NCAA Basketball: 10 biggest transfer busts of the 2017-18 season

SR Mark Alstork – Illinois Fighting Illini

2017-18 stats: 5.8 ppg 3.4 rpg 1.8 apg

After a breakout campaign last year where he averaged 19.0 ppg, Alstork (who has been in college since 2013) decided to stay local and play for Illinois, who desperately needed another scoring punch.

He did start all 32 games this season and had the opportunity to play in the Big Ten this season. But that’s all that went right for the graduate transfer, as his numbers took a sharp decline with increase competition.

Alstork went from 19.0-5.8 ppg, and shot just 34% from the field. He really struggled from three-point range, going from 39%-24%. Having him on the team wasn’t the problem, but giving him starter minutes wasn’t going to be the recipe for success for Illinois.

But what makes this disappointing for the school was the fact that he took so many minutes from the younger guards, who in my opinion were better options to give more minutes to. Now some of them have decided to leave, decimating the perimeter depth for the Fighting Illini.

Alstork didn’t have the year many thought he would when he originally declared his intentions of going to Illinois. But in reality, the team was several pieces away from truly competing, so the blame shouldn’t all go on him.