NCAA Basketball: Analyzing final 4 teams for Sun Belt POY transfer DeVante Jones
Texas Longhorns
The offseason has been very kind for new head coach Chris Beard. From the transfer portal, he was able to land Vanderbilt All-SEC big man Dylan Disu, Utah scoring wing Timmy Allen, Creighton forward Christian Bishop, and former Kentucky point guard Devin Askew. Add the announced returns of both Courtney Ramey and Jase Febres boosts the backcourt for next season.
That creates an interesting spot for Jones to consider. Technically, all of these players will be playing for Coach Beard for the first time, so the former Coastal Carolina star could come in and start. But he could also end up like Jamarius Burton, a former Wichita State starter who ended up near the end of the bench in the rotation at Texas Tech.
With three starting-caliber guards already on the roster (and Allen playing at the 3-spot), it’s far from a guarantee that Jones gets plenty of minutes and doesn’t end up as the fourth guard in the rotation.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
New head coach Mark Adams got great news with the potential return of Mac McClung. He entered the transfer portal but decided to come back but still is looking at pro options. The team also has Clarence Nadolny and Kevin McCullar coming back, along with the pickup of former D-II star Chandler Jacobs.
If McClung doesn’t come back, Jones will be able to come in and be a lead guard on a Big 12 team. Even if he does come back, these two can co-exist in the backcourt, although the overall assist numbers for the team will likely be down. This option would nearly guarantee Jones a ton of minutes and spotlight but compared to the other three teams, Texas Tech is least likely to win at a high-level next season.
Next. No. 2 overall prospect Jalen Duren down to 11 teams. dark
Of all four viable options for Jones, Michigan makes the most sense by far in terms of playing time and winning next season. Texas is a high-risk/high reward situation, while Memphis and Texas Tech would be lower risk but lower reward, unless they each can continue landing other transfers in the portal.