As we move forward with more men’s basketball player reviews, it’s now time to analyze the season of Tyler Kropp, the 6-foot-9 freshman forward from Powell, Ohio.
The Good
Throughout the season, Kropp was a consistent player in Chris Collins’ rotation. Kropp played in 31 of Northwestern’s 34 games this season, averaging 11.9 minutes per game. In a stretch from late January to early February, Kropp started in multiple consecutive games after the ‘Cats found short-lived defensive upside in benching Arrinten
Page in favor of Kropp, who rotates significantly better on the defensive end.
Kropp’s run extended playing time started in the Wildcats’ 74-68 victory over USC. Kropp played 28 minutes and came close to a double-double, scoring 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting and grabbing nine rebounds. My colleague Eliav Brooks-Rubin commended Kropp’s performance in this game in his weekly edition of Collins’ Classroom, writing that Kropp moved extremely well without the ball on the offense as a major player in the Wildcats’ pick-and-roll actions, while also showcasing his capability to be active and aggressive on the defense end, rotating well to defend pick-and-rolls and back cuts. It was in games like this where Kropp flashed his potential.
Kropp’s best attribute this season was certainly his defensive rotational capabilities. In comparison to Page, Kropp had much fewer lapses defending the pick-and-roll in particular, showing good communication skills and activity when rotating defensively. Though Page is certainly a better pure paint defender, Kropp gave the ‘Cats a more aggressive and matchup proof defensive identity, as he had more proficiency pressuring the ball, while also matching up decently against more athletic guards, due to his increased quickness and agility.
Kropp finished the season with averages of 3.1 points per game, 2.1 rebounds per game and 0.3 assists per game. Though on the offensive end Kropp struggled to find consistent production, when at his best, Kropp showed that he can be a high-IQ flasher with the capability to flow/rotate well on offense and defense, while scoring around-the-rim at an efficient clip.
The Bad
Kropp was not heavily recruited coming out of high school, but ‘Cats fans were still very excited about his potential after seeing what he did in the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland. Kropp averaged 21.7 points and 9.7 rebounds, while becoming the first player to score 18+ in each game since 2003. He was a force to be reckoned with inside, hounding down rebounds and using his big frame to score easily inside.
In his first season in Evanston, it’s fair to say that Kropp wasn’t as physically imposing against NCAA Division I competition. Despite taking most of his shots around the basket, Kropp shot just 44.2% from the field, struggling to finish around the basket like he did in Switzerland, where he had 57% field goal efficiency. Furthermore, Kropp generally didn’t operate with the ball in his hands for extended periods of time, operating without the expectations or opportunities to be the major offensive playmaker that he was as Argentina’s number one option at the U19 World Cup.
On the defensive end, the review is similar. When Kropp saw more playing time, it was due to his aforementioned defensive-IQ and rotational speed, rather than his physicality in the paint. As a pure paint defender, Singleton and Page were better than Kropp throughout the season, who isn’t necessarily undersized at 6-foot-9, 230 pounds, but hasn’t shown the strength yet to match up one-on-one with the Big Ten’s elite forwards.
Analytically, Kropp ended up grading out as the worst player in the Wildcats’ rotation this season. Kropp finished with a total Bayesian player rating, per EvanMiya.com, of 0.42. Kropp especially struggled offensively, with an offensive Bayesian player rating of 0.15 that was also last of Northwestern’s ten qualifying players.
The Bottom Line
Like many of Northwestern’s freshmen, Kropp, a three-star talent coming out of high school, holds a lot of potential as a big-framed forward that has already played a lot of high-level basketball.
Kropp carved out a consistent role in the rotation this season primarily due to his defensive intelligence and versatility. He proved to be a reliable presence in pick-and-roll coverage, showing strong communication, quick rotations, and the ability to guard in space more effectively than some of his counterparts.
However, Kropp’s overall impact was limited by his struggles on the offensive end and lack of defensive strength against the best of Big Ten competition. Combined with underwhelming advanced metrics, Kropp’s freshman season showed promise but also made it clear that some development is needed for him to become a more consistent impact player for the ‘Cats.
