NCAA Basketball: Analyzing all 13 teams invovled with Rhode Island transfer Fatts Russell
Oklahoma Sooners
Head coach Lon Kruger has a great history of working with talented point guards. The freshman wonder that was Tre Young is the greatest example, but don’t overlook the development of Austin Reaves, who went from an off-guard sharpshooter at Wichita State to an all-around star with Oklahoma and a future NBA Draft pick.
The Sooners’ top passer will be gone but will bring back both Umoja Gibson and De’Vion Harmon for next season. Could Russell join them and form a strong backcourt in the Big 12? I would wonder how Harmon and Russell would mesh on the court because Reaves high-level efficiency made everything work well. I’m not sure if the transfer in question can do the same.
Odds: Small but a possibility
Oregon Ducks
The top three scorers for the Ducks are all seniors, so I understand why the coaching staff is looking around for top-tier offensive players from the portal to reload for next season. One of the key returning players is Will Richardson, who is averaging 11.7 ppg and 3.9 apg on the season and emerged as the clear-cut lead ball-handler for the team.
Neither transfer Aaron Estrada nor former top-100 freshman Jalen Terry was huge parts of the rotation this season, but both could have bigger roles in 2021-22. Russell would certainly find a role alongside Richardson but the odds of success for guard transfers with this program is 50/50 at best.