ACC Basketball: Top 20 impact transfers for 2021-22 season

7. Jayden Gardner | 6’7 Forward | Virginia Cavaliers

Jayden Gardner is another decorated transfer to make his way to the ACC basketball ranks. He’s a two-time All-AAC and All-AAC Freshman selection that spent the past three seasons at East Carolina from 2019-21.

He’s managed to produce 18.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game across 81 appearances (79 starts) in his career with the Pirates as a presence in the paint.

He’s compiled 30 double-doubles in his career and even had a 20-rebound effort during his freshman year. In that game against Central Florida back on January 3, 2019, Gardner also posted a career-high 35 points on 12-of-21 (57.1 percent) shooting from the field.

Gardner finished with seven double-doubles this past season while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and brings an intrigue of potential in the paint for the Cavaliers.

The most intriguing aspect of his game is his offensive rebounding. 2.8 of his 8.7 rebounds per contest in the past three years have come on the offensive end.

His career-high in offensive rebounds stands at seven, which he’s achieved on four occasions. The last time came against the Houston Cougars on January 29, 2020. He isn’t afraid to mix things up as a clean-up man on the glass.

Virginia will have an opportunity to turn his 6-foot-7, 235-pound frame into a presence on both ends. He’s climbed the ranks already in the AAC and is due to break out in 2021-22.