Transfers/Seniors with Remaining Eligibility

[nescac1]

Matt Leritz will play his last year at Division II Bentley.  Seems like a great fit -- Bentley has no big guys returning, and Bentley is a top-tier D2 team, so Leritz should get a chance to be a big contributor for a strong program without getting overwhelmed by D1-sized athletes inside. 

[nescac1]

Two D1 transfers who should make an immediate impact in D3:

Drew Lutz transferring to Bethel from Incarnate Word
Luke Chicone transferring to John Carroll from Youngstown State

(Jerry Higgins is also transferring to John Carroll from Citadel and could also make an impact)

Lutz averaged 11-4-3 as a D1 starter (at a marginal D1 program, but still).  Chicone was a rotation player for a respectable D1 Youngstown State program as a first year.  Chicone was first-team all Ohio as a senior. 

[Greek Tragedy]

John Carroll up to 4 D1 transfers.

https://doggyorama.com/john-carroll-mens-basketball-program-gets-fourth-di-transfer-in-lake-catholic-grad-luke-frazier-news-herald/

[nescac1]

Pretty wild re: John Carroll.  Although as we've seen in the fairly recent past, just loading up on D1 transfers doesn't = instant success (see the Babson team that tried that after Flannery graduated).  It all depends on the quality of the D1 guys.  The H.S. credentials of those four guys (and in one case, the college credentials as well) are certainly, however, impressive.

Going the other direction, we've already seen three D3 guys land D1 scholarships and one land a scholarship at a top-tier D2 program.  Here are some other D3 guys who have announced they are seeking to transfer.  I'd say these guys are a tier (or two) down from the four who have committed to date, but one or two will end up in D1 and I think most will at least be able to land a D2 scholarship, if that is their goal.  Yoder and Lash look the most interesting, if I'm a D1 coach.  Yoder has an offer already.  Lash has three years left, was the leading scorer and rebounder on a decent team, and has good enough size to play the wing at the next level.

Luke Yoder, IWU (two years eligibility, offer from Western Illinois)
Peter Lash, NWU (three years eligibility)
Isaiah Geathers, Lehman (grad transfer, one year)
Stephon Baxter, Bates (two years)
Jai Love, University of Dallas (grad transfer, one year)
Pete Lambesis, IWU (grad transfer, one year)

I know this was a weird season, but as more and more D3 to D1 guys have success at the next level, I wonder if this will become a growing trend.  It's pretty clear that somewhere around 5-6 D3 guys per year could catch the eye of multiple D1 programs, if that is their goal. 

[nescac1]

Updates in the past month on D3 guys transferring up (or looking to do so):

Luke Yoder committed to D1 North Dakota State
Peter Lash committed to D2 Trevecca Nazarene
Brandon Christlieb (from Manchester College) transferred to D2 Bemidji State
Isaiah Archie from Pitt Bradford is looking to transfer up

I believe Geathers, Lambesis, Love, and Baxter are all still looking for landing spots.  As of now, that makes at least four D1 scholarships and four D2 scholarships for transfers from D3.  Of course, John Carroll nearly evens that out on its own, with scholarship guys heading the other direction . 

Also, in D3 to D3 news, Susquehanna's Danny Frauenheim is doing a 5th year at Case Western.  He should step right into Griff Kornaker's role there. 

[nescac1]

Collen Gurley returning to Mount Union from Youngstown State.  Should (along with their other notable transfer) make Mount Union a top five preseason team.  Mount Union and John Carroll look absolutely stacked with talent next year.  OAC is going to be tough. 

[nescac1]

One update on the outstanding transfer list, the rest seem all still to be waiting for offers:

Pete Lambesis joining Peter Lash at D2 Trevecca Nazarene

And, there is another rumored D3 to D1 transfer, Joe Palmer of Augsburg to Colorado State ... that would be a big one:

https://twitter.com/d3_talk/status/1546352874908749824?s=20&t=WRb5yIRM1MTp4IzEixYomg

[nescac1]

Palmer to Colorado State is official:

https://twitter.com/csumbasketball/status/1550208437203922945?s=21&t=r7ia94chIInKSA07O6SRnQ

Will be really fun to see how all these D3 stars fare in D1 next year ....

