Evans Seven: Teams that had transfer stars sit out 2017-18

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In this week’s The Evans Seven, we break down teams that had potential future stars sit out last season due to NCAA transfer rules.

MORE: Which programs have staying power in recruiting?

The Jayhawks have been extremely active in the transfer market over the last few years, but next year's roster will be extremely reliant on players who began their collegiate careers elsewhere.

Charlie Moore, a former four-star guard from the 2016 class, headlines that group. He began his career at California but transferred to Kansas after the Bears went through a coaching transition. He went through his sit-out season alongside former Memphis standouts K.J. and Dedric Lawson. The talented transfer trio should provide a big boost to a Kansas program that could, depending on Udoka Azubuike’s final decision, lose its entire starting five to the NBA Draft. Their presence should also take some pressure off of Kansas' acclaimed 2018 class featuring Devon Dotson, Quentin Grimes and David McCormack.

Iowa State will enroll one of the top classes in program history next season, highlighted by top-35 wing Talen Horton-Tucker. The Cyclones will also have two ready-made producers on the court that sat out last season due to transfer restrictions.

Marial Shayok, who made the surprising decision to transfer out of Virginia with only a year of eligibility remaining, will get his final go-around at the college level. A three-year contributor on two ACC title units at UVA, Shayok is a do-it-all wing-forward that should thrive in Ames. Joining him will be Michael Jacobson, a 6-foot-8 power forward that didn’t quite find his footing at Nebraska.

If Jacobson and Shayok can solidify the frontline and Lindell Wigginton returns, the Cyclones could be dancing again after a one-year hiatus.

If Chris Mullin’s team wants to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015, the incoming talents of Sedee Keita and Mikey Dixon will have to pull through for the Red Storm.

Dixon will be asked to carry some sort of scoring load in the backcourt after averaging 16 points per game as a freshman at Quinnipiac. He will be an important component of what could be one of the more well-rounded backcourts in the country. Keita is a true -factor, as the 6-foot-9 South Carolina transfer boasts tremendous strength and a decent half-court skillset.

If Dixon and Keita play to their roles, the Big East could have another postseason contender on its hands.

Last summer, Taurean Thompson surprised many by tossing aside his Syracuse orange for the blue of Seton Hall. Thompson, who averaged over 11 points and five rebounds per game during his final 10 games as a freshman, has the chance to walk into a starring role for the Pirates. Kevin Willard’s program will be replacing most of its production from last season, especially in the interior thanks to the departure of Angel Delgado. For the Pirates to remain in contention for its fourth-consecutive NCAA Tournament bid, Thompson needs to become not just a complementary piece, but a go-to weapon alongside top returnee Myles Powell.

Seton Hall will also welcome the talents of transfer Quincy McKnight, a 6-foot-3 guard that averaged over 15 points and five rebounds at Sacred Heart. If McKnight and Thompson are up to the task, the Pirates should be in the mix for another tournament bid next March.

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Eric Musselman and his staff have hit it out of the park in back-to-back years on the transfer market, and could have a Final Four team in 2018-19 as a result.

Last year’s run to the Elite Eight was headlined by brothers Cody and Caleb Martin, and Jordan Caroline and Hallice Cooke, all transfers that began their careers elsewhere. Cooke graduated, but the Martin brothers and Caroline could potentially return after testing the NBA waters.

Cooke's departure has opened the door for Jazz Johnson, a 40-percent career shooter from the perimeter at Portland, to step in and fill a similar sharpshooter role. Corey Henson (Wagner) and Nise Zouzoua (Bryant) also sat out last season after transferring, as did versatile former Omaha standout Tre'Shawn Thurman.

Throw in grad-transfer Trey Porter and talents of five-star 2018 big man Jordan Brown and the Wolf Pack could start the year ranked in the top-five of most major polls.

Syracuse will welcome East Carolina transfer wing Elijah Hughes to its starting lineup next season. A 6-foot-5 wing that was vastly under recruited out of high school, Hughes could be asked to carry a much heavier load than originally expected after Orange signee Darius Bazley surprisingly decided to forgo his college eligibility and enter his name into the NBA G-League Draft. If Tyus Battle, Syracuse's go-to scorer last season, remains in the NBA Draft, Hughes could emerge as a top-three scoring option for the Orange.

First-year head coach Paul Weir hit the ground running last year at New Mexico, exceeding most preseason expectations. Weir has done a fine job of utilizing the transfer market, and the Lobos have a chance to go from a middle-of-the-pack Mountain West team to a conference contender thanks to the addition of three standout transfers.

JaQuan Lyle, a five-star prospect from the 2015 class who signed with Ohio State, will be given the ball straight out of the gates. The talented playmaker will be aided by another five-star in Carlton Bragg, now at his third school, once he's allowed to suit up in the winter. The final piece is Vance Jackson, a four-star wing from the 2016 class that can be leaned upon for his frontcourt versatility and ability to score.

If the Lobos' three transfers can grow together and the program's junior college and high school enrollments go smoothly, the Lobos could return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014.