Grad transfer center Keenan Fitzmorris commits to Northwestern
Former Stony Brook center Keenan Fitzmorris announced his commitment to Northwestern on Sunday on Instagram.
The 7-footer averaged 10.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in 35 games and 11 starts last season. Next season will be his final year of eligibility.
The big man will provide key depth at center and work into a rotation with 6-foot-10 redshirt sophomore Luke Hunger behind Matt Nicholson, who is also in his last year in 2024-25.
Fitzmorris spends most of his time around the basket and rarely shoots from beyond the arc. He made 33.3% of his threes last season on just .8 attempts per game, but he has a soft touch at the free-throw line, shooting 76.7% last season and 74.8% for his career.
Fitzmorris is the second transfer into the program this cycle, joining Fairfield guard Jalen Leach. The Wildcats also narrowly finished as runner-up for Stetson guard Jalen Blackmon, who committed to Miami (Fla.) on Sunday, so their hunt for another transfer guard is ongoing.
Northwestern has brought in transfer bigs the last two seasons to augment their rotation, so Fitzmorris will make it three in a row. Tydus Verhoeven from UTEP was a success and provided integral defensive flexibility in the Wildcats' 2022-23 tournament run. Blake Preston from Liberty was more of a disappointment, struggling to gel with the team in Big Ten play before providing emergency relief after Nicholson's injury.
Fitzmorris is different than those big men, who were both 6-foot-9. He projects to address more of Northwestern's scoring needs. Defensively, he averaged 1.1 blocks per game at Stony Brook, but that could change with the jump to Big Ten play. If his defense translates, he be a valuable addition to NU's frontcourt rotation.
FItzmorris played four years at Stanford and the last two at Stony Brook, so next year will be his seventh year of college basketball. He redshirted his first year at Stanford in 2018-19, sat out a year with an injury and has an extra year of eligibility due to the "free" COVID year.
Fitzmorris was a three-star prospect in the Class of 2018 from New Hampton (N.H.) Prep, a member of the New England Prep School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) league that produced Leach, Hunger and Northwestern legend Boo Buie.