Transfers/Seniors with Remaining Eligibility

[USee]

There are more than 800 players currently in the transfer portal after over 1,700 entered it a year ago. Almost all of those players are current D1 players. The competition for scholarships has never been higher. Current HS players ranked in the top 200 are all fighting those transfers for scholarships as well. It would take a special D3 talent to make the move up like a Duncan Robinson.

[nescac1]

While the transfer landscape is indeed more competitive than ever, you don't need to be a Duncan Robinson to go from D3 to D1 successfully, even with so many guys looking to transfer.  Remember, for every guy leaving a D1 program, that D1 program has a spot it needs to fill.  If (just to speak about NESCAC guys over the past decade, but there are other examples; these are just the examples I know best) Matt Hart and Hunter Sabety could be D1 rotation players (in Hart's case, at a fairly strong program in GW), and Austin Hutcherson could receive a scholarship from a Big 10 school (sadly, injuries derailed his D1 career, but Illinois was very high on him), that means there are a handful of current D3 guys who could do so.  Indeed, Sam Peek just received a D1 scholarship offer from UMBC, and I imagine more are coming. 

If I'm a D1 coach outside of a power conference, and I have a particular need to fill for a year, and I can get a proven D3 guy who has had huge success playing four years of college hoops, I think I feel pretty good that a 23 year old four-year player will likely have more immediate success than a more talented but far more raw 18 year old frosh who is not a top-250 type of recruit.  Sam Peek is something that most college coaches have trouble finding -- a big, athletic wing who can score with tough, creative interior finishes and can also elevate and make contested shots out to the three point line (even if he doesn't have the explosive first-step quickness D1 wings tend to have).  Some of the other potential transfers I can see having a tougher time -- Leritz, for example, is a prototypical D3 big man but is too small to play center at D1 and doesn't really translate to a perimeter player in D1, so as great as he was for IWU, I'm not sure where he fits in at a D1 school, maybe he could play the 4 at a Patriot League school because he does shoot well from 3. 

I think the guys who translate best are late-developing bigs (at least 6'9, ideally bigger) who were a bit awkward in high school but made huge improvements during college, and shooters with size on the wing or at guard.  Everyone wants more three point shooting, certainly, and if you can just survive defensively, a proven D3 marksman can help a lot of D1 programs. Schner I think could find a role in D1 as a wing with range, although he's several inches shorter than Peek which makes him less of an appealing option, despite his proven scoring prowess. 

[USee]

If I'm a D1 coach outside of a power conference, and I have a particular need to fill for a year, and I can get a proven D3 guy who has had huge success playing four years of college hoops, I think I feel pretty good that a 23 year old four-year player will likely have more immediate success than a more talented but far more raw 18 year old frosh who is not a top-250 type of recruit. 

There is no doubt that a handful of experienced D3 players could be a rotation player at a D1 school. The competition for those spots, however, are the over 1,000 players in the portal who have D1 experience. Certainly some of those were sitting the bench and the experienced D3 player may be more attractive. A larger percentage of those transfers are kids with 1-3 yrs experience against D1 competition, which makes the bar for the D3 transfers higher. With Covid and the extra year of eligibilty, there are literally hundreds more players seeking those roster spots than ever before.  In addition, there are the prep schools who have post-graduates. The NEPSCAC in New England is the highest profile of those schools where players go to get a "5th" year of high school and play in games that are high level games. All of these, but primarily the portal, have made the competitive landscape for scholarship spots more intense.

[nescac1]

Sam Peek has three D1 offers so far (Jacksonville, Stetson, UMBC).  Not too shabby!

NESCAC's leading scorer last year, Stephon Baxter, is also in the transfer portal.  He has D1 skills but his size will be a real obstacle (5'11 on a good day).  He has apparently heard from Southern Utah so far.  He's definitely a longer shot than Peek, but not impossible ... for whatever reason, NESCAC seems to be the only league that regularly ends up losing players to Division 1 (Austin Hutcherson, Duncan Robinson, Matt Hart, Hunter Sabety, Varun Ram).  Speaks to the caliber of NESCAC talent, but also, man, that's a huge talent drain over the past decade and a lot of what ifs for NESCAC squads ... if Hutcherson and Peek could have played together as an experienced duo, that would have been something!

This is not transfer news, but I believe the following notable players are all coming back for fifth years with their respective programs:

Jaecee Martin, Tyree Mitchell, and Delshawn Jackson (St. Joe's)
Darian Peterson, CNU
Ethan Stanislawski, Mount Union

None of that is 100 percent confirmed, but it seems very likely for each.  If Peterson is back, that would be four returning starters for CNU, and I think they are clearly in the top two teams with RMC in that event. 

[WUPHF]

A recent story on Matthew Schner:

"He could definitely play at the Division I level and play meaningful minutes," says Zimmerman. "He could be an effective player on both ends of the court.

