Two of the most prolific scorers in Northwestern basketball history walked back into practice on Monday, July 7, joining the Wildcats' rebuilt roster for a summer session at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

John Shurna, the program's No. 2 all-time scorer with 2,038 career points, and Michael "Juice" Thompson, who ranks seventh with 1,689 points, were on the floor with the current squad as Northwestern prepares for the 2026-27 season. The program's official account shared photos of the visit, calling it "great to have two of our all-time leading scorers back at practice."

Shurna and Thompson were teammates in Evanston from 2008-09 through 2010-11, anchoring a guard-forward tandem that rewrote the program's record books during the Bill Carmody era.

A roster in transition

The visit comes as the program rebuilds after losing its top scorer to the NBA Draft. Nick Martinelli, who ranked sixth on the all-time scoring list with 1,787 points, was selected by the LA Clippers with the 55th pick on June 24. He signed a two-way contract on July 6. Martinelli is the second Wildcat drafted in consecutive seasons after Brooks Barnhizer went in 2025.

To replace that production, Northwestern has added multiple transfers for 2026-27, including Penn guard Dylan Williams and 6-foot-10 forward Ryan Soulis, formerly of Columbia and Richmond.

Shurna: Glen Ellyn native, Big Ten scoring champ

Shurna, a Glen Ellyn native who played at Glenbard West, still holds Northwestern records for games played (130) and blocked shots (136). During his senior season in 2011-12, he averaged 20.0 points per game in conference play to become the program's first Big Ten scoring champion since Ray Ragelis in 1951. He also won the College 3-Point Championship at the 2012 Final Four.

Now 36, Shurna has spent more than 14 years playing professionally in Europe. He played for Hiopos Lleida in Spain's Liga ACB during the 2025-26 season, averaging 5.9 points in 30 games. In 2023, he won the EuroCup championship with Gran Canaria and was named EuroCup Finals MVP.

Thompson: Chicago's all-time assist leader at NU

Thompson, a Chicago native who grew up on the North Side and attended Lincoln Park High School, holds Northwestern's career records for assists (528) and minutes played (4,633). He started all 129 games he appeared in and shot 40.9% from three-point range across his career. His 35-point performance in the 2011 Big Ten Tournament against Minnesota remains a tournament record.

After a 12-year professional career spanning Europe, Asia, and Africa, Thompson has transitioned to coaching. He won nine team championships as a player, including the 2023 Basketball Africa League title with Al Ahly.

The 2026-27 schedule has not been released, but the new-look Wildcats now have two program pillars vouching for the summer work happening inside Welsh-Ryan Arena.