WCC Basketball: Top 10 impact transfers for 2021-22 season
By Tuck Clarry
8. Patrick Tapé, F, San Francisco Dons
1.1 points, 1.1 rebounds, .3 assists with Duke
Finding a fit is key for a transfer to make the progression they believe they’re capable of in a new backdrop. But sometimes it doesn’t work out like they envisioned, like Patrick Tapé’s single-season with Duke. After a solid junior year with Columbia, the 6’9 forward ended up lost in the shuffle with a spiraling Blue Devil team and frontcourt that saw the rise of potential 2022 lottery pick Mark Williams.
San Francisco reaps the benefit of Tapé’s quiet season as the high-efficiency inside-man decided to try his luck in the Bay. Tapé instantly can vie for major minutes with the Dons, who struggled mightily inside both scoring and rebounding.
He is a great pairing with perimeter threat Gabe Stefanini, who played alongside him at Columbia a couple of years back and also transferred to the Dons this offseason.
7. Danilo Djurici, F, Santa Clara Broncos
6.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, .7 assists with Harvard (2019-2020)
Santa Clara head coach Herb Sendek and company needed to pivot when they found out that junior Guglielmo Caruso decided to turn pro rather than return for his senior season. But that loss was quickly relieved when 6’8 forward Danilo Djurici announced his intent to transfer to Santa Clara.
Djurici will likely slot in behind returning fifth-year senior Josip Vrankic, but should be a reliable bench option to try to help elevate the Broncos above their sixth-place finish in 2020-2021. Caruso’s 22.7 minutes per game seems like a feasible workload and Djurici was poised to take a step forward before the Ivy League suspended their entire basketball season.