There are many reasons a player chooses a school. There are a lot of smaller decisions he makes on the way to the big one, a verbal commitment.

Ask new 2021 wing commit Casey Simmons why he chose Northwestern and he’ll tell you that the program offered a “high level of basketball and a high level of education,” like most recruits do.

But he’ll also tell you about the night of Feb. 19, when his Milton (Mass.) Academy team was taking on St. George’s in Middletown, R.I. Simmons was out for that game with an ankle injury.

Northwestern assistant coach Emanuel Dildy knew Simmons wasn’t going to be able to play that night. But he made the trip and showed up anyway.

Simmons remembers sitting on the bench and seeing Dildy in the stands. It made a strong impression. It showed him just how much the Wildcats wanted him.

Five days later, Northwestern offered Simmons a scholarship. A little over four months later, on Saturday, he became a Wildcat.