Two transfers, two ideal fits

After watching the Nuggets snag a second NBA Finals victory — this time in South Beach — you probably need to catch up on college hoops news. Two of the hot-name transfers are off the board, and we also take a deeper look into the portal fits and why Grand Canyon is a team to monitor next season.

1. Two key portal pieces off the board

Michigan finally got a transfer through admissions.

Olivier Nkamhoua, a 6-9 forward from Tennessee who spent much of the past two months evaluating his NBA prospects, found a spot that doesn’t always win games but sends guys to the pros at a decent rate. He’ll join Michigan as a graduate transfer, the school announced on Wednesday.

He averaged 10.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists for the Vols in 36 games, but the senior from Finland displayed more scoring ability than that when he dropped 28 points against Duke in the NCAA Tournament. He won’t do that over an entire season, but he will be one of the main options in Michigan’s offensive attack. Here’s a deeper dive for Wolverines fans.

Is Nkamhoua a trade-off for Hunter Dickinson? No. But the Tennessee transfer will bring a versatile skill set and play both ends of the floor. He never played a feature role in the Vols’ offense, so an increased role could lead to more point production in Maize and Blue.

Nkamhoua wasn’t the only notable move on Wednesday. Florida rounded out its dazzling transfer class with UC Riverside guard transfer Zyon Pullin.

The 6-4 veteran guard is one of the nation’s most patient pick-and-roll playmakers. He averaged 18.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting an exceptional 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from deep, on his way to All-Big West First Team honors.

Florida lacked point guard depth behind Kyle Lofton last season. Now it will have the luxury of playing both Pullin and MAAC Player of the Year, Walter Clayton Jr. Combine them with dynamic scoring sophomore Riley Kugel and it’s an impressive group of guards.

I expect Florida to reach the NCAA Tournament in the second season under Todd Golden. The Gators have the pieces to push the pace, multiple guards to run the offense and interchangeable frontcourt pieces, such as Micah Handlogten (Marshall), EJ Jarvis (Yale) and Tyrese Samuel (Seton Hall.)

It’s a similar makeup to what Golden had at San Francisco: Rotate talented defensive bigs around electrifying guards.

Other portal news:

• Utah State wing Zee Hamoda is off to Sacramento State

• Marcus Watson commits to Seton Hall

• Former Georgia Tech big-man, Rodney Howard is Western Kentucky bound.

2. The 10 best transfer fits

Michigan and Florida added excellent pieces to their 2023-24 rosters. But when evaluating the overall transfer portal moves, I can’t slot them into the best of the spring and summer periods. Here are the 10 I like the most.

Nicholas Timberlake: Kansas

The Kansas roster is stacked with dynamic defenders and a star in the middle in Hunter Dickinson. Yet the most underrated addition of the Jayhawks offseason is easily the sharpshooting Nick Timberlake. The senior guard averaged 18 points and shot over 40 percent from deep at Towson last season. Kansas has one major concern … perimeter shooting. Timberlake’s presence should alleviate some of those concerns.

BJ Mack: South Carolina

South Carolina coach Lamont Paris knows B.J. Mack’s game. During Paris’ time as Chattanooga’s coach, Mack showed off his versatile skillset at Wofford — a bully baller who can get a clean perimeter jumper. Now Paris doesn’t have to envy that skillset. Bringing in a veteran like Mack will make a major impact on the Gamecocks’ roster. South Carolina might not make the NCAA Tournament, but a top-two of Meechie Johnson and Mack will be one of the SEC’s best duos.

Steven Ashworth: Creighton

Ashworth is the perfect replacement for the outgoing Ryan Nembhard: a multi-year starting point guard who is a terrific playmaker and elite shooter. The 6-1 point guard will run one of the sport’s most potent offenses, which will thrive if he shoots anywhere close to his 43.8 percent from beyond the arc of last season. in college basketball. His addition is what makes Creighton a Top 10 team.

Tylor Perry: Kansas State

To this point, Tylor Perry is K-State’s only portal newcomer. Quality over quantity, though. Perry fills the void left by Markquis Nowell and can be the dominant on-ball scoring threat in a heavy ball-screen offense. Somehow, Perry averaged 17 ppg last season for a team that didn’t even average 60 possessions a game. That’s absurd. He’s a small guard, but he’s won everywhere he’s been (and is taller than Nowell). He’ll thrive in the Little Apple.