[nescac1]

Just thought I'd toss that out there.  Here are a few guys (I'm sure there are others) who are going to be seniors with a fifth year of eligibility after next season, who I think could be on the D1 grad transfer radar depending on how their senior years go:

Miles Mallory, RMC; Josh Talbert, RMC; John Lowther, WPI; Dylan Thoerner, Tufts; Austin Grunder, Cortland; DJ Campbell, Stockton; Evan Thomas, Hope; Dan Carr, Augustana; Levi Borchert, Oshkosh; Josiah Johnson, MHB. 

I'm not saying that the majority of those guys could / will end up playing a fifth year in D1.  Just that they are worth watching.

Mallory and Talbert both have D1 skills and athleticism, and have been huge contributors for three years on the best team in D3, but are each a bit undersized for their current position at the next level.  If Talbert can transition to a PG role with Anthony gone, I think he's a pretty good bet though, so physically strong and skilled.  Mallory would have to show he can play on the wing.  John Lowther fits the Sam Peek / Schner / Palmer profile of a good-sized athletic wing who can shoot the 3, which is what every D1 school is clearly desperate for.  I've never seen Grunder play but his stats are ridiculous, he's seemingly big and strong and can shoot the 3, so if he can guard opposing wings he seems like another guy to watch closely ... 

Johnson, Campbell, Borchert and Carr are other hugely productive guys in D3 who also may just be a few inches too small for their projected D1 positions.  Thoerner would have to make a massive leap forward as a player, but first-team all NESCAC in his second year playing is impressive and he is another wing who can shoot it. 

[y_jack_lok]

^^^ What's the likelihood that some of these guys might instead be on the "five-year plan" at their current institutions and stay put for their fifth year of eligibility?

[CNU85]

I would also think it is difficult enough to change position alone. Then add in changing position and going from D3 to D1. Not impossible. But certainly challenging.

[nescac1]

jack, I bet a good number of them will do a five-year plan.  Especially at the schools that offer grad programs.  Tufts has had a lot of guys doing a graduate year so I think it's a good bet that Thoerner sticks around for a fifth year there.  The RMC duo are the two who I would most expect to explore D1 options, as they are really good, have already accomplished so much, and still have another year left ... Lowther would be my next guess, although WPI has plenty of grad programs if he decides to stick around.  For that matter, John Adams at WPI will graduate (in 2024) with a year of eligibility remaining, so he's another guy to watch ...

[WUPHF]

NYU has not one but two Division I transfers according to their latest release.  In addition to the Dookie, they got a graduate transfer from Harvard.  Both played limited minutes so it is hard to know how good they might be.

https://gonyuathletics.com/news/2022/8/4/pair-of-division-i-transfers-highlight-2022-23-mens-basketball-newcomers.aspx

[nescac1]

Spencer Freeman to NYU is a VERY interesting transfer (I think the Duke walk-on, probably less-so).  He was a big-time recruit in high school with a bunch of high-level D1 offers.  Things seemed to have not gone his way at Harvard, after being in the rotation as a frosh, he did not play (for reasons that aren't clear) as a sophomore and then his junior year was cancelled due to COVID.  He was again in the rotation to start his senior year, but then suffered an injury which caused him to miss most of December and January, and he only played a limited role thereafter.  He should have two years of eligibility left if he wants to use both at NYU.  He's a very slick true PG in the Steve Nash mold (or if looking for a D3 comparison, Andrew Olson is the most obvious one) and could be a very fun player to watch in D3 if he is healthy and fully engaged.  Again, while I'm not sure why it didn't work out at Harvard, the guy has D3 all-American level talent for sure.  Check out his H.S. mix tape, he's legit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0v5Mvmrzk4 

[WUPHF]

Not your typical point guard mix tape.  Very interesting.

I did see a stat that suggested that 43% of Division I who entered the portal have yet to find a team.

Those guys are not going to play at NYU, but there are enough open and rolling admissions schools that players could find a home at a Fontbonne or Webster or some other school.