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TSHQ?s Top 10 Impact Transfers for 2012-13
by Gus Elvin
As promised I?m back with yet another addition of ?Guru?s Top Ten?, as I help preview and prepare you for the quickly approaching 2012-13 college basketball season. Last time we took a look at some of the top freshman for next season, and this time around we will again look at 10 more impact newcomers, this time focusing on Division 1 transfers. �In the last few seasons transferring has become more common with new eligibility exemptions like the hardship waiver, graduate exemption and most recently the Alex Oriakhi rule or the rule that allows a player to transfer and play immediately if his school is banned from postseason play for the duration of his remaining eligibility.� All of these exemptions have opened up possibilities for players to transfer without having to sit out a year, which has resulted in a high number of transfers over the past few seasons and has created a bit of a turnstile effect within college basketball. This group that follows is a list of the 10 transfers I think will have the biggest impact next season at their new schools and includes both traditional transfers who sat out last season and are eligible this year and the new wave of transfers who are eligible due to one of the exemptions listed above. As a disclaimer this was maybe the biggest and deepest class of transfers we have ever seen, so not every big transfer made this list, but here are 10 to watch for 2012-13.
1.)Mark Lyons, Arizona via Xavier ? The Wildcats main weakness last season was the point guard position as Josiah Turner struggled on and off the floor, while the 6?6? Solomon Hill filled in admirably despite playing out of position. Arizona in the offseason sured up the point guard position for the future with Duquesne transfer T.J. McConnell (has to sit out this season because of transfer rules) but for 2012-13 question marks still surrounded the position. That was until Xavier guard Mark Lyons announced his intentions to transfer from the Cincinnati school and reunite with the coach that recruited him, Sean Miller of Arizona.� Lyons who will graduate this summe,r is eligible immediately because of the graduate exemption and is expected to immediately step in as the starting point guard for the Wildcats. Lyons first and foremost will bring toughness and a veteran presence to a?the?position of need for U of A. Lyons is the prize of this season?s transfer class as he leaves Xavier after a junior season in which he averaged 15.5 points and 3.4 assists per game. Lyons is not a ?true? point guard based on the essence of the position but his passing vision and ball handling ability should allow him to comfortably slide over to the lead guard spot. It?s hard to question Lyons? talent or toughness but the key question next season is how he will gel with a new cast of characters at Arizona and how he will adjust to the pass first point guard mindset. Lyons if he buys in to Sean Miller?s program takes Arizona from a good top 25ish team and makes them a national contender. Arizona brings back a solid nucleus with Kevin Parrom, Solomon Hill and Nick Johnson and with a top 5 recruiting class led by Kaleb Tarczewski and Brandon Ashley, look for the Wildcats to contend with UCLA for the Pac-12 title. Mark Lyons is a scoring guard who should make an immediate impact at Arizona, as his presence fills the gaping point guard void Arizona had after the transfer of Josiah Turner to SMU. Arizona last season won 23 games without any semblance of a point guard and with a nice returning core, a top recruiting class and the addition of an accomplished veteran guard like Lyons, the Wildcats have no excuse to not be in the field of 68 in 2012-13.
�2.)Luke Hancock, Louisville via George Mason- After sitting out all of last season after transferring from George Mason, Luke Hancock is chomping at the bit to get back on the floor in competitive games. Hancock, who has 2 years of eligibility remaining, is a 6?6? wing who can drive the lane or score from the perimeter. If you?re a Louisville fan and didn?t see Hancock play while he was at George Mason, think Kyle Kuric. Hancock has a lot of similarities to the recently graduated Kuric and his athleticism and shooting touch from the perimeter have resulted in a lot of comparisons between the 2. So how good is Hancock? Well as a sophomore at George Mason in 2010-2011, Luke averaged 10.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists, while shooting 50 percent from the field. Hancock is a wing who can do a little bit of everything for a club, as he can be a primary ball handler, facilitate, rebound or score, depending on what the team needs. Hancock also had a memorable ?shining moment?�back in the 2010-11 NCAA Tournament, when he hit the game winning 3-pointer to vault the Patriots over slightly favored Villanova. Hancock will be one of the biggest impact transfers next fall, as he is the missing piece on a national title contender in Louisville. Hancock in a sense will replace the offensive production of Kyle Kuric, while also adding more in terms of rebounding and facilitating.� Hancock was a very effective player at George Mason and his versatility and overall game should fit in nicely next season for Rick Pitino?s Cardinals. Look for Hancock to chip in between 13-15 points per game next season, while also grabbing about 5 boards and dishing out about 3 assists. Louisville is expected to be one of the favorites entering next season and the key player on this squad will be Hancock, who must replace Kyle Kuric and become one of Louisville?s top scorers. Last year Hancock impressed all season long on the scout team, something that was not overlooked by his teammates who voted him a team captain in his first season eligible at Louisville.
