NCAA Basketball: 5 best available players in 2020 transfer portal

Matt Haarms, Center

The towering former boilermaker Matt Haarms highlights the transfer portal crowd for now but might zero in on his next home sooner rather than later after narrowing down his list to Kentucky, Gonzaga, Texas Tech, Arizona, and a few others last week according to 247Sports. Although those bidding for Haarms stand amongst the nation’s most prestigious basketball programs who already await talented freshmen coming in next year as key additions likely to improve their team substantially themselves, Haarms’s skill set still warrants proper attention.

At Purdue this year Haarms averaged 8.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. Also weighing 250 pounds while stretching out to 7’3, it remains possible that Haarms might ascend from a great rim defender to perhaps the country’s best come next year.

Beyond that, Haarms displayed an ability to play high volume minutes without slowing down, starting 41 games during his three-year tenure at Purdue. While most expect the Dutch big man to join Kentucky and fill the void left by NBA hopeful Nick Richards, Haarms’s failure to make an immediate decision following his recent visit with Kentucky began to raise some eyebrows.

Regardless, wherever Haarms decides to play his senior year, the team hosting him will certainly benefit at a notable rate both offensively and defensively around the rim.