Jeff Goodman says Auburn and Kentucky were the biggest winners in the NCAA Transfer Portal for the 2021-22 season.
The Wildcats, of course, won big with Oscar Tshiebwe, who is leading the nation in rebounding at 15.3 boards per game. John Calipari also brought in Sahvir Wheeler, who is averaging 7.2 assists per game.
Other teams listed as winners include Wake Forest, Hofstra, Texas Tech, Houston, Baylor, Iowa State, Minnesota and Towson.
Here is an excerpt:
Start investing for the future with one free share of stock from Robinhood
1) AUBURN Bruce Pearl and his staff crushed it in the portal, adding former UNC big man Walker Kessler, ex-Georgia wing K.D. Johnson and a pair of mid-major guards: Wendell Green Jr. (Eastern Kentucky) and Zep Jasper (College of Charleston). Kessler barely played in Chapel Hill last season, and he’s been one of the best defenders in the country for the Tigers, averaging 11.6 points, 8.5 boards and 4.6 blocks per game. Johnson has had basically the same production he did for Georgia last year, and he’s perfect for what Pearl has needed, and Green is a fearless scorer (12.7 ppg) who can really shoot it from deep. Jasper gives Auburn a floor leader, and he’s done a terrific job on the defensive end of the court.
2) KENTUCKY When John Calipari added disgruntled big man Oscar Tshiebwe at the break a year ago, no one saw the former West Virginia center being this dominant and productive in Lexington. He’s leading the country in rebounding (15.3), and has nearly doubled his scoring from 8.5 to 16.4 ppg. Davidson transfer Kellan Grady was brought in to add perimeter shooting, and he’s delivered, shooting a sizzling 44 percent from three while averaging 12.1 points per game. Georgia’s Sahvir Wheeler was added to give UK an experienced, pass-first point guard and the quick floor leader is averaging 7.2 assists, pushing the pace, and getting up into players on the defensive end. Local kid CJ Fredrick, who transferred from Iowa, hasn’t played due to injury but should step right into Grady’s role as a dead-eye shooter.
