Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Sign Three to National Letters of Intent
11/11/2015 1:06:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Northwestern inks stellar recruiting class
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern head men's basketball coach Chris Collins has announced the signing of three individuals to National Letters of Intent to join the Wildcats for the 2016-17 season.
Barret Benson (Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale South), Rapolas Ivanauskas (Barrington, Ill./Brewster Academy (N.H.) and Isiah Brown (Lynnwood, Wash./Lakeside School) comprise another outstanding recruiting class that will matriculate to Evanston next fall.
"I'm really excited about the three additions to our program," Collins said. "With losing Alex Olah and Joey van Zegeren after this season, the addition of size with Barret and Rapolas are going to be huge building blocks for the future of our front line. They're both local products who bring everything we value in our program and have the chance to be outstanding players.
"Bringing a scoring guard like Isiah into the fold is going to be big as we lose a big piece in Tre Demps. All three of them will have great opportunities to step in and have key roles right away."
Complete bios and comments from Coach Collins on all three individuals follow.
Barret Benson
6-10 • 240
Center
Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale South
High School: Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) 3A/4A third-team all-state selection as a junior … Averaged 18.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game junior year … Two-time all-area selection … West Suburban Gold all-conference selection as a sophomore and junior … Posted 36 points and 17 rebounds vs. Proviso East and 36 points and 14 rebounds vs. Addison Trail junior year … Scored 31 of his team's 40 points in a win over Downers Grove South … All-tournament team selection at Wheaton Warrenville South … NBPA Top 100 Camp participant … UA All-American Camp participant … Helped team to tournament titles at Hinsdale Central Thanksgiving Tournament and DeKalb Christmas Tournament sophomore year … Team captain … Competed at AAU level for Illinois Wolves … Coached in high school by Brett Moore and Tanner Mitchell … Class president .. Dean's List … National Honor Society.
Personal: Son of Joan Kacmar and Cliff Benson … Father was a tight end in football collegiately at Purdue and in the NFL for four seasons … Chose Northwestern over Illinois, Indiana, Purdue and Vanderbilt.
Coach Collins on Benson: "Barret is an emerging post prospect. He's a true low-post center with great size and power. He'll fill a big need for us coming into next year. The thing that has impressed me the most about Barret is how far he has come in the last three years. He's a guy who every time you see him, he has gotten better. Those are the guys who excite our coaching staff because you know he's going to be a hard worker. With his size, frame and skill level, I think he'll have a great career here."
Isiah Brown
6-3 • 180
Guard
Lynnwood, Wash./Lakeside School
High School: Class 3A Associated Press first-team all-state selection as a junior … Two-time first-team All-Metro 3A … Seattle Times all-area pick … Averaged 28.3 points in 2014-15, setting the school single-season scoring record with 867 points and scoring at least 30 points 13 times … Led the Lions to a 3A fourth-place state finish … Set 3A state tournament record with 27 field goals and tied another with 78 points over a three-day span, earning a selection to the all-tournament team … Team MVP … Two-time Metro League scoring champion … Scored 53 points in a game vs. O'Dea as a sophomore … Scored 38 second-half points to lead Lakeside back from a 20-point second-half deficit for the win … Helped Lakeside to a state runner-up finish as a freshman … Metro League Freshman of the Year and Seattle Times all-freshman team pick … Played AAU ball in 2015 adidas Gauntlet for Northwest Panthers … Coached in high school by Shea Robinson and Tavio Hobson.
Personal: Son of Yolanda and Gerald Brown … Born in Anchorage, Alaska … Father played collegiate basketball at University of Alaska Anchorage and played professionally overseas … Father coached Trajan Langdon and Mario Chalmers in Alaska … Attends same high school as Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen … Chose Northwestern over Washington, Utah State, UC Irvine and Saint Mary's.
Coach Collins on Brown: "Isiah has a great pedigree. He is a first-team all-state player in the state of Washington. He has been a great scorer in high school. I think his ability to make plays and put the ball in the basket is going to really compliment our guard corps. I expect him to be able to come in and contend for big minutes as a freshman."
Rapolas Ivanauskas
6-9 • 220
Forward
Barrington, Ill./Brewster Academy (N.H.)
High School: Ranked No. 64 recruit in the nation in class of 2016 by Rivals.com and No. 89 by Scout.com … Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) 3A/4A second-team all-state selection as a junior at Barrington High School … Averaged 18 points and 8.3 rebounds per game junior year … All-area selection … Special mention all-state pick of Chicago Tribune … Mid-Suburban West Conference player of the year … Illinois Mr. Basketball nominee … Named captain of Daily Herald's all-area team … Named to all-tournament teams at Mundelein Thanksgiving Tournament and Jacobs Holiday Tournament … Led the Broncos to the team's first Mid-Suburban League title since 1977, posting 24 points and 16 rebounds in the title game … Posted 37 points and 14 rebounds in an overtime win over Zion Benton … Coached at Barrington by Bryan Tucker … Played AAU ball for Full Package … Honor roll student … Transferred to Brewster Academy (N.H.) prior to senior year.
Personal: Son of Tomas and Gintare Ivanauskas … Father played basketball collegiately at UMass Lowell and professionally in Europe … Chose Northwestern over UCLA, Virginia, Wisconsin, Purdue and Michigan.
Coach Collins on Ivanauskas: "Rapolas is a 6-foot-9 high-energy, versatile guy who can play a number of positions. He's a great cutter and slasher. He has been a great scorer during his career and is an incredibly hard worker. He is someone whom we have seen improve tremendously over the last few years. That's exciting as we look to project what he'll become once he gets into our program and develops on all levels."
