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

1. G Andersson Garcia, Texas A&M

Could Andersson Garcia surprisingly steal a starting spot for Buzz Williams’ Texas A&M Aggies? His length and athleticism, particularly on the defensive end, don’t hurt.

Garcia is yet another play that fled Mississippi State after this offseason’s upheaval. The Dominican Republic native isn’t as much of a known commodity as his former teammate, Fountain.

Garcia has been a key cog off the bench for the past two seasons. This past year, he averaged 4.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, drawing three starts. Most impressively, he averaged 1.1 steals per game despite playing less than 15 minutes per contest.

The year before, Garcia wasn’t a factor off the bench. He played in just 11 games as a freshman, averaging 2.3 points per game. Still, he was a big-time recruit in high school, chased by the likes of Illinois and USC.

Texas A&M has seen his potential up close. In a March game in College Station, Garcia had 14 points, six rebounds, and two steals off the bench in a loss to the Aggies. That kind of performance leaves an impression.

The Aggies’ backcourt was left relatively thin by departures this offseason. Garcia was a good get, but more attention accompanies Dexter Dennis, the Wichita State transfer more likely to get a starting nod than Garcia.

Still, Garcia has the ability to perform much more than he did in Starkville and could prove to be the engine that motors Texas A&M into the SEC’s next tier.