Some things seem to work out for a reason. The commitment of new Northwestern lead guard Ryan Greer is a prime example.

Despite growing up in Atlanta and playing last year at a prep school in Massachusetts, Greer says that “Northwestern has always been one of my dream schools.” He had picked up an offer from the Wildcats in April and immediately pegged the program as one of his favorites for when he graduated in 2019.

Then, just last Friday, the Wildcats lost four-star 2018 lead guard signee Jordan Lathon when the school revoked his admission. Out of the blue, Northwestern coaches started talking to the 6-foot-3 Greer about reclassifying to 2018 so that he could take Lathon’s spot and play this season.

He quickly arranged a visit to Northwestern on Tuesday and was blown away by the experience. It was while he was standing in partially rehabbed Welsh-Ryan Arena, wearing a hardhat and looking at the potential of the new facility, that Greer realized that he wanted to be a Wildcat. And now rather than later.

“The opportunity to come in as a 2018 (graduate) was too good to pass up,” he said. “I could start my dream early. I knew it was the right fit for me.”

Meet the player who will fill the shoes of the graduated Bryant McIntosh in this WildcatReport premium story.