Boo Buie
The dynamic Northwestern guard who rewrote the school's record books and led the Wildcats to their first-ever NCAA tournament victory.
Born 1999 (age 27)·American basketball player·Birthday: December 7·Generation Z
Biography
Boo Buie arrived at Northwestern University as a promising but unheralded guard and left as the most prolific scorer in the history of the program. Over five seasons in Evanston, his game evolved from flashy playmaking to complete offensive command, marked by deep three-pointers and clutch baskets in critical moments. His leadership was the engine for a transformative era in Northwestern basketball, culminating in the 2022-23 season where he guided the Wildcats to just their second NCAA Tournament appearance and, decisively, their first-ever tournament win against Boise State. Setting the all-time scoring record was a personal milestone, but his legacy is tied to elevating a perennially struggling team into a competitive force in the brutal Big Ten Conference, changing the expectations for what is possible in Evanston.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Boo was born in 1999, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Boo Was Born
The biggest hits of 1999
#1 Movie
Star Wars: Episode I
Best Picture
American Beauty
#1 TV Show
ER
Boo's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1999Born
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2004Started school
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2012Became a teenager
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2015Could drive
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2017Could vote
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Turned 21
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 27 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became Northwestern University's all-time leading scorer in men's basketball.
- Led Northwestern to its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory in 2023.
- Earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors in his final collegiate season.
- Finished his Northwestern career with over 2,000 points and 600 assists.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'Boo' was given to him by his grandfather when he was a baby.
He played high school basketball at Gould Academy in Maine, far from his hometown of Albany, New York.
His brother, Trey, also played Division I college basketball at Albany.
“I'm here to make shots and win games, that's the bottom line.”