3.)Trey Ziegler, Pittsburgh via Central Michigan- This offseason Trey Ziegler was at the center of one of the most controversial eligibility rulings�to date, as he appealed to the NCAA for immediate eligibility after leaving Central Michigan. Ziegler wasn?t a graduating junior or applying for a hardship waiver though, he was claiming that since his father and head coach Ernie Ziegler was fired, he should be able to transfer to another school without sitting out. Ziegler argued that the only reason he chose CMU was to play under his father but this appeal still seemed optimistic and a bit farfetched to most college basketball experts. Then on March 25th, the NCAA unprecedentedly ruled in his favor and the scoring wing, who led the Chippewas in scoring in both of his seasons at Central Michigan, suddenly was declared eligible for this fall. That news is great news for Pitt, who are in desperate need for a scorer, after the graduation of one of the school?s all-time greats, Ashton Gibbs. In fact, the lack of an accomplished scorer was seemingly the one thing missing from an already very talented Pittsburgh team. Ziegler a former top 50 recruit out of high school, should make an immediate splash for the Panthers, as he has proven he can score at a high clip. The 6-5 guard averaged about 16 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists over his 2 year career in the MAC, including a sophomore season in which he averaged 15.8 points and reached high water marks in rebounding (6.7rpg), assists (2.5apg) and field goal percentage (46%).� Ziegler is a scorer first and should pick up most of the scoring slack vacated by the graduation of Ashton Gibbs (15.5ppg). Ziegler is a long and athletic 2-guard who has the ability to penetrate and score in the lane or post up smaller guards. The one area that Ziegler has struggled in during his career is shooting the basketball, as Trey has made just 37 of 117 career 3-pointers (31%), including just 11 makes last season. Part of the reason Ziegler?s shooting percentages are lower than you?d expect is the quality of his teams at CMU. During his 2 seasons at Central Michigan the Chippewas won just 21 games combined, and Ziegler was often depended on to take a high number of shots to keep CMU competitive or get them back in games.� At Pittsburgh, with a solid surrounding cast led by Lamar Patterson and Tray Woodall, Ziegler will no longer be expected to take 20 shots per game but still will be counted on to be Pitt?s leading or 2nd� leading scorer, alongside Patterson. Christmas came early for Panther fans as Trey Ziegler is just what Pittsburgh needed to compete in the Big East next season. Ziegler is a very talented scorer who can fill it up and now that he has a solid supporting cast around him, look for him to have a big season and improve his outside shooting percentages.
4.)Trent Lockett, Marquette via Arizona State- Trent Lockett is one of those players you can?t blame for�� �transferring, as Lockett has endured 2 of the toughest seasons of Arizona State basketball over the past 2 years. Lockett who was a role player on a 22-11 NIT squad as a freshman, hasn?t even been close to sniffing post season play each of the past� 2 seasons, as the Sun Devils have posted 12 wins and 10 wins respectively and haven?t played in a meaningful game after November. Losing though wasn?t the reason Lockett made the decision to transfer to Marquette, instead Lockett is moving to Marquette so he can spend time with his mother who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Lockett did not have to apply for a hardship waiver because he has already earned a degree in business communications from ASU, and thus will be eligible to compete for the Golden Eagles immediately. A Minnesota native, Lockett is now just 5 hours from home, a considerably closer difference than he would have been had he stayed at Arizona State. This move allows him to be closer to his ailing mother and also allows him to be more of a help to his family and friends during this tough time. The move also makes sense basketball wise, as Marquette is a team with definite NCAA Tournament aspirations, something Lockett has yet to experience playing at Arizona State. Lockett will be counted on for major contributions right away in Milwaukee, as Marquette loses its? top 2 players Darius Johnson-Odom (18.3ppg, 2.7apg) and Jae Crowder (17.5ppg, 8.4rpg). Lockett should help replace some of the production lost with the graduation of DJO, as the 6?4? guard averaged 13 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists while playing in the desert. The most valuable aspects to Lockett?s game are his versatility and athleticism, as Lockett does a lot of things well on the basketball floor including rebound, get to the free throw line, defend and even shoot from the perimeter. As a Golden Eagle, Lockett will be asked to be Marquette?s primary penetrator and his ability to finish from the field (50%) and get to the line (5.1FTA per game) will be a great asset for Buzz Williams? club. Lockett also was a much improved shooter as a junior as he made a career high 21 three?s and shot an impressive 41% from downtown. When you factor in that Lockett played on a team with very little help and a team that played very slow and got a minimal number of positions per game, you are looking at a player who could be one of the best kept secrets in college basketball. At Marquette, a more free flowing offensive team, look for Lockett to thrive, as his athleticism will finally be utilized and he will at long last get the opportunity to showcase his athletic gifts in transition. Trent Lockett is a nice fit for Marquette and will team with Vander Blue and Todd Mayo in the backcourt, as the Golden Eagles try and collectively replace All-Big East selection Darius Johnson-Odom. We wish Lockett and the rest of his family well as they go through this difficult time and hope Trent endures a pleasurable experience on and off the floor this season. Lockett has long gone unnoticed out in the desert playing for Arizona State, but now that he is on a contender people will soon be well versed on his game and will get to see just how good of an overall basketball player he is.
�5.)Alex Oriakhi, Missouri via Connecticut- I?ll take my shots when I?m� wrong but I was definitely right about Missouri last year, as they had the best regular season in school history before suffering a shocking loss to Cinderella Norfolk State.� Last year 1st year head coach Frank Haith benefited from inheriting a lot of talent at Mizzou, as the Tigers won 30 games led by veterans like Marcus Denmon and Kim English. That being said, Haith should be praised for how he was able to get the most out of that group and ended up leading them to 30 wins and the Big 12 Tournament title. Haith should also be praised for how he setup his roster for this season, as he inked big time transfers Keion Bell(Pepperdine), Earnest Ross(Auburn) and Jabari Brown(Oregon) to help fill his roster. Haith then went out and secured a very solid and in my opinion very underrated
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