College basketball transfers 2017-18: The best grad players available

It’s transfer season in college basketball. Players who will graduate this spring or summer with eligibility remaining are some the most valued recruits during this cycle. They will be eligible to play immediately, as long as the new school has a graduate program not available at their prior one.

College coaches themselves are torn on the idea of grad transfers, feeling they can be a detriment to mid-major programs. But while the rule is in place, here are all the currently available grad transfers:

Latest Buzz (Updated: 5/18/2017)

Cameron Johnson - Johnson’s made visits to Ohio State, UCLA, Oregon and Arizona since the last update, in addition to already visiting Kentucky. CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reports that UNC is also interested in Johnson, which could make things interesting. Early reports were that Johnson wouldn’t be allowed to transfer within the ACC, so it would probably take a waiver from Pitt for him to land in Chapel Hill. One of the reasons he’s in such high demand: he’ll have two years of eligibility left and be eligible to play immediately — after he redshirted his freshman year and was granted an extra year of eligibility after only playing eight games in 2014-15 — which is rare. He averaged 11.9 points while shooting about 45 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point land.

Mark Alstork - Alstork averaged 19 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists a night for Wright State last season, while shooting 40% from the field and almost 39% from deep. Alstork’s, predictably, in high demand and he’s started to set visit dates. After a round of visits, Alstork will decide between Pitt, LSU, Illinois, and South Carolina.

Zach Lofton - Lofton’s the reigning Southwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year, and now he’s looking for a new team. Lofton transferred from Illinois State to Texas Southern after averaging 11.3 points a game on 34% field goal shooting his freshman season. Last season with Texas Southern he bumped his scoring up to 16.8 points a night, while shooting 42% from the field. He should be a highly sought after addition to the transfer market.

James Daniel - According to Rothstein, Daniel was scheduled to visit Ohio State on May 14 and started a visit to Tennessee on May 17. He’s already made visits to DePaul and Michigan as well. The 5’11 guard led the NCAA in scoring and free throws in 2015-16, averaging 27 points and knocking down 280 free throws, while shooting 39 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc. He also averaged two steals a game for Howard that season. He’s an elite scorer and will provide an instant offensive boost to whichever team obtains his services.

Akoy Agou - Agou will transfer from Georgetown this offseason and should have two years of eligibilty remaining. He averaged 4.5 points and 4.2 rebounds a night on 50% shooting, after missing his sophomore season with an ACL injury. He’s looking for his third home, after transferring from Louisville after his freshman year. Agou will provide a nice post presence wherever he lands, and he visited SMU last weekend, according to Rothstein.

Who’s off the board

Here are all the grad transfers that have already signed. Updated on May 18:

