SEC Basketball: Ranking the top 20 incoming transfers for the 2024-25 season

02. Clifford Omoruyi (Alabama)

2023-24 Season at Rutgers: 10.4 PPG | 8.3 RPG | 2.9 BPG | 51.2 FG% | 20.0 3PT%

There are only a handful of truly elite defensive players in college basketball at any given time, but that is exactly what Clifford Omoruyi was the past two seasons at Rutgers. Omoruyi was selected to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team the last two years. His points and rebounds per game decreased slightly this past season, but that had no impact on his defensive production. His 2.9 blocks per game were the best in the Big Ten by a considerable margin and were good enough to finish third in the country in that category. 

Not the most consistent scorer, Omoruyi still helped keep a bad Rutgers offense afloat. He averaged just over ten points per game making 51 percent from the floor. He scored in double-figures in nearly half of the Scarlet Knights games, scoring a season-high 25 points in a win over LIU. In that game, Omoruyi took 15 shots and made 80 percent of them. Rutgers played at a relatively slow pace during Oromuyi’s tenure limiting his impact on that end of the court, he should see many more scoring opportunities at Alabama.

Omoruyi is leaving one of the worst offenses and best defenses at Rutgers, and joining an Alabama team that has one of the best offenses and worst defenses. The one thing that has been holding Alabama back from breaking through and winning a national title has been its lack of defense. The addition of Omoruyi won’t completely fix Alabama’s defense, but he will immediately improve that end of the court making the Tide even more dangerous next season.