Barret Benson (Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale South), Rapolas Ivanauskas (Barrington, Ill./Brewster Academy (N.H.) and Isiah Brown (Lynnwood, Wash./Lakeside School) comprise another outstanding recruiting class that will matriculate to Evanston next fall.
"I'm really excited about the three additions to our program," Collins said. "With losing Alex Olah and Joey van Zegeren after this season, the addition of size with Barret and Rapolas are going to be huge building blocks for the future of our front line. They're both local products who bring everything we value in our program and have the chance to be outstanding players.
"Bringing a scoring guard like Isiah into the fold is going to be big as we lose a big piece in Tre Demps. All three of them will have great opportunities to step in and have key roles right away."
Complete bios and comments from Coach Collins on all three individuals follow.
Barret Benson
6-10 • 240
Center
Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale South
High School: Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) 3A/4A third-team all-state selection as a junior … Averaged 18.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game junior year … Two-time all-area selection … West Suburban Gold all-conference selection as a sophomore and junior … Posted 36 points and 17 rebounds vs. Proviso East and 36 points and 14 rebounds vs. Addison Trail junior year … Scored 31 of his team's 40 points in a win over Downers Grove South … All-tournament team selection at Wheaton Warrenville South … NBPA Top 100 Camp participant … UA All-American Camp participant … Helped team to tournament titles at Hinsdale Central Thanksgiving Tournament and DeKalb Christmas Tournament sophomore year … Team captain … Competed at AAU level for Illinois Wolves … Coached in high school by Brett Moore and Tanner Mitchell … Class president .. Dean's List … National Honor Society.
Personal: Son of Joan Kacmar and Cliff Benson … Father was a tight end in football collegiately at Purdue and in the NFL for four seasons … Chose Northwestern over Illinois, Indiana, Purdue and Vanderbilt.
Coach Collins on Benson: "Barret is an emerging post prospect. He's a true low-post center with great size and power. He'll fill a big need for us coming into next year. The thing that has impressed me the most about Barret is how far he has come in the last three years. He's a guy who every time you see him, he has gotten better. Those are the guys who excite our coaching staff because you know he's going to be a hard worker. With his size, frame and skill level, I think he'll have a great career here."
Isiah Brown
6-3 • 180
Guard
Lynnwood, Wash./Lakeside School
High School: Class 3A Associated Press first-team all-state selection as a junior … Two-time first-team All-Metro 3A … Seattle Times all-area pick … Averaged 28.3 points in 2014-15, setting the school single-season scoring record with 867 points and scoring at least 30 points 13 times … Led the Lions to a 3A fourth-place state finish … Set 3A state tournament record with 27 field goals and tied another with 78 points over a three-day span, earning a selection to the all-tournament team … Team MVP … Two-time Metro League scoring champion … Scored 53 points in a game vs. O'Dea as a sophomore … Scored 38 second-half points to lead Lakeside back from a 20-point second-half deficit for the win … Helped Lakeside to a state runner-up finish as a freshman … Metro League Freshman of the Year and Seattle Times all-freshman team pick … Played AAU ball in 2015 adidas Gauntlet for Northwest Panthers … Coached in high school by Shea Robinson and Tavio Hobson.
Personal: Son of Yolanda and Gerald Brown … Born in Anchorage, Alaska … Father played collegiate basketball at University of Alaska Anchorage and played professionally overseas … Father coached Trajan Langdon and Mario Chalmers in Alaska … Attends same high school as Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen … Chose Northwestern over Washington, Utah State, UC Irvine and Saint Mary's.
Coach Collins on Brown: "Isiah has a great pedigree. He is a first-team all-state player in the state of Washington. He has been a great scorer in high school. I think his ability to make plays and put the ball in the basket is going to really compliment our guard corps. I expect him to be able to come in and contend for big minutes as a freshman."
Rapolas Ivanauskas
6-9 • 220
Forward
Barrington, Ill./Brewster Academy (N.H.)
High School: Ranked No. 64 recruit in the nation in class of 2016 by Rivals.com and No. 89 by Scout.com … Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) 3A/4A second-team all-state selection as a junior at Barrington High School … Averaged 18 points and 8.3 rebounds per game junior year … All-area selection … Special mention all-state pick of Chicago Tribune … Mid-Suburban West Conference player of the year … Illinois Mr. Basketball nominee … Named captain of Daily Herald's all-area team … Named to all-tournament teams at Mundelein Thanksgiving Tournament and Jacobs Holiday Tournament … Led the Broncos to the team's first Mid-Suburban League title since 1977, posting 24 points and 16 rebounds in the title game … Posted 37 points and 14 rebounds in an overtime win over Zion Benton … Coached at Barrington by Bryan Tucker … Played AAU ball for Full Package … Honor roll student … Transferred to Brewster Academy (N.H.) prior to senior year.
Personal: Son of Tomas and Gintare Ivanauskas … Father played basketball collegiately at UMass Lowell and professionally in Europe … Chose Northwestern over UCLA, Virginia, Wisconsin, Purdue and Michigan.
Coach Collins on Ivanauskas: "Rapolas is a 6-foot-9 high-energy, versatile guy who can play a number of positions. He's a great cutter and slasher. He has been a great scorer during his career and is an incredibly hard worker. He is someone whom we have seen improve tremendously over the last few years. That's exciting as we look to project what he'll become once he gets into our program and develops on all levels."
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