The college sports transfer. A phrase that brings up much controversy to college sport fans everywhere due to the rules surrounding them. When players are forced to sit out a year after transferring but coaches get to move as they please, it stirs up something within fans about the unfair nature of the rule. However, looking past that rule and just at the transfers themselves show a changing landscape in college sports, specifically basketball. Not only is the number of transfers in college basketball reaching its highest point in almost two decades, but there is an all-time high in the number of players transferring from 4 year college to 4 year college. Especially with the rising one-and-done rate, it is different to see guys willing to take a year off to go to another school. A staggering stat to me is that 269 out of 347 teams in Division 1 had at least one player transfer away from their school this past year. That is a whole lot of movement on rosters. Rather than bashing the rule and discussing the reasons players transfer (hint: it’s not for academics), let’s take a look at some of the most impactful transfers that are making a difference on their teams so far this season:
Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga (via Washington)
15.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.9 apg, 1.7 spg, 49.5% FG
Gonzaga came into the season with high expectations (per usual), especially with the return of Przemek Karnowski, the incoming freshman class, and the crop of eligible transfers they got. Williams-Goss was a very good player at Washington averaging 14.5 ppg in his two years there. The production has kept up at Gonzaga, where he is averaging 15.2 ppg to go with a career high in rebounds (5.8 rpg) and also averages 4.9 apg.
Also worth mentioning two other Gonzaga transfers, Jordan Mathews (11.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.5 apg) and Johnathan Williams (9.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 0.9 apg).
Marcus Foster, Creighton (via Kansas State)
18.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.6 apg, 49.3% FG
Creighton is sitting pretty at 18-1 and Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster is a big part of that. Maurice Watson Jr. had been the star for the Bluejays in the beginning of the season before suffering a season ending injury, so Foster is going to have to step up his already-impressive production. He leads Creighton is points, but will need to score on his own more without Watson’s 8.5 apg.
Marcus Marshall, Nevada (via Missouri State)
21.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.1 apg, 43.9% FG
Last year, Nevada went 19-13 in the regular season with a 10-8 record in the Mountain West. There was a lot of roster turnover for their team this year, including Marcus Marshall becoming eligible as a transfer. All he has done is lead them to a 16-3 record (5-1 in the MW) and is the top scorer on the team at 21.5 ppg. SDSU have been the favorite in the Mountain West, but Nevada looks like the top team so far.
Also of note is Marhall’s teammate, Jordan Caroline. The transfer from Southern Illinois has averaged 14.2 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.1 spg, and is shooting 44.6%
Andrew White III, Syracuse (via Nebraska)
15.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.5 spg, 41.7% FG
Andrew White was a star at Nebraska in his only season there, and was a very sought after grad transfer this past offseason. He decided on Syracuse and was supposed to help put them in the thick of the ACC race. That did not happen, as they sit at 11-8 and 6th in the conference. He leads the team in points, is 4th in rebounds, 5th in assists, and has scored double digits in every game but one. Syracuse isn’t having a great season, but it could have been much worse without his transfer.
Semi Ojeleye, SMU (via Duke)
17.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.4 apg, 48.5% FG
The American Conference has been lackluster outside of Cincinnati and SMU, but Ojeleye has made sure that SMU doesn’t slip out of that top tier. After limited opportunities at Duke, Ojeleye took his talent to Dallas and was a highly thought of transfer student. He is leading the Mustangs in points and is second in rebounds. He has scored in double digits every game of the season except for one 9 point game early in the season.
Five (Plus One) Other Top Transfers
DeAndre Burnett, Ole Miss (via Miami): 18.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 3.1 apg, 36% FG
Kyle Washington, Cincinnati (via NC State): 13.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.6 bpg, 53.3% FG
Shannon Evans, Arizona State (via Buffalo): 15.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.2 spg, 41% FG
Rodney Pryor, Georgetown (via Robert Morris): 17.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.1 apg, 49.8% FG
Que Johnson, Western Kentucky (via Washington State): 14.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.0 spg, 42.7% FG
Canyon Barry, Florida (via College of Charleston): 12.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.4 apg, 33.8% FG