Busting Brackets
Fansided

ACC Basketball: 5 most underrated transfers heading into 2022-23 season

By Holden Walter-Warner

Oct 12, 2021; Charlotte, NC, USA; Boston College Eagles Brevin Galloway speaks to the media at the ACC Tip Off at Charlotte Marriott City Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 12, 2021; Charlotte, NC, USA; Boston College Eagles Brevin Galloway speaks to the media at the ACC Tip Off at Charlotte Marriott City Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
ACC Basketball Brandon Huntley-Hatfield Tennessee Volunteers (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
ACC Basketball Brandon Huntley-Hatfield Tennessee Volunteers (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

4. F Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, Louisville

Former five-star recruit Brandon Huntley-Hatfield didn’t pan out at Tennessee. He can still fulfill his potential at Louisville, though.

Huntley-Hatfield reclassified to join the Vols prior to the season but perhaps didn’t have enough time to acclimate ahead of the year in Knoxville. The power forward struggled to crack the rotation until Olivier Nkamhoua’s season-ending injury, which thrust the freshman into the starting lineup.

For the season, Huntley-Hatfield averaged 3.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. He struggled immensely from both the free throw line and the three-point line, hitting less than 60 percent of his free throws, a particularly galling mark.

Despite his struggles as a freshman, Huntley-Hatfield was still in line for a major role with the Vols for the 2022-23 season. Instead, he’ll try to fulfill his potential with Kenny Payne, who tried recruiting him to Kentucky before.

At one point in time, the 6-10, 245-pound forward was a consensus top-five recruit in the Class of 2022. If anything, Louisville now has the bonus of treating Huntley-Hatfield like more than the freshman he would’ve been this season had he not reclassified. This should leave him ready to make a more instant impact on the Cardinals.

As Payne looks to build an athletic and versatile team, Huntley-Hatfield could prove to be a difference-maker if he improves from his freshman frustrations.