NCAA Basketball: Analyzing final 4 options for FIU transfer Antonio Daye Jr.

Pittsburgh Panthers

The departure of All-ACC starting guard Xavier Johnson to the transfer portal leaves the Panthers with freshman Femi Odukale, Jr., who has played well towards the end of the season but is still young and fairly raw. The Panthers don’t have any other ball-handlers on the roster, so unlike Clemson, Daye would be easily able to come in and start, having a big role for the ACC program.

If playing time is a major factor in this decision, Pittsburgh would end up being a heavy favorite to land the FIU transfer. However, if star forward Justin Champagnie goes pro this offseason and can’t land other impact transfers, this team would have the same chance of making the NCAA Tournament next season as Florida International itself. The staff would have to hope that Daye really wants to continue playing 30+ mpg.

Providence Friars

The Friars have lost a pair of wings/forwards in the past week but not any guards, including leading scorer David Duke. If he decides to come back, that would create a crowded backcourt. AJ Reeves, Jared Bynum, and Alyn Breed all are still on the roster and were part of the rotation.

But if Duke does leave, Daye would be a nice option to replace him as a lead guard, capable of playing both positions in the backcourt. The other guards on the roster can do the same, so it wouldn’t be an issue to mix and match and find a winning combination.

Each of the four finalists has something unique to offer Antonio Daye Jr., but also potential flaws that could make a possible pairing end in failure. A decision is expected to be made within the next couple of weeks, with one of these programs eventually landing an impact transfer to start off the offseason strong.