Top 7 transfers so far in the 2016 17 season
Top 7 transfers so far in the 2016-17 season NCAA.com
No.7 with the LOB on No.22 Xavier. — FS1 (@FS1) It's been a smooth transition from Kansas State to Creighton, as the Bluejays' leading scorer has unearthed the potential seen during his freshman season in Manhattan when he averaged 15.5 points per game. Foster's load just got a lot heavier, however, as backcourt mate and national leader in assists , as announced Tuesday. Canyon Barry Florida Previous program: College of Charleston 2016-17 statline: 12.8 points per game, 3.5 rebounds per game, 0.4 blocks per game It took a bit of a while for Barry to adjust to moving from the CAA to SEC, but it appears the senior guard has found his stride since the beginning of conference play. Barry hit a midseason rut against ACC powers Duke, Florida State and Miami when he scored just 12 points combined and the Gators dropped two of those contests. But since then, the son of NBA legend Rick Barry has recovered with four straight double-digit outputs against SEC foes. RANKINGS: Barry was 7-of-13 from the field for a season-high 27 points and seven rebounds in UF's latest overtime win over Georgia on Saturday. He also did a good job of getting to the free-throw line, finishing 8-of-8 from the charity stripe while shooting underhand like his father: Barry's hot streak has corresponded with the Gators' seven-game winning streak and a rise to No. 19 in the latest poll. Jordan Mathews Gonzaga Previous program: California 2016-17 statline: 11.1 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists Williams-Goss isn't the only newcomer to help Gonzaga along to a 17-0 start. Mathews was also added to the backcourt as a graduate transfer from Cal. While Williams-Goss can do a little bit of everything, Mathews' biggest threat comes from deep range where he's an astounding 44-of-103 so far this year. Over his four-year career, Mathews has shot 41.7 percent from deep. MORE: Rodney Pryor Georgetown Previous program: Robert Morris 2016-17 statline: 17.7 points per game, 4.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.9 steals It hasn't been the type of season the Hoyas (10-9) had hoped for, but they've got more than they could ask for in Pryor, their leading scorer. Pryor's been a workhorse, averaging 32 minutes per game as a top scoring option and respectable rebounder. He exploded for 32 points in his Hoyas debut against USC Upstate and led Georgetown to an upset over then-No. 13 Oregon on Nov. 21 with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Georgetown has played tough against three of its four ranked opponents this season and could be a tough out in the Big East tournament if Pryor catches fire and puts together similar performances down the stretch. Semi Ojeleye SMU Previous program: Duke 2016-17 statline: 17.7 points per game, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.5 blocks Ojeleye never got much playing time for the Blue Devils, averaging just 10.5 minutes and three points per game during his sophomore year in Durham. But he's seized an opportunity at SMU and the talent has shown. At 6-foot-7, 235 pounds, Ojeleye is a force in the paint while also showing range from outside. Averaging 32 minutes of action per game, Ojeleye has three double-doubles this season and has failed to reach double digits in points just once — in a game against CSU Bakersfield, when he had nine points and eight rebounds. Ojeleye has quickly developed in his junior year, and the Mustangs are benefitting nicely from his arrival. SMU is 15-4 this season and picked up eight votes in the latest AP poll. Andrew White III Syracuse Previous program: Nebraska, Kansas 2016-17 statline: 15.8 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, 1.4 assists per game, 1.5 steals per game Syracuse has been one of the most inconsistent teams this year coming off a 2016 Final Four run, but newcomer Andrew White III has been as consistent as can be for the Orange. Playing for his third school in four years, the graduate transfer has reached 15 points in five of his past six games. He's scored in double figures in all but one game, when he was held to just two points in a blowout loss to St. John's. White's offense has been as good as advertised for the Orange while his defense has been an added gain. The senior has nine multi-steal games this year. It may be too late for Syracuse to dig itself out of an 11-8 start to the year. But White has been an important piece in Syracuse's wins this year and could further emerge as a leader in the second half of the season.
