Where are they now? Basketball ‘Cats in the Pros

Some guys are still making noise even from beyond Evanston.

Northwestern might not receive a ton of respect as a basketball program in the pros. Since Chris Collins’ arrival, however, that’s beginning to change. Wildcat products have begun popping up all around professional basketball leagues throughout the world, from the United States to Japan, putting NU on the map. Most guys might be best remembered for their impact at the Welsh, but where are they all now?

Pat Spencer

Best-known for being the brother of 2023 National Champion Cam Spencer of UConn, the 2020 graduate has gone under the radar the last few years despite earning his way onto an NBA roster after a prolific dual-sport career. In his senior season at Loyola-Maryland, Spencer won the Tewaaraton Award — awarded to the best lacrosse player in the country — and was seen as one of the most talented lacrosse players of his generation. Nevertheless, Spencer would transfer to NU the next season, playing one year under Collins, where he would average 10.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in nearly 30 minutes of play.

Flash forward to five years later, and against all odds, Spencer has found his way onto an NBA roster. The 6-foot-3 guard has been with the Golden State Warriors for the last two seasons, but has truly begun seeing real action this year. Spencer is playing over seven minutes per game, averaging 2.6 points per contest on 39.2% shooting from the field. Recently, though, he made headlines on social media with a dunk to remember (well, Walker Kessler might want to forget it):

Spencer showed off every inch of his vertical on the big-time slam over the Utah big man, getting up high on a backdoor cut. He might have a case to be one of the most athletic role players in the entire league, all things considered.

Boo Buie

Arguably the most famous name and most iconic player in Northwestern basketball history, Boo Buie’s graduation from NU last year was a heartbreaker for many Wildcat fans. With Buie at the top of the program’s list in all-time scoring, and second all-time in assists, many were questioning what would become of Northwestern basketball following his departure.

Buie has continued to make his mark, and he’s now performing on one of the highest stages worldwide. The Albany native played extensively in the Summer League, and fought his way towards a roster spot for the entirety of the fall before finally earning a two-way contract with the New York Knicks in November. Since, he’s appeared in nine games for the G-League affiliate Westchester Knicks, averaging 10.3 points and four assists on over 21 minutes per game. Getting closer to an NBA roster spot is the clear next step for Agent 0, but the future remains bright.

Chase Audige

Serving as Buie’s partner-in-crime amidst Northwestern’s second-ever tournament run back in the 2022-23 season, Chase Audige has remained in the competitive sphere since his graduation nearly two years ago.

Audige received opportunities from both the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls, but was unable to make either roster. After stints with the Windy City Bulls (Bulls affiliate) and Capital City Go-Go (Washington Wizards affiliate) in the 2023-24 season, during which he only played about 12 minutes per game and averaged 4.8 points, Audige moved onto the international route.

The 25-year-old is now overseas in Belgium, posting over 14 points a night for BC Oostende in the Basketball Champions League and BNXT League. He’s been cooking as of late, earning himself BNXT Player of the Month honors this past December and asserting his name back into the conversation of “league-worthy.” Don’t be surprised if we see him back in the Summer League come June.

Vic Law

Well-known among Evanstonians as part of the team that brought Northwestern to its very first March Madness appearance, Law graduated from NU in 2019 and jumped around the G-League without ever finding a solid home. He followed a short stint with the Lakeland Magic with a year-long two-way contract with the Orlando Magic, but was unable to make things work in America from that point on. Law moved to the Pacific, heading down to Australia, first to play with the Brisbane Bullets before moving to the Perth Wildcats in 2021-22.

After earning a spot on the 2022 Summer League Utah Jazz roster, Law ultimately didn’t make the cut and opted to go back to to the Pacific Coast play with the Chiba Jets Funabashi in the Japanese B. League. He’s since moved to the Ryuku Golden Kings, where he’s been really solid, putting up 15.8 per game on 45/33/81 shooting splits.

Scottie Lindsey

Scottie Lindsey, who played alongside Law on that legendary 2016-17 team, has similarly jumped around from place to place, playing for five different G-League squads over the course of his professional career before joining the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks of the English Super Basketball League in mid-January.

Lindsey makes the move across the pond following his most recent stint with the Winnipeg Sea Bears of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, where he averaged 13.5 points and 4 rebounds per game. Lindsey has plenty to prove as he plays his first professional minutes of his career outside of North America, still aiming to make that return back to the U.S.

Robbie Beran

Though he transferred to Virginia Tech after four years of Northwestern basketball, we still need to give some love to Robbie Beran as one of Matt Nicholson’s predecessors. Following the end of his five-year collegiate career last year, Beran joined his former teammate in Audige in the BNXT League, joining the rival Kortrijk Spurs. He’s made an immediate impact as a rookie, averaging 11.1 points in over 24 minutes of action per game. And most notably, we saw the crossover everyone was hoping for when Kortrijk faced off against Oostende in October:

Tydus Verhoeven

After finding a home in Evanston for his fifth year of college basketball, Verhoeven was quickly welcomed in by ‘Cats fans for his energy and defensive prowess despite having only spent a year under Coach Collins. Playing alongside stars like Buie and Audige, Verhoeven served as the perfect glue guy who played a big part in their Second Round appearance.

Since graduating, Verhoeven has moved to the European scene, earning his first pro contract in September 2023 for the Portuguese SC Lusitania. Most recently, however, he’s returned to his Dutch roots, signing with the Landstede Hammers just two weeks ago.

Dererk Pardon

Finally, there’s the fan favorite Dererk Pardon. Pardon played in the same era as Law and Lindsey, and remained one of the most consistent players on both sides of the ball, even finishing his Northwestern career as the all-time leader in field goal percentage (60.3%).

Pardon has traveled the world since diving into professional basketball, hitting nearly every continent as he’s moved from Italy to Germany to Israel to New Zealand to Puerto Rico, and he’s now playing in Japan with Vic Law. Pardon is having an all-time year, averaging career highs in points, rebounds and assists on efficient shooting.

Even halfway across the globe, the Wildcats continue to thrive.