Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Top Impact College Hoops Transfers in 2021
The NCAA's transfer portal was officially closed on July 1st. The Covid-19 pandemic changed the sports landscape, and college basketball was not spared, either. NCAA announced on April 15 that students could transfer instantly and did not have to sit out a year out as it has been the norm.
The offseason transfer portal was hot this season as seniors took advantage of the extra year of eligibility. The transfers have impacted college basketball odds in different ways. Who are some of the biggest transfers in college basketball? We take a look at some of the most impactful transfers so far:
Qudus Wahab
Qudus Wahab is a big deal for the Terrapins. As a 6-11 player, Wahab joins the program after averaging 8.4 rebounds and 15.1 points in the seven games he played in March. He is a promising star based on his trajectory and the fact that he has three years of eligibility remaining. His lack of perimeter shot qualify him to be a long-shot prospect. His previous three prospect ratings have also kept him under the radar in the past two seasons. We expect that he will keep the fighting spirit that he displayed playing for Georgetown in March.
Walker Kessler
He was a five-star prospect in 2020 and was ranked higher than Sharife Cooper and Cameron Thomas (both of who might make it to the NBA draft). The 7-foot athlete made a mistake in high school for opting for North Carolina and found himself in a crowded area with the likes of Garrison Brooks, Day'Ron Sharpe, and Armando Bacot. Kessler ended up averaging 8.8 minutes of play as a freshman, but he delivered whenever he was on the field. Last season, he played twice for at least 20 minutes. The first game was against Florida State, where they won 78-70, while the second game was when they thrashed Notre Dame 101-59.
Former #UNC forward Walker Kessler will be transferring to Auburn. His IG message below. Auburn was one of Kessler's finalists coming out of high school. pic.twitter.com/pKPr4OwXW1
— Brendan Marks (@BrendanRMarks) April 12, 2021
Remy Martin
After signing Remy Martin, Kansas has renewed its hopes in the championship, even after Marcus Garrett took off to the NBA. Bryce Thompson has also left for Oklahoma State to compete in the Big 12. The status of Jalen Wilson and Ochai Agbaji are also still in doubt as they are still testing the draft process. With all these, Remy Martin is the potential No. 1 option for Kansas State. Martin will still get a place even if Wilson and Agbaji return. Martin averaged 19.1 points per game in the last two seasons while he was playing for the Sun Devils. His offensive firepower and shot-making are some of the features that the Kansas team can bank on.
Oscar Tshiebwe
Kentucky was a 9-16 team last season, its worst in many years. Tshiebwe was a top-10 freshman at West Virginia two seasons ago and is thus one of the players that Kentucky will be banking on. His sophomore season under the stewardship of Bob Huggins was not that great. However, Oscar is likely to get his form back, and we see him shining on the field. Some of his latest stats are 10.6 points, 54.5 field percentage, and 8.9 rebounds from 41 games. Kentucky is likely to become a top team in the SEC, and Oscar is likely to make this a reality.
Matt Bradley
Matt left California for San Diego State in the latest transfers. Matt is built like a linebacker and is one the best bucket-getters. His stats during the last three seasons in the Pac-12 have been impressive.
Same story but a new chapter 🙏 pic.twitter.com/W0FxgWFuiE
— matty Bradley (@bradley_matty) April 13, 2021
Tre Mitchell
Tre lead UMass in scoring, blocks, and rebounding as a sophomore and earned All-Atlantic 10 honors. Tre has had two impressive seasons and is a good addition to the Texas squad. At 6-9, Tre has lots of potentials that he will show on the Texan stage.
Above are some of the biggest signings that will change the landscape of college basketball. We can only wait and see how they will fare as the season progresses.