NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 10 contenders for Rutgers transfer Paul Mulcahy

6. Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga is the complete opposite of Rutgers when it comes to NCAA Tournament success this millennium. And after landing both Ryan Nembhard and Graham Ike, the Bulldogs are projected to be a preseason top-15 team and likely to contend for another Sweet 16 appearance. This is also a team that needs another ball-handler after losing Malachi Smith to the NBA Draft.

The problem is that Nembhard left Creighton in order to be the lead guard. He’d be forced to play more off-ball and Nolan Hickman would have to come off the bench. It’s something that Coach Mark Few would be willing to do but is Mulcahy good enough to overcome potential backcourt issues when it comes to roles? It’s not an ideal fit on either side compared to the other teams on this list.

5. Xavier Musketeers

The Musketeers make sense being placed in the middle because, on paper, they already have plenty of talent on the roster. The backcourt features Western Kentucky transfer Dayvion McKnight and former Rice guard, Quincy McKnight. Plus, there’s four-star incoming point guard, Trey Green joining the team.

The issue is that none of these guys are proven talents at the power conference level. The same could be said with last season’s backcourt of Souley Boum and Adam Kunkel and that worked out great in Coach Sean Miller’s first year. Mulcahy certainly would start but would he be the lead guard or just another role player on offense.