NCAA Basketball: Jesse Edwards, TJ Bamba among top 30 transfer pickups of the week
2. Khalif Battle – Temple to Arkansas
2022-23 season stats 17.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.8 apg
Battle has dealt with injuries for the past couple of years but when on the court, he’s an elite perimeter scorer, even coming off the bench. The 6’5 guard had 20+ points in 13 of 27 games, including a 27-point performance against SMU. His 5-game stretch of at least 24 points at the end of the year was a prime example of how good Battle can be on offense.
The senior guard joins a very crowded backcourt filled with other transfers at Arkansas, including Keyon Menifield (Washington), Tramon Mark (Houston), and Jeremiah Davenport (Cincinnati). He’s the most prolific scorer of the bunch and assuming he’s healthy, look for Battle to have a leading impact on the perimeter.
1. Jesse Edwards – Syracuse to West Virginia
2022-23 season stats: 14.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 2.7 bpg
The 6’1 center was 12th in NCAA Basketball in rebounding, while being a quality shot-blocker in the ACC. Edwards had 12 double-doubles on the season, including a 27-point and 20-rebound performance against Wake Forest.
10 teams with pressure to score in 2023 transfer portal. dark. Next
He’s a proven power conference center that can go anywhere and have a big impact, including West Virginia. He’s a big offensive upgrade over Jimmy Bell and Mohamed Wague at the five-spot and will fit nicely next to forward Tre Mitchell in the frontcourt. He’s the second big transfer addition for the Mountaineers in the offseason, joining Kerr Kriisa of Arizona.