Transfer season is in full swing, and the amount of action makes it difficult to keep up with the comings and goings in the portal. A long list of proven prospects are in search of new homes while major programs are scrambling to replace multiple holes in their roster. This week in Rival Views, our Rob Cassidy and Jason Jordan debate which transferring player will most benefit from a change of scenery as well as which team’s work in the portal will be the most intriguing to watch unfold.
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WHICH PLAYER IN THE PORTAL DO YOU THINK WILL MOST BENEFIT FROM A CHANGE IN SCENERY?
CASSIDY: Kel'el Ware’s rocky freshman season in Oregon may have been enough to motivate the talented, huge-potential big to dial in and develop at his new school: Indiana. As a high school prospect, the Arkansas native had NBA scouts buzzing over his length, rim-protection ability and versatility, The knock on him was always his ability to play hard for long stretches, a shortcoming that sometimes reared its head during Ware’s short time at Oregon and may have played into his decision to look for a new home.
Such issues can lead to tension between player and coach and, on certain occasions, it’s best to try again elsewhere once things go sideways. Ware has tremendous potential as and agile, versatile big. He simply needs to discover the right situation and find a way to be a high-effort player if he hopes to dominate games like scouts hoped he would last year at this time. Taking a flier on Ware could pay massive dividends if the Hoosiers coaching staff is a match for the former five-star’s disposition. Effort issues can be fixed easier than skill issues, after all.
JORDAN: MJ Rice came into Lawrence with big expectations and plans, both from the coaching staff and from his own vision board, but Bill Self never gave Rice the opportunity to prove his mettle. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard clocked just 7.5 minutes a game and averaged 2.2 points a game, a stark contrast from the assertive scorer with NBA size and skill who had Jayhawks fans buzzing after the open team scrimmage when he dropped 18 points. Rice backed that up in the season opener, scoring 10 points in 18 minutes, then he dropped to 7 minutes in the second game and by his fifth game he’d pumped in 19 points in 21 minutes of action. After that breakout game, Rice’s minutes ranged from 2 to 15, some of which was due to injury, but the reasons were less definitive when he was healthy. That kind of scenario kills trust and gives way to a mental hurdle that can be nearly impossible for a player to overcome, especially a former McDonald’s All American in his first year.
Rice has all the tools to make a major impact in year two with a fresh start in a new setting. His three-level scoring ability, athleticism and strength should upgrade the backcourt of a Power Five team next season.
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WHICH TEAM’S WORK IN THE PORTAL ARE YOU MOST INTRIGUED TO WATCH?
CASSIDY: Kansas has barely begun to remake its depleted roster, making what takes place in Lawrence in the coming weeks critical. Bill Self seems like the perfect coach to make hay in the portal because of his history of success when armed with an upper-classmen-heavy roster.
So while I’m not sure I remember a more uncertain outlook for a Self-coached team, you don’t have to squint to see this working out well for KU. On one hand, nobody likes staring down a season with only a handful of scholarship players on the roster. On the other hand, the Jayhawks are involved with some heavy hitters that will bring experience to the table. KU is in the mix for Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson, possibly the biggest name in portal. The Jayhawks have also been linked to Stanford transfer Harrison Ingram and talented Towson expat Nick Timberlake, among others.
If Self is able to surround incoming freshman point guard Elmarko Jackson with experienced stars things will be just fine in Allen Fieldhouse come next season.
JORDAN: Definitely North Carolina. The Tar Heels have a perception issue after losing Caleb Love three seasons into his collegiate career in Chapel Hill. The backlash that Love, who ended up moving on to Michigan, received on social platforms was well documented and made the Tar Heels low-hanging fruit for other college coaches to point to as a negative for Hubert Davis and his staff.
The Tar Heels have already reeled in former Brown sniper Paxon Wojcik and Louisville forward Jae’Lyn Withers and seem to be in strong position for Ingram. Not a bad haul for a rebuild, but Davis needs a perception win next season to erase the historic collapse from this past season.