Reese Dixon-Waters: San Diego State

San Diego State reached the NCAA Tournament championship game but now has to replace four players from that 32-7 squad. How to replace a guy like leading scorer Matt Bradley? With the Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year, Reese Dixon-Waters. The USC guard averaged 9.8 points for the Trojans as a sophomore but is an ideal down transfer (unless SDSU makes the jump to the Pac-12). San Diego State can maintain its high level of success if Dixon-Waters is good from the jump.

Jared Bynum: Stanford

Bynum spent the past two seasons as the starting point guard for Providence, averaging double-figure points and four assists. His addition instantly gives Stanford one of the Pac-12’s best point guards. He’s not overly flashy, and he won’t drop 30 in any given game, but he’s a rock-solid, experienced and proven point guard.

Adama Bal: Santa Clara

The Broncos have produced an NBA Draft pick guard the past two seasons — Jalen Williams in 2022 and Brandin Podziemski in 2023 (OK, that’s premature, but I’m banking on it). Is Adama Bal the next in line? After insignificant bench minutes at Arizona, Bal comes to a program that needs some scoring pop. As a 6-7 score-first guard, Bal should enjoy a big season in the WCC.

A.J. Storr: Wisconsin

Storr is Wisconsin’s most-talented player since Johnny Davis. The 6-6 wing averaged 8.8 points and shot over 40 percent from downtown as a St. John’s freshman, and will bring some much-needed flair and offensive creation to the Badgers. They return Chucky Hepburn, Tyler Wahl, Max Klesmit and Steven Crowl, who are the perfect set of players to surround a dynamic player who can singlehandedly carry a team.

Jan Zidek: Chattanooga

How do the Mocs replace do-everything Jake Stephens? With Pepperdine transfer Jan Zidek. The Czech-born forward struggled at times last season, but at 6-9 and 240 pounds, Zidek is big enough to overpower most Southern Conference bigs, has the footwork to do the same, and has the ability to pick & pop on the perimeter. Zidek can be the focal point of Dan Earl’s offense, which typically features a high-usage big man to initiate the offense.

Tanner Holden: Wright State

Let’s cap this list with a “Marfo.” Tanner Holden started at Wright State, spent an underwhelming season at Ohio State, and is now back where he began. Can he be the same player who averaged over 20 points per game in 2021-22? I say yes. The 6-5 guard is a terrific scorer in the mid-range and an excellent driver. Holden, Trey Calvin and Brandon Noel will have the Raiders as the clear Horizon League favorites.

3. Look out for the Lopes

Grand Canyon has won two of the past three WAC tournaments and will enter 2023-24 as the favorites yet again. Bryce Drew has turned the Lopes into one of the sport’s most consistent mid-major programs.

What to know about next season?

Start with the potent backcourt duo of Jovan Blacksher Jr and Ray Harrison. Blackshear averaged 15.8 points and 4.0 assists in 2021-22 before a nagging foot injury limited him to only 10 games last season. Harrison put up 17.8 points and 3.6 dimes in Blacksher’s stead. If Grand Canyon can mesh those two instead of using them independently as isolation scorers, it’ll be nasty.

Additionally, Georgia State transfer Collin Moore (coming off 14.2 points in 13 games as a junior) provides a significant X-factor.

The real difference maker is the frontcourt. Gabe McGlothan returns (12.8 points and 7.8 rebounds) can be a double-double machine, and he’ll be flanked by three new transfers from high-major programs. The biggest name is Sydney Curry, an athletic 6-8, 270-pound back-to-the-basket center. He posted big numbers down the stretch in 2021-22, but as Louisville struggled in 2023, so did Curry. Duke Brennan (Arizona State) and Lok Wur (Oregon) should aid in filling rotation minutes.

Boom or bust?

Keyonte George just looks like an NBA player. He’s got the frame (6-4, 190 pounds), the shot creation (few are better at creating their own shot), and the production. But there are concerns about his overall game to wonder how his pro career will materialize. Rob Dauster and Greg Waddell discuss.

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