NCAA Basketball: Analyzing grad transfer Brandon Johnson’s 7 finalists
After a breakout season, Western Michigan’s Brandon Johnson entered the NCAA Basketball transfer portal. Which teams are after the grad transfer forward?
The transfer portal for NCAA Basketball got a little more crowded last week with the announcement that redshirt junior Brandon Johnson was leaving Western Michigan. It was a huge year for the 6’8 forward, coming off averaging 15.4 ppg and 8.1 rpg after averaging under 9.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg in the two full seasons prior.
Johnson had to miss all of last season after suffering a knee injury but was able to come back better than ever. He became more of a focal point on the offense and shot and made more three-pointers (22/66) than in the first two seasons combined. Johnson had a number of impressive performances this season, including a career-high 29 points on 12/14 shooting in a win over Ball State.
Since arriving in the portal, a number of NCAA Basketball programs have offered scholarships to Johnson. And just recently, he narrowed his potential homes for 2020-21 to a group of seven teams:
Western Michigan transfer Brandon Johnson will make his college choice by the end of the week, he tells @247Sports. Finalists: Cincinnati, UConn, Dayton, Minnesota, New Mexico, South Alabama and Tulane.
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) April 7, 2020
So which of the seven are the best fits Johnson in terms of playing time opportunities, as well as the odds of winning games and making the 2021 NCAA Tournament? Here’s a closer look at all of them before a decision is made this weekend.
Cincinnati Bearcats
The losses of Jarron Cumberland and double-double machine Tre Scott will hurt but the Bearcats still returns two key starters in Chris Vogt and Keith Williams, along with a strong incoming first-full recruiting class for head coach John Brannen.
Johnson would not only be a great replacement for Scott but he’d be a better fit at the power forward position to pair up with the 7’1 Vogt. He can spread the floor and is versatile enough to guard any kind of forward in the AAC. Cincinnati also isn’t far from his hometown of Chicago and with him, the Bearcats would once again be a top-tier team in the conference.