"We're trying to get him back for one more year, but we'll see how that works."

Understandably, Schner feels ambivalent. On one hand, he still has hopes of playing professionally overseas (although the number of leagues has diminished due to the pandemic), for which exposure at the D-I level would be invaluable. But he also feels loyal to Emory and the city of Atlanta, his home for the past half-decade.

"The amount of support that I've gotten from teammates and people throughout the Emory community and definitely our coaching staff has been really special. That's what makes it so hard for me to think about leaving. I think I've helped elevate what Emory basketball is and I take great pride in that.

"This is my home, wherever I end up."

https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/basketball-star-matthew-schner-may-say-goodbye-to-emory/

[CNU85]

Sam Peek has three D1 offers so far (Jacksonville, Stetson, UMBC).  Not too shabby!

NESCAC's leading scorer last year, Stephon Baxter, is also in the transfer portal.  He has D1 skills but his size will be a real obstacle (5'11 on a good day).  He has apparently heard from Southern Utah so far.  He's definitely a longer shot than Peek, but not impossible ... for whatever reason, NESCAC seems to be the only league that regularly ends up losing players to Division 1 (Austin Hutcherson, Duncan Robinson, Matt Hart, Hunter Sabety, Varun Ram).  Speaks to the caliber of NESCAC talent, but also, man, that's a huge talent drain over the past decade and a lot of what ifs for NESCAC squads ... if Hutcherson and Peek could have played together as an experienced duo, that would have been something!

This is not transfer news, but I believe the following notable players are all coming back for fifth years with their respective programs:

Jaecee Martin, Tyree Mitchell, and Delshawn Jackson (St. Joe's)
Darian Peterson, CNU
Ethan Stanislawski, Mount Union

None of that is 100 percent confirmed, but it seems very likely for each.  If Peterson is back, that would be four returning starters for CNU, and I think they are clearly in the top two teams with RMC in that event.

I hope you're right, but I thought Peterson has played 4 full seasons already. I'm not sure how COVID plays into this. Does everyone automatically get a 5th year? How does that work?

[nescac1]

I saw that Peterson had listed himself as class of 2023 at CNU.  I think anyone who played in 20-21 can take a fifth year as that year, as a COVID year, doesn't count against eligibility.  I could be wrong, since he was in D2 that season, and maybe things work differently.  Aigner is a big loss of course but if those other four dudes are back, CNU looks pretty scary next year. 

[nescac1]

DaK'quan Davis headed to Albany:

https://www.cityofbasketballlove.com/news_article/show/1220568

[CNU85]

DaK'quan Davis headed to Albany:

https://www.cityofbasketballlove.com/news_article/show/1220568

What a great story! I wish him the best!

[Greek Tragedy]

Davis, who is 6-1, and a stout 185 pounds, led the MAC Freedom in scoring his senior year with a 23.1-point average and was seventh on the team in rebounding (6.5).

Not to nitpick, and I didn't look up any stats, but I'm guessing he was 7th in the league in rebounding, not on his team. That would be a pretty awesome team if 6.5 rpg was only good for 7th on his team.

[Next Man Up]

Davis, who is 6-1, and a stout 185 pounds, led the MAC Freedom in scoring his senior year with a 23.1-point average and was seventh on the team in rebounding (6.5).

Not to nitpick, and I didn't look up any stats, but I'm guessing he was 7th in the league in rebounding, not on his team. That would be a pretty awesome team if 6.5 rpg was only good for 7th on his team.

The Lords of Leap! 

[WUPHF]

Matt Schner is headed to Lipscomb.

No way he was coming back for season No. 6, including the injury and gap year for what is going to be a down year for Emory, relatively speaking.

Interestingly, Schner was part of a class that had a break out performance against Lipscomb, competing with a loaded Eagles senior class for playing time in an exhibition game that was WAY closer than the final score. Schner did not play in that game.

[y_jack_lok]

Sam Pek of Wesleyan to Stetson.

https://twitter.com/speek_12/status/1518716614870450182

[nescac1]

Stetson and Lipscomb are conference rivals so they may get to guard one another next year.  That would be fun!  Stetson loses its only three capable wing scorers (two to transfer) so it's a great landing spot for Peek.  If Austin Hutcherson is finally healthy and opts to play his last year at Illinois we could see two Wesleyan transfers on D1 rides simultaneously.  Oh what could have been for Wes this year!  A hypothetical top five of Jordan James, Maccoux, Hutcherson, Peek and Johnson would have been nearly unbeatable ...

[Greek Tragedy]

Lovell Williams has committed to Missouri S&T. Who? Williams was a stud sophomore playing for perennial WIAC bottom feeder UW-Stout. They were actually pretty good this past year, at least for their standards. Williams was first team All Conference. He averaged 18+ a game, 4.6 boards, had a + 53 A/TO and 47 steals.