NCAA Basketball: 10 biggest transfer winners of 2021 offseason so far
By Matt Melton
8. Arizona State Sun Devils
One of the most active teams so far in the transfer portal this offseason has been Arizona State. The Sun Devils have lost a few players to the transfer portal and the NBA, but are currently set to add at least four experienced players with potentially 1-2 more on the way.
Leading this group is 4-year Toledo starter Marreon Jackson who is coming off a phenomenal 2020-21 season in which he averaged 18-6-5 while being named the MAC Player of the Year. Also joining Jackson is Boston College transfer Jay Heath, Illinois State transfer DJ Horne, and Robert Morris transfer AJ Bramah, each of whom averaged 14+ PPG during the 2020-21 season. The Pac-12 will be a step up for these players, but the potential is there for a bounce-back season in 2021-22.
7. Auburn Tigers
Auburn returns almost all of their frontcourt production from a year ago, along with adding 5-star power forward and Top 5 national player Jabari Smith to the mix. The Tigers then added to an already stacked frontcourt by adding arguably the top available transfer of the offseason in former 5-star North Carolina transfer Walker Kessler.
The frontcourt is set for the Tigers, but they also went out and added badly needed depth in the backcourt in Charleston transfer Zep Jasper, Eastern Kentucky transfer Wendell Green, and Arkansas transfer Desi Sills. Both Jasper and Green averaged 15+ PPG for their respective teams last season and could take on a big role next season for Bruce Pearl’s Tigers, while Sills will help provide depth.