45. G Markquis Nowell – Kansas State Wildcats
2020-21 stats: 14.3 ppg and 6.0 apg at Little Rock
The 5’7 guard has been one of the biggest stat-stuffers in the Sun Belt, including taking over six three-point attempts per game at 37%. Nowell’s not the most efficient shooter and can be turnover-prone as well but that tends to happen when the ball is always in his hands.
He’ll have to play a different role with the Wildcats in the Big 12 and his lack of size could be a detriment. It’ll also be interesting to see how he plays alongside Nigel Pack, the team’s regular point guard. But Kansas State is in desperate need of offensive production and if nothing else, Nowell provides exactly that.
44. G Alonzo Verge – Nebraska Cornhuskers
2020-21 stats: 14.0 ppg and 3.8 apg at Arizona State
The former Pac-12 6th Man of the Year was a bucket-getter from both the starting lineup and the bench, having a number of 20+ point games. While his overall efficiency took a dip, Verge did improve from three-point range last season and is a great slasher and shot-creator.
Verge is going from one crowded backcourt to potentially another at Nebraska, who has Trey McGowens, his brother and five-star prospect Bryce McGowens, and sharpshooting Junior College transfer Keisei Tominaga. However, Verge’s ability to run the offense while also being able to create his own shot will be important for the Cornhuskers who will be looking for a leading scorer to replace Teddy Allen.
43. F Brady Manek – North Carolina Tar Heels
2020-21 stats: 10.8 ppg and 5.0 rpg at Oklahoma
Manek has a total of 111 starts over his four-year career at Oklahoma, with each season averaging at least 10.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg. He’s not a “star” but rather a consistent role player whose floor spacing is highly valuable in today’s NCAA Basketball.
Manek is a perfect complement to the Tar Heels’ roster, which had four bigs last season that couldn’t space the floor at all. The former Sooner can play alongside both Armando Bacot and Dawson Garcia in the frontcourt and is a low-usage player as well, which allows the stars of the team to shine while also having a safety valve from deep.
42. F Jamison Battle – Minnesota Gophers
2020-21 stats: 17.3 ppg and 5.2 rpg at George Washington
The 6’7 forward had a breakout campaign in 15 games played last season, including four games of at least 20 points and a career-high 29 points, including seven three-pointers made. Battle’s versatility and shooting ability should translate well to the Big Ten level and is an efficient offensive weapon.
The Gophers have a completely rebuilt roster, featuring many mid-major transfers. Of all of them, Battle is the most likely to succeed and be the leading scorer for the team. They’ll need the former Colonial to be a 15-18 ppg scorer if they’re to be competitive this season.
41. G KD Johnson – Auburn Tigers
2020-21 stats: 13.5 ppg and 1.2 apg at Georgia
The 6’1 guard was one of the best pure scorers per 40 minutes on the court last season, mainly coming off the bench as a freshman to score 20+ points on four different occasions. Johnson is a 39% three-point shooter and can score just about anywhere on the court.
The former top-100 prospect joins a brand new backcourt along with other transfers but Johnson has already shown that he can score at the SEC level. He could be the perfect 6th Man at Auburn but also a capable two-guard in the starting lineup in case the team needs sure offensive production.