NCAA Basketball: 8 teams that should target Arizona State transfer Alonzo Verge Jr.

Richmond Spiders

Another team that has greatly benefitted from the extra year of eligibility, with three starters (Nathan Cayo, Jacob Gilyard, and Grant Golden) coming back for a 5th year, along with wing Nick Sherod, who missed this past season with an injury.

The only key player who won’t be back is leading scorer Blake Francis, who averaged 16.1 ppg last season. Verge would be a natural replacement at the shooting guard position and would have an effective distributor in Gilyard to play with. With an entire lineup being 5th-year seniors, Richmond with Verge not only would supplant St. Bonaventure as the preseason favorites in the Atlantic 10, but they would also certainly be ranked to start next season.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

The good news for the Scarlet Knights is that they’re expected to get back both Ron Harper Jr. and Geo Baker but they also suffered big blows with the losses of Montez Mathis and second-leading scorer Jacob Young, who transferred this offseason.

This would be another scenario where Verge can replace a key scorer, have a big role on a power conference roster and upgrade his draft stock, as playing well in the Big Ten could be of benefit. He and Baker can certainly play alongside each other and Rutgers will be expected to be perimeter-oriented again for next season.