David Jenkins is one of the top grad transfers on the market for the 2019-20 season. Which teams are most likely to land him?
Every season, hundreds of NCAA Basketball players enter the transfer market, looking for a new team. Many of them switch around mid-major teams and don’t resonate nationally. Then there are players like David Jenkins who could make major noise at whichever school he lands.
While Mike Daum was the superstar at South Dakota State, Jenkins was a great No. 2 option, averaging 19.7 ppg on 45% shooting from deep on nearly eight attempts a game. The 6’2 sophomore is one of the top shooting guards on the market and has received attention from plenty of high major programs.
After South Dakota State head coach T.J. Otzelberger left for the UNLV head coaching job, Jenkins has listed seven teams he’s interested in joining for 2019-20. One of them is his old team in South Dakota State, with the other being where his previous coach went to. The other five are Gonzaga and power conference teams.
Final seven for South Dakota State transfer David Jenkins: UNLV, Gonzaga, UCLA, Oregon, Washington State, Memphis, South Dakota State. 19.7 PPG, 45.3 3PT%.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 11, 2019
So which ones are the best options for Jenkins in terms of both playing time, ability to win and comfortability overall? I ranked each of them from worst to best for Jenkins in his final two college seasons.
*For this piece, I’ll be taking a look at Jenkins’ fit with each team as both a sit-out transfer AND one that’s granted immediate eligibility due to a coaching change.
7. Washinton State Cougars
From a geographical standpoint, it makes sense that the Tacoma native is interested in joining the Cougars. With leading scorer and rebounder Robert Franks gone, Jenkins could step right in and form a great combo with rising sophomore CJ Elleby.
Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be anywhere near enough for Washington State to make a run at the NCAA Tournament. New head coach Kyle Smith will have a completely new system and set of players in the next couple of years. It’s a big risk for Jenkins to join, especially when the payoff isn’t the Big Dance.