2. Auburn Tigers
The Tigers will have a new backcourt this upcoming season. Five-star commit Aden Holloway will take over for Wendell Green Jr., while K.D. Johnson and Allen Flanigan have decisions to make. They’ve landed one of the early big transfer pickups in Denver Jones, who averaged around 20 ppg this past season at Florida International.
Rice transfers have a good history playing at the power conference level and depending on what happens with Flanigan, have room open at the three-spot. A backcourt that features both Jones and Olivari could be very potent at the SEC level and Coach Bruce Pearl’s development with guards is a major positive selling point.
1. Texas Longhorns
Although he’s a Georgia native, Olivari has spent the last four years in the state of Texas. And the program that went the furthest in the NCAA Tournament in the past season was the Longhorns, led by Coach Rodney Terry. One of the biggest reasons for the success was New Mexico State transfer Sir’Jabari Rice, who was one of the best 6th Men in all of NCAA Basketball.
He’s gone, along with Marcus Carr, as well as freshmen, Arterio Morris and Rowan Brumbaugh. That leaves Tyrese Hunter and incoming top-30 combo guard, AJ Johnson. This would be a great opportunity for Olivari to come in and have a sizeable role in a premier program while staying close locally.