-foot-11 wingspan to stifle opponents. The Thunder won their first NBA Championship in franchise history on Sunday, largely behind one of the best defenses the league has ever seen that forced steals at an otherworldly rate. Now, Barnhizer can bring his length and instincts to Oklahoma City as the champions look to establish a dynasty.
The Thunder have a plethora of stars, young players and draft picks, meaning it might be a bit of an uphill climb for Barnhizer to earn playing time. At the guard and wing spots, OKC currently has Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins and more as key members of the rotation. However, head coach Mark Daigneault has proven to play gritty, tough athletes significant minutes, and Barnhizer certainly fits the mold.
During his senior season at Northwestern, Barnhizer stuffed the stat sheet with 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game before a foot injury ended his year in January. Despite the shortened campaign, Barnhizer's stock rose quickly in the pre-draft process, culminating in his selection on Thursday night.
Barnhizer joins Georgetown center Thomas Sorber, who Oklahoma City took No. 15 overall, as 2025 Thunder draftees.
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Gavin Dorsey is the Lead Writer for Northwestern Wildcats On SI and covers a handful of other teams in the On SI network. Before joining On SI in February 2025, he wrote for the Star Tribune and Inside NU while broadcasting college sports for both radio and television. Dorsey is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, where he also studied psychology. In his free time, he enjoys running and being outdoors. Dorsey is currently a freelance writer for the Associated Press, covering Chicago area sports teams.
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