NCAA Basketball: Top mid-major players in 2022 offseason transfer portal
By Shea Irish
Tanner Holden – Wright State
6’6″ Junior Guard
2021-22 Season: 20.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.6 APG, 49.7 FG%, 78.9 FT%
Career Accolades: 2x Horizon League 1st-Team selection, 2020 Horizon League All-Freshman Team
Tanner Holden was a top 20 scorer in the country for the 2021-22 season, finishing with 20+ points on 20 occasions. Ultimately his best game came on the big stage in the NCAA Tournament First Four against the Bryant Bulldogs, pumping in 37 points on 11-15 shooting, including a 14-16 showing from the line, and also grabbing 11 rebounds. He took over the entire game and led the Raiders to their first-ever tournament win.
At 6’6″ he is a difficult matchup; if you put a smaller, quicker defender on him he can post them up and score at the rim. If you put a taller, stronger defender on him, he has the speed to blow by them off the dribble or find his shot from the perimeter. He is a career 35% shooter from distance, although he doesn’t attempt a ton of threes.
Holden is most dangerous getting to the line, which he did at a rate of 7.8 FT attempts per game this season, good for 2nd in the country. When he gets there, he makes opponents pay for it by shooting 78.9%.
Holden has already made his decision, as he will be staying in the state of Ohio and transferring to the Buckeyes. With Malaki Branham likely to enter the NBA Draft, this was a big pick-up for Ohio State. He will have one, possibly two years of eligibility left if he decides to use the extra covid year.
Grant Basile – Wright State
6’9″ Junior Forward
2021-22 Season: 18.4 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.6 BPG, 49.8 FG%
Career Accolades: 2x Horizon League 2nd-Team selection, 2020 Horizon League All-Freshman Team
Combining with teammate Holden to create a deadly inside-out combination, the 6’9″ Basile was there to control the glass and give the Raiders a powerful inside presence. With a strong frame to dominate the paint and also the potential to knock down a 3 at any given time (13 games with multiple 3-PT made), Basile would be an asset to any team he decides to play for.
One of Basile’s best performances from the season came against ACC opponent NC State. He dominated with 23 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 assists in a road victory over the Wolfpack. He had a career-high 37 points against Marshall back in November.
Notre Dame, Wisconsin, and Ohio State seem to be the schools mentioned the most in his recruitment so far. Keep in mind that Notre Dame needs to find a replacement for Paul Atkinson and that the Badgers have already lost depth at forward to the transfer portal.
The top 2 scorers from a Wright State team that won the Horizon League auto bid and appeared in the NCAA Tournament have both entered their names in the portal. Tanner Holden and Grant Basile; who combined for 38.5 PPG last year, were the 2nd highest scoring duo in the entire country behind Bryant’s Peter Kiss and Charles Pride. Holden has already made a decision but Basile is still on the market.