Pac-12 Basketball: Ranking the top transfers in the conference

3. PF/C Marcus Lee, California

Marcus Lee may be the most well-known player on this transfer list because he was once an extremely highly touted recruit who spent his first three seasons at Kentucky. Lee ultimately transferred from Kentucky to play a bigger role for his senior season.

It looks like Lee will get his wish because, when evaluating Cal’s roster, he is clearly the most talented player by a wide margin. Lee will get as many minutes as he can handle, but even with a Herculean performance from Lee, the Golden Bears look destined for the bottom of the conference.

Lee did not display a polished offensive skill set at Kentucky. He mostly relied on energy and athleticism to finish lobs and dump-offs around the rim. It is unlikely that Lee improved enough during his redshirt season to be a featured offensive player at the high major level.

It will be interesting to see if Lee plays alongside Kingsley Okoroh for long stretches this season. Cal’s former coach, Cuonzo Martin, liked to play Ivan Rabb with a defensive center like Okoroh even though the pair hindered the spacing on offense. New coach Wyking Jones was on Martin’s staff, so it will be interesting to see if he follows his predecessor’s lineup philosophy.

Lee has played power forward in the past, but playing next to future NBA players like Karl-Anthony Towns and Dakari Johnson is much different than playing next to a limited offensive player like Okoroh.

Defense and rebounding will be Lee’s primary strengths and the 6’10″ senior could easily lead the conference in rebounding and blocks per game. Even with his offensive limitations, Lee is one of the most talented players in the conference and will be a consistent double-double threat.