His career at Northwestern may be over, but Brooks Barnhizer’s legacy will linger in Welsh Ryan Arena for decades to come.

It’s really hard to put it all into words, but maybe that’s the beautiful thing about it. 

Even Chris Collins couldn’t quite articulate on Brooks’ time at Northwestern without shedding a tear. This was him after announcing that Brooks wouldn’t be able to suit up in a Northwestern jersey again after Northwestern’s loss against Wisconsin.

“I love that kid. To not see him be able to get out there today, it just sucks,” said Collins while wiping a tear from his eye.

In an era where loyalty is hard to find in college basketball, Barnhizer stuck with Northwestern through thick and thin. He only played in 9 games his freshman year but chose to stay with Northwestern and work hard to earn minutes. Then, a couple of years later, after an impressive junior year where he averaged 14.6 points and 7.5 rebounds, Barnhizer would’ve been a prized possession to any team going hunting in the transfer portal, but Barnhizer’s loyalty never faltered. He chose to end his career at the same place he started; he chose to finish his time in college basketball alongside his teammates, his brothers whom he had battled with for three years.

But just staying with a program isn’t enough to etch a name into a century of program history. His play on the court had to earn him a spot in the rafters — and it certainly did.

Brooks had a phenomenal senior year in Evanston despite being hurt for most of the summer and the beginning of the season. He posted a ridiculous 17 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals per game while he was playing this season. If Barnhizer played the whole year on this pace, he would have likely been on the first-team all-Big Ten list and would have also had a real shot at Big Ten DPOY.

But, it wasn’t just the numbers that made him so special. Brooks played with incredible passion during his time in Evanston. His grit, perseverance, and sheer competitiveness was how he won the hearts of every single Northwestern fan.

It wasn’t the game-tying shot in the round of 64 against FAU last year; it wasn’t the four-point play against Illinois two years ago; it wasn’t his 19 points to lift Northwestern in his coming out party at Ohio State his sophomore year; it was how much Barnhizer wrapped himself in every ounce of competition here at Northwestern.

I have never seen a player more fiercely determined to win than Barnhizer. That unrelenting drive, that unwavering hunger for competition, is the chisel with which Barnhizer etched his name into Northwestern basketball history.

It’s rare for a player with Barnhizer’s numbers and stat lines to be remembered for something beyond production. That’s what was so special about him. Even though it seemed as if I would read a tweet after every game that said Barnhizer posted a stat line that hasn’t been done since [name your favorite historical event in the 1960s], I always found myself walking out of Welsh Ryan hung up on Barnhizer’s effort, not his numbers.

But the moments that truly define Barnhizer’s heart, passion, and competitive spirit was his willingness to put his body on the line for his team.

Two, in particular, come to mind when thinking back on Brooks’ time here.

1. When Barnhizer dove over the scorer’s table to try to save a ball that had zero chance of being saved in the first half of the game vs FAU and crashed into the media. It was the first half of the game, yet Barnhizer put his body on the line, diving into the media to give Northwestern even the slightest chance at securing the rebound.
2. Getting his two front teeth knocked out trying to take a charge in a “nothing drill” by a team manager. This should really come as no surprise. Of course he knocks out his teeth trying to force a turnover in a middle-of-the-season practice. Oh, and for what it’s worth, he dropped 20 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks in the next game vs. Georgia Tech.

If Barnhizer proved one thing in Evanston, it’s that he would do everything he possibly could to give this team the best chance to win.

And, don’t get me wrong, he did a lot of winning here. Barnhizer played a major role in leading the Wildcats to their only back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances in school history, giving NU the third most Big Ten victories in that span. But it was probably Ryan Cole of Inside NU who described Barnhizer’s contributions to Northwestern the best.

“If Boo Buie was the shining star that brought this program relevancy, then Brooks Barnhizer was the engine under the hood that made it go.”

That’s exactly what Barnhizer was here. An engine that made this whole thing go.

After hearing Collins break the news in the postgame presser after the loss to Wisconsin, I had mixed emotions. A part of me was obviously disappointed that I would never see him play in college again, but another part of me knew that he left everything he possibly had on the floor for us. 

All good things must come to an end, and unfortunately, this chapter has ended.

Thank you, Brooks. Retire 13.