CHAMPS
PRESENTED BY Sometimes a change in scenery is needed to take your game to the next level. That's the goal for the hundreds of college basketball players who transfer each year. Not all of these moving parts work out nicely for players or their new teams. But for a select few, there's the possibility of gaining a new star or important piece to the roster. Here are the top transfers who have shined with their new programs so far in 2016-17: Nigel Williams-Goss Gonzaga Previous program: Washington 2016-17 statline: 15.2 points per game, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.7 steals Williams-Goss, a 6-foot-3 guard, has been a huge part of the reason why Gonzaga is the last undefeated team standing in Division I men's basketball. He leads the Bulldogs in points per game and assists — the latter by a wide margin of 26 — and is just two rebounds behind the leader in that category. The former Husky has brought much-welcomed versatility and leadership to Spokane. RELATED: Williams-Goss' point production has been right around par to his first two seasons in Washington where he averaged 13.4 and 15.6 points per game respectively. But the major improvement has been in his efficiency. He's shooting nearly 50 percent from the field this year and 41.1 percent from 3-point range — a 15.5 percentage-point improvement from last season. Marcus Foster THROW IT DOWN!No.7 with the LOB on No.22 Xavier. — FS1 (@FS1) It's been a smooth transition from Kansas State to Creighton, as the Bluejays' leading scorer has unearthed the potential seen during his freshman season in Manhattan when he averaged 15.5 points per game. Foster's load just got a lot heavier, however, as backcourt mate and national leader in assists , as announced Tuesday. Canyon Barry Florida Previous program: College of Charleston 2016-17 statline: 12.8 points per game, 3.5 rebounds per game, 0.4 blocks per game It took a bit of a while for Barry to adjust to moving from the CAA to SEC, but it appears the senior guard has found his stride since the beginning of conference play. Barry hit a midseason rut against ACC powers Duke, Florida State and Miami when he scored just 12 points combined and the Gators dropped two of those contests. But since then, the son of NBA legend Rick Barry has recovered with four straight double-digit outputs against SEC foes. RANKINGS: Barry was 7-of-13 from the field for a season-high 27 points and seven rebounds in UF's latest overtime win over Georgia on Saturday. He also did a good job of getting to the free-throw line, finishing 8-of-8 from the charity stripe while shooting underhand like his father: Barry's hot streak has corresponded with the Gators' seven-game winning streak and a rise to No. 19 in the latest poll. Jordan Mathews Gonzaga Previous program: California 2016-17 statline: 11.1 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists Williams-Goss isn't the only newcomer to help Gonzaga along to a 17-0 start. Mathews was also added to the backcourt as a graduate transfer from Cal. While Williams-Goss can do a little bit of everything, Mathews' biggest threat comes from deep range where he's an astounding 44-of-103 so far this year. Over his four-year career, Mathews has shot 41.7 percent from deep. MORE: Rodney Pryor Georgetown Previous program: Robert Morris 2016-17 statline: 17.7 points per game, 4.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.9 steals It hasn't been the type of season the Hoyas (10-9) had hoped for, but they've got more than they could ask for in Pryor, their leading scorer. Pryor's been a workhorse, averaging 32 minutes per game as a top scoring option and respectable rebounder. He exploded for 32 points in his Hoyas debut against USC Upstate and led Georgetown to an upset over then-No. 13 Oregon on Nov. 21 with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Georgetown has played tough against three of its four ranked opponents this season and could be a tough out in the Big East tournament if Pryor catches fire and puts together similar performances down the stretch. Semi Ojeleye SMU Previous program: Duke 2016-17 statline: 17.7 points per game, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.5 blocks Ojeleye never got much playing time for the Blue Devils, averaging just 10.5 minutes and three points per game during his sophomore year in Durham. But he's seized an opportunity at SMU and the talent has shown. At 6-foot-7, 235 pounds, Ojeleye is a force in the paint while also showing range from outside. Averaging 32 minutes of action per game, Ojeleye has three double-doubles this season and has failed to reach double digits in points just once — in a game against CSU Bakersfield, when he had nine points and eight rebounds. Ojeleye has quickly developed in his junior year, and the Mustangs are benefitting nicely from his arrival. SMU is 15-4 this season and picked up eight votes in the latest AP poll. Andrew White III Syracuse Previous program: Nebraska, Kansas 2016-17 statline: 15.8 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, 1.4 assists per game, 1.5 steals per game Syracuse has been one of the most inconsistent teams this year coming off a 2016 Final Four run, but newcomer Andrew White III has been as consistent as can be for the Orange. Playing for his third school in four years, the graduate transfer has reached 15 points in five of his past six games. He's scored in double figures in all but one game, when he was held to just two points in a blowout loss to St. John's. White's offense has been as good as advertised for the Orange while his defense has been an added gain. The senior has nine multi-steal games this year. It may be too late for Syracuse to dig itself out of an 11-8 start to the year. But White has been an important piece in Syracuse's wins this year and could further emerge as a leader in the second half of the season.