With the arrival of touted recruits Kale Abrahamson, Chier Ajou and Alex Olah, and the transfer of former Louisville forward Jared Swopshire and former TCU forward Nikola Cerina, the 2012-13 season features one of the most hyped incoming classes in Northwestern basketball history.
Lost in the shuffle, somehow, is walk-on Aaron Liberman.
At 6-foot-10, Liberman wears a yarmulke, a Jewish skullcap, while practicing at Welsh-Ryan Arena two days before the Wildcats tip off their season with the University of Chicago. After averaging more than 17 points and eight blocks per game at California’s Valley Torah High School, Liberman’s been pegged as “the Jewish Dwight Howard.” Yet his lanky, coy demeanor when working on post drills suggests that he’s more of a Clark Kent than Dwight’s “Superman” persona.
“I don’t think it’s very accurate,” Liberman laughed when asked about his unique hardwood moniker. “In high school, I was blocking shots like crazy ... but now I’m not dunking on people left and right like Dwight Howard.”
At Valley Torah High School in Los Angeles, Liberman was an honor student and a basketball standout, leading the school to a 25-5 record and a sectional championship. After ranking fifth in the nation in blocked shots his senior year, Liberman spent time abroad in Israel, where he continued to play basketball in addition to his studies. Now at Northwestern with thoughts of an economics or political science major, Liberman nuzzled his way onto the Wildcats roster by impressing head coach Bill Carmody.
“[Aaron] has made excellent strides to develop his body and to hone his skills on the court. He will be a great addition to our revamped frontcourt," Carmody said.
While Liberman is one of three Wildcat freshmen that tapes in at 6 feet 10 inches or taller, his experience in international play helps him stand out. In January, Liberman represented the U.S. in the Maccabi Pan American Games, spending a week training in Florida before traveling to Brazil and earning a gold medal.
“We beat every team by 30 points or something, but it was a really great experience, I met a lot of people,” Liberman said.
Yet he knows that in the Big Ten, those 30-point wins won’t come quite as frequently. With a crowded frontcourt, a slew of more experienced players and a complicated Princeton offense to learn, Liberman said that he’s tempered his expectations for his freshman season.
“I’m taking this year to learn the offense ... and get bigger with the weight trainer out here," Liberman said. "In the Big Ten, everyone’s like 7-foot, 280 pounds, so I’ve got to be able to compete with them."
Liberman added that his speedy game lends itself to the forward position, despite his center-worthy size. While he may not expect to see many minutes at first, Northwestern’s fast-paced offense could always use another agile athlete.
“I need to learn the position first, [then] work more on the perimeter and learn cuts,” he said.
While he’s far from a finished product, there’s no denying Liberman’s potential. Like the Wildcats themselves, Liberman is shrouded in uncertainty, intrigue and opportunity. For a team looking to get over the hump and prove something to the world of college basketball, one of the school's most interesting walk-ons has a fitting narrative. Just how that narrative begins is anyone's guess.
Aaron Liberman: the Jewish Dwight Howard