Who Has Been Most Underrated Player in College Basketball?

There are very few players in the history of college basketball that have changed a program the way Boo Buie did. He did not do it alone. Chris Collins is a good coach, and the roster has been fairly good around him but if Boo Buie never committed to Northwestern their success over the past 2 seasons would have never happened. Buie’s impact gets overlooked because it did not result in flashy postseason success like a final four but for a program like Northwestern his impact is going to be felt for years to come. Every program for the most part has a group of players or a coach that changed the program into a successful program. For example, before Coach K at Duke they were a respectable program that had some great teams but never consistent success that lasted. Another example is Xavier who had only made the tournament twice before Pete Gillian and Byron Larkin arrived. Since then, they have been one of the more successful programs and it all started with one group. Northwestern has a chance to be the next program that takes a leap forward into the next tier. The wildcats most likely aren't going to become a blue blood like Duke but they could step up from one of the least successful power conference programs of all time. Before Boo Buie Northwestern had made the tournament only once which was also the only season that Northwestern had over 20 wins as a team. In Boo Buie’s 5 seasons he has tripled the amount of tournament appearances and seasons with over 20 wins. This also includes their highest seed ever as a program.  

In Northwestern history, Boo Buie’s impact is not just shown in the wins he compiled but also in the record books. In the history of Northwestern Basketball, he is first in points, games, and minutes. He is second in threes made, assists, and field goals. While being top ten in steals, defensive rebounds, free throws, and fouls. Boo Buie is the winningest and most accomplished Wildcat of all time. He is the unquestioned GOAT of Northwestern basketball. His dedication to this program in an era where he could have gotten a lot of NIL money in the transfer portal has resulted in a program being changed for the better. There is no guarantee that Northwestern will continue to invest in basketball and use this momentum to continue to grow. However, the groundwork has been placed by one of the most underrated college careers in a long time. College Basketball fans everywhere should have appreciated a legend while they could have. Boo Buie has been one of my personal favorite players in the nation over the past couple of years. His style of play and determination made him one of the most fun players to watch. I wish nothing but the best to Boo as he continues his basketball career. An absolute legend!!