NCAA Basketball: Top 26 team transfer winners from 2022 offseason

Outgoing transfers: Brandon Murray, Xavier Pinson, Eric Gaines, Alex Fudge, Bradley Ezewiro, Efton Reid, Jerrell Colbert

Incoming transfers: Trae Hannibal (Murray State), Justice Hill (Murray State), KJ Williams (Murray State), Cam Hayes (NC State), Derek Fountain (Mississippi State), Kendal Coleman (Northwestern State)

After head coach Will Wade was fired, the entire roster entered the transfer portal, with many of them opting to move on. That left a tough task for new head coach Matt McMahon, who luckily was able to take 3 of the 4 leading scorers from his Round of 32 Murray State squad with him down to Baton Rouge.

The biggest name is KJ Williams, the reigning Ohio Valley Player of the Year winner. The 6’10 big man averaged 18.0 ppg and 8.4 rpg last season, including 11 double-doubles and a career-high 39 points in a win over Tennessee State. Also coming over are guards Hannibal (9.2 ppg and 5.1 apg off the bench) and Hill, who averaged 13.4 ppg and 5.1 apg as the starting point guard with the Racers.

Cam Hayes is a solid rotational guard from NC State, who split his time as a starter and 6th Man, averaging just over 7.0 ppg in two seasons. The other two newcomers are frontcourt players in Fountain, a 6’9 forward from fellow SEC program Mississippi State and Coleman, a 6’8 big that averaged 15.4 ppg and 10.1 rpg in the Southland Conference. How that translates up to the SEC is a question but with Williams leading the frontcourt, Coleman could be a nice addition to the rotation.

All things considered, Coach McMahon has built a competitive roster that should compete in the SEC next season.