Bossi's Best: Top transfer pickups
The transfer portal and recruitment of college players with experience has been all of the rage this spring. Who has landed the best grad transfers? Who has landed the best traditional transfers? In this week's Bossi's Best, national analyst Eric Bossi presents an alphabetical top 12 - six in each category - of the best transfer pickups this spring.
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MORE: Three-Point Play | Joshua Christopher chooses ASU | Isaiah Todd going pro
2020 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Position
2022 Rankings: Top 75
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BRYCE AIKEN
Details: Grad transfer from Harvard to Seton Hall.
Stats: 16.7 points per game prior to injury in 2019-20, 22.2 per game in 2018-19.
Bossi's take: The Pirates need instant offense and Aiken will be able to provide that. He's more of a volume scorer than a pure shooter or point guard, but they've done just fine with guys like that in the past, most recently Myles Powell. Aiken has enough experience and talent that transitioning from the Ivy League to the Big East shouldn't be an issue.
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JORDAN BRUNER
Details: Grad transfer from Yale to Alabama.
Stats: 10.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in 2019-20.
Bossi's take: Assuming he doesn't opt for the NBA Draft, Bruner is just what the doctor ordered in Tuscaloosa. He's athletic, he does a very nice job on the glass, he runs the floor well and he's even got the ability to stretch out defenses some with his jump shooting.
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JAMARIUS BURTON
Details: Traditional transfer from Wichita State to Texas Tech.
Stats: 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in 2019-20.
Bossi's take: Fit is everything, and Burton's athletic and attacking style looks to be a perfect fit for Chris Beard and the Red Raiders. Beard and his staff have also been successful with transfers and that track record doesn't hurt. Burton is one of the more underrated transfer portal pickups in the country and appeared to be on the verge of big things at Wichita State.
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CARTIER DIARRA
Details: Grad transfer from Kansas State to Virginia Tech.
Stats: 13.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 2019-20.
Bossi's take: Diarra can be a little bit of a wild man, but he plays with a ton of confidence and has logged heavy minutes in the Big 12. He's a combo guard who can get to the rim, is streaky from deep and has versatility. It won't hurt that current Tech assistant Chester Frazier coached Diarra for his first three seasons at Kansas State.
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ALAN GRIFFIN
Details: Traditional transfer from Illinois to Syracuse.
Stats: 8.9 points, 4.5 rebounds per game in 2019-20.
Bossi's take: Griffin looked to be on the verge of really taking off as a jump-shooting threat with some game. He's already played at a high level for Illinois in the Big Ten, so there won't be much of an adjustment to the level of play in the ACC. He fits the physical characteristics that Jim Boeheim looks for in a wing.
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CARLIK JONES
Details: Grad transfer from Radford to Louisville.
Stats: 20.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game in 2019-20.
Bossi's take: Moving from the Big South to the ACC is a pretty considerable jump up in nightly competition. However, Jones was the Big South's Player of the Year because of his ability to create offense for himself and others. If he can shoot anywhere close to the 40.9% he shot from deep as a junior, he'll be a very welcome addition.
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JOHNNY JUZANG
Details: Traditional transfer from Kentucky to UCLA.
Stats: 2.9 points, 1.9 rebounds per game in 2019-20.
Bossi's take: Juzang just never seemed to find his fit at Kentucky after graduating early to play for the Wildcats. A year off to get his confidence back and ease into a new system should do wonders. He's got the size to play as either a big wing or stretch four and was a very good defensive player in high school.
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TREY MCGOWENS
Details: Traditional transfer from Pittsburgh to Nebraska.
Stats: 11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in 2019-20.
Bossi's take: Fred Hoiberg knows a thing or two about maximizing transfers, and McGowens could end up a very big addition in Lincoln. He's athletic, he can play several roles in an offense and if he can improve his shooting just a little bit, he's got potential star power in the Big Ten.
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JOSHUA MORGAN
Details: Traditional transfer from Long Beach State to USC.
Stats: 8.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in 2019-20.
Bossi's take: Long term, Morgan may have the most upside of anybody who entered the transfer portal this spring. He's long, he can run for days and he is an elite rim protector with underrated offense. A year to get stronger will do him wonders before he takes over for expected one-and-done Evan Mobley.
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LIAM ROBBINS
Details: Traditional transfer from Drake to Minnesota.
Stats: 14.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
Bossi's take: A virtual unknown coming out of high school, Robbins has developed into a very productive player and worked his way onto NBA radars during two years of college. As long as he adjusts to the increased athleticism and size he'll see on a nightly basis in the Big Ten, Robbins could emerge as a star from this group.
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SETH TOWNS
Details: Grad transfer from Harvard to Ohio State.
Stats: 16.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 2017-18.
Bossi's take: Assuming Towns' knees are good to go and he's fully healthy after missing the last two seasons, he's an instant impact guy. The Ivy League's Player of the Year in 2017-18, he has size, experience and a very dangerous jump shot with range. If the NCAA grants him a sixth year of eligibility, he could turn into a major score.
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DIMENCIO VAUGHN
Details: Grad transfer from Rider to Ole Miss.
Stats: 14.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in 2019-20.
Bossi's take: An all-conference performer in the MAAC, Vaughn has good size, strength and he's a pretty athletic wing who doesn't mind mixing it up around the rim. He was productive as a scorer the three full seasons he played before transferring and has developed into a viable three-point shooter.