Big 12 Basketball: Top Transfers for 2020-21 Season
The Big 12 does a great job of taking advantage of the transfer market every offseason. But a select few are going to have an impact when the 2020-21 season rolls around. Heartland College Sports highlights one transfer from each program that could have a significant impact on the upcoming basketball season.
Adam Flagler, G, 6-foot-3 (Baylor)
Flagler sat out last year after transferring in from Presbyterian. But he brings impressive offensive credentials with him. In his one season with the Blue Hose, Flagler was named the Big South Freshman of the Year after averaging 15.9 points per game. That average went up to 17.5 ppg in six games against Tier 1 and Tier 2 NCAA teams, including Marquette, UCLA, Butler and Dayton. With the impressive veteran guards for the Bears, Flagler will likely be coming off the bench. But he would start this year for other Big 12 programs.
Tyler Harris, G, 5-foot-9 (Iowa State)
The Cyclones have a couple of solid transfers, but Harris came in this offseason and can play immediately. In two season at Memphis, Harris earned selection to the American Athletic Conference Freshman team in 2018-19 and averaged 8.7 points while shooting nearly 37 percent from the 3-point line as he started every game last season. This guy can pour it in. He’s one of 12 people in Memphis high school basketball history to score at least 2,500 points in his prep career. This is a homecoming of sorts. ISU recruited him before he committed to Memphis.
Tyon Grant-Foster, F, 6-foot-7 (Kansas)
With no four-year transfer this season, we’ll spotlight Foster, a junior college transfer, who averaged 16.5 points per game during his sophomore season at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa. Kansas, naturally, snapped up the No. 2 juco recruit in the country, even though Iowa and Iowa State were nearby. Now, Kansas has some solid talent at the forward position, but they didn’t sign Grant-Foster to sit on the bench for a full season. Expect him to find a rotational role early in the season and to compete for a starting job by Big 12 play.
Kaosi Ezeagu, C, 6-foot-10 (Kansas State)
Ezeagu played on season at UT-El Paso and averaged 3.2 points per game, but he led the team in field goal percentage, was the Miners’ best rebounder off the bench and led the team in blocked shots despite only starting eight games. Expect him to get a chance for playing time because the Wildcats have a gaping hole, which means opportunity, in the frontcourt.
Umoja Gibson, G, 6-foot-1 (Oklahoma)
It took until Oct. 30, but Gibson finally got his waiver from the NCAA to play this season. So, now, Gibson could be the starter immediately in the backcourt, along with De’Vion Harmon and Austin Reaves, after averaging 14.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 steals at North Texas last season. He was also one of Conference USA’s best defensive players a year ago. Expect Gibson to be one of two transfers to make an immediate impact (Elijah Harkless being the other).
Ferron Flavors Jr., G, 6-foot-3 (Oklahoma State)
Flavors comes to Oklahoma State as a graduate transfer from Cal Baptist, where last season he was the best 3-point shooter in the Western Athletic Conference (42.7 percent), which was also No. 16 in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage. He averaged 13.4 points and 3.5 rebounds last season. So if you’re thinking about a trade-out, think of him as the new Lindy Waters III. He should make an immediate impact. As a graduate transfer he can play immediately.
Kevin Easley Jr., F, 6-foot-7 (TCU)
Chuck O’Bannon will get more attention due to his family ties to Ed and Charles O’Bannon, who were on UCLA’s 1995 NCAA Championship team. But Easley sat out last season after earning Big South Freshman of the Year honors with Chattanooga in the 2018-19 season. He led the Mocs in scoring at 14.2 points per game while also averaging 6.7 rebounds and shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from 3-point range. He also tied for second on the team in 3-pointers made that season. Think Kenrich Williams when you think of this guy. TCU fans know what I’m talking about.
Texas
Texas has a roster stacked with experience and multi-year players, so much so that it was only able to recruit one player for the 2020 class. For that reason, Texas actually has NO transfers for the 2020-21 season.
Marcus Santos-Silva, F, 6-foot-7 (Texas Tech)
The Red Raiders bent the transfer market to its will, taking in three that can play this year (Mac McClung, Jamarius Burton and Santos-Silva). We will focus on Santos-Silva because the Red Raiders have a frontcourt need he can fill right off the bat. A graduate transfer, Santos-Silva racked up 828 points, 620 rebounds and 92 blocked shots in 97 career games. Last season he had 10 double-doubles and averaged 12.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per game for Virginia Commonwealth.
Kedrian Johnson, G, 6-foot-4 (West Virginia)
Technically, Johnson is part of the 2020 recruiting class, as he’s a transfer from Temple Community College in Temple, Texas. But the Mountaineers don’t have a four-year transfer, so we’ll highlight the player that could solve their point guard problems. He was fourth in NJCAA last year with 25.5 points per game, and averaged 5.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. The Mountaineers haven’t had a true point since Jevon Carter. Johnson might not be Carter, but he might just fill that role.
**Want to win a $20 gift card? Go sign up here and join our conversation! The best poster each week wins a gift card to your favorite establishment!**
