Northwestern snags three-star guard Julian Roper
Northwestern made its first mark in the 2021 class on Monday with one of their primary perimeter targets. Rivals150 wing Julian Roper ended his recruitment by committing to the Wildcats, giving the Big 10 program an athletic and versatile weapon in the backcourt.
“The coaching staff was the first point. They made me their number-one priority and it was clear. They came to multiple games, not only their assistants but also Coach (Chris) Collins himself,” Roper told Rivals.com. “Second was the academics. They’re a top-10 school in the country so you cannot go wrong.”
A 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Detroit, Michigan, Roper is a quality addition for the Big 10 program. He picked the Wildcats over DePaul, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin. He is rated as the 37th best shooting guard in his class, and as the 142nd top-rated prospect nationally.
Roper brings good size and length to the off-guard spot. He is a quality athlete that flourishes in the open floor and is a solid finisher at the basket against the bigger bodies. There is an innate toughness that should treat him well within a league that is as physical as the Big 10. Roper is a more than serviceable defender that can plug multiple holes along the perimeter and relies on his instincts in playing the passing lanes and as a defensive stopper at the rim.
He becomes the first member of Northwestern’s 2021 class. The Wildcats sit in a better spot with the elite compared to past years as they continue to track Pat Baldwin and Max Christie, two five-star prospects whose mothers played for the school. Tamar Bates and Casey Simmons are among the others that Northwestern has continued to prioritize.