NCAA Basketball: Graduate transfer TJ Holyfield down to five schools

TJ Holyfield is one of the top grad transfers in NCAA Basketball this offseason. Which of his five finalists is the best fit for the forward?

There are many NCAA Basketball players out of the 700+ in the transfer portal that is coming off of great individual seasons. TJ Holyfield isn’t one of them, as he missed all of the 2018-19 season with a dislocated shoulder.

But in the three seasons prior, the 6’8 forward was the key clog for Stephen F. Austin. He started all 101 games played and was a double-digit scorer and proficient rebounder, along with having both the reputation and the stats of an elite defender. In the Southland Conference title game to send the Lumberjacks to the NCAA Tournament, Holyfield produced 13 points and 12 rebounds to help clinch the team’s ticket.

After missing this past season with an injury, Holyfield received both a medical redshirt and a 5th year of college eligibility. He’s decided to use that year to play for a power conference program. For most transfers from small leagues like the Southland, there’s not much interest from the bigger schools. But there’s a high level of respect for Holyfield and his game, evident by the dozens of offers he got after transferring.

Currently, the former Lumberjack big man has limited his list of suitors to five teams. He’s taken a few visits already with a couple more slated. There are some connections Holyfield has with some of these teams involved, with no clear frontrunner among them.

Here are the five trying to land Holyfield and what they have to offer, followed by a prediction of where he’s most likely to land.