Is McNeese State, UAB, or Florida Atlantic the best spot for Indiana transfer Kanaan Carlyle

Among the many players in the college basketball transfer portal is Kanaan Carlyle, a 6’3 guard from Atlanta, Georgia. He started his career at Stanford, producing 11.5 ppg and 2.7 apg. However, things went south after moving to the Indiana Hoosiers a year ago. The sophomore playmaker produced 4.0 ppg and 1.2 apg in 16 mpg, shooting 29% from the field overall.

After the coaching change, Carlyle was one of several Hoosiers to hit the portal. And earlier in the week, three teams emerged for the sophomore playmaker. Here’s a closer look at how he’d fit with each reported team contender.

Florida Atlantic

The Owls are undergoing another roster rebuild, losing several starters to the transfer portal, including Leland Walker. They do return Niccolo Moretti, who produced 6.4 ppg and 3.4 apg in 22 mpg off the bench. He and Carlyle could play together in the backcourt, and FAU still has some national relevancy thanks to its recent Final Four appearance, allowing them to get back into the spotlight.

McNeese State

Another mid-major team on the national radar is the Cowboys, winning 58 games in two years under Coach Will Wade. He’s now at NC State, along with all of the seniors on last season’s roster. The current group added transfers Garwey Dual and Carl Cherenfant, but there’s still a need for a good scoring guard. Carlyle could dominate the Southland for a year and improve his stock. 

UAB

The Blazers have lost everyone from the roster, including star forward Yaxel Lendeborg. Among the newcomers is DePaul transfer Jacob Meyer. Carlyle would likely find a way into the starting lineup, and UAB has the edge in the coaching department with Coach Andy Kennedy. In this specific recruitment, that could be the tiebreaker over fellow AAC program and newer HC, John Jakus.