• SG Cullen Neal - Neal is going through the grad transfer process for the second straight offseason. He played three seasons at New Mexico, eventually getting a medical redshirt for his sophomore season, before playing for Ole Miss last season as a grad transfer. He averaged 9.4 points a night, shooting about 41% from the field and from three. He still has one year of eligibility left, and will spend it at St. Mary’s. He first committed there in 2012, before deciding he’d play for his dad at New Mexico first.
• SF Sam Hunt - Hunt will spend his final season at NC State, after originally committing to Pacific. He spent the last two season at North Carolina A&T, after transferring from Jacksonville State after his freshman year. Over his two years with the Aggies, Hunt averaged 14 points, while shooting almost 39% from the field and 35% from deep.
• SG Kassius Robertson - Robertson led Canisius with 16.1 points a game last season, while shooting a deadly 41 percent from deep while launching seven a game. Robertson redshirted his freshman year so, after four years in the middling in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, he’ll graduate and be eligible to contribute immediately. He has his eyes on the Power 5, and will spend his final collegiate season at Missouri.
• PF Jack Whitman - Whitman had a tremendous junior season at William & Mary, almost tripling his scoring from 3.3 points to 10.1 points a game. He didn’t do it at the cost of efficiency either, as he actually brought his field goal percentage up to 66% on more than twice the shots. He also doubled his rebounding, averaging 5.4 boards a night. He’s drawn some attention from coaches since he announced he’d transfer, and Goodman reported that he’ll spend his final season with the Kansas Jayhawks.
• PG Casey Benson - After three years with Oregon, Benson’s graduating this spring and has found a new school. Benson will spend his last season at Grand Canyon under Dan Majerle, where his older brother is an assistant coach. After he averaged six points, 3.1 assists, and 2.3 rebounds in 28.7 minutes per night, starting every game in 2015-16, Benson’s averages only dropped his senior season. Benson ended the season averaging 4.9 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.7 rebounds in 20.9 minutes a game. Ducks coach Dana Altman primarily used Benson as a bench scorer, and Benson only started three games for the Ducks during the 2016-17 season.
• SG Elijah Brown - Oregon’s losing a good amount of talent to the draft and transfer, but Altman will add one of the best scorers on the transfer market next season’s roster. Brown committed to the Ducks on April 30, after averaging 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.3 steals a night for New Mexico last season.
• C Ahmed Hamdy Mohammed - Mohammed is transferring from VCU to spend his final season at TCU, according to Rothstein. The 6’9 forward signed with Houston out of high school and retroactively redshirted his freshman season. Then he transferred to Lee College, a JUCO in Texas, and averaged a double-double, shooting almost 55% from the field. In two seasons at VCU, Mohammed averaged 5.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 12.4 minutes a night.
• PF Khris Lane - Lane will visited VCU over the weekend, and committed to the Rams Saturday. Lane is an instant-impact player. He led Longwood in points, rebounds, and blocks per game with averages of 17 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks a night. He just about doubled his previous season’s scoring efforts, while bumping his field goal percentage up to 54 percent and 34 percent from three. Pitt and VCU were the last two teams in the running, but now consider his recruitment closed.
• PG Kendall Smith - Smith originally had a visit scheduled with Colorado on April 19, but according to Borzello, he cancelled and moved his trip to Oklahoma State up. It appears that the visit was enough to convince him to spend his last season with the Cowboys. The 6’3 California-native transferred to Cal State Northridge after redshirting in 2013-14 and found his role, averaging 16.1 points, four assists, four rebounds and 1.3 steals in 33.8 minutes a night. Smith decided to go the grad transfer route after leading the Matadors in scoring for the second straight year, and the team was a 21-39 over that stretch.
• G Jaaron Simmons - Transferred from: Ohio to Michigan, well sort of. Simmons has officially accepted the Wolverine’s only available scholarship, however he declared for the NBA Draft at the end of March. The NBA released the list of early entrants to the draft and Simmons name remains in the pool. He didn’t sign with an agent, so his fifth year of eligibility is in tact. However, he hasn’t yet decided whether or not he’ll return to school. He found his footing in Ohio and, last season and led the Bobcats in scoring and assists with 15.9 points and 6.5 assists a night. Simmons has until May 24 withdraw his name from the draft, or prepare for the big show.
• C Sean Obi - Transferred from: Duke to Maryland. From SB Nation’s Testudo Times, “Without Damonte Dodd and L.G. Gill, Maryland needs a heck of a lot of help at center and power forward. Michal Cekovsky and Justin Jackson figure to start there, but the Terps have a lack of experience down low.” Obi averaged near a double-double his freshman year at Rice, before transferring to Duke and getting lost in the Blue Devils’ frontcourt depth and only playing 10 games since, in 2015-16. He’ll figure to have a larger role for a Maryland team that needed a big.
• G Markel Crawford - Crawford was one of six players to transfer from Memphis following the season, and the Tigers may have even lost a 2017 target to a Division II school. Crawford will instead graduate and spend his final season at Ole Miss. The 6’4 guard averaged 12.8 points last season, shooting 48% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc. He brings versatility to the Rebels, as he can play and guard three positions, and also chipped in 4.4 rebounds, almost two assists, and 1.4 steals last season for Memphis.
• PF Egor Koulechov - Koulechov was a top target, but now he’s picked his next destination. According to Daniels, Koulechov will spend his final year of eligibility at Florida. At 6’5, Koulechov had the highest rebounds per game and three-point shooting percentage of available grad transfers. He grabbed almost nine rebounds a game and shot the ball at a 47 percent clip from both the field and, more impressively, from three.
• PF Kerem Kanter - Transferred from: Green Bay to Xavier. Enes Kanter’s younger brother averaged 11.3 points and 6.3 rebounds a night on 51 percent shooting, including shooting 35 percent from three. He declared for the NBA without hiring an agent, so he’ll have the same deadline as Simmons to decide whether he’ll leave for the league or spend a season with Xavier first.
• PF TK Edogi - Transferred from: Tulsa to Iona. Averaged 4.2 points and 3.7 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game, shooting 63 percent from the field. He’ll seek a bigger role on an Iona team that got bounced by Oregon in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
• SG Zach Lewis - Transferred from: UMass to Iona. Averaged 8.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, and 1.0 spg while shooting 34 percent from the field and 29 percent from three. Will join Edogi on the Gaels.
• G Duane Wilson - Transferred from: Marquette to Texas A&M. Wilson’s a former top-100 recruit, and averaged 11.8 points and 28 minutes per game during his first two seasons with Marquette after he took a medical redshirt his freshman year. Wilson’s production and minutes took a hit last season and he only averaged around five points and 16 minutes per game.
• F Henry Caruso - Transferred from: Princeton to Santa Clara. Caruso led Princeton in scoring in 2015-16 before losing last season to injury, putting up 15 points per game shooting an efficient 52 percent from the field and a deadly 45 percent from distance. He also chipped in 6.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 steals a night.
• PF Greg McClinton - Transferred from: Wake Forest to Old Dominion. He didn’t play much last season, but did hit an 80-foot buzzer beater against Virginia Tech in the ACC tournament. It was his first career three-pointer.
• G Nigel Johnson - Transferred from: Rutgers to Virginia. In 16-17: 11.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2 apg, .377 FG, .350 3pt, 1.2 spg, 0.1 bpg.
• SF Nick King - Transferred from: Alabama to Middle Tennessee. In 16-17: 3.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.4 apg, .320 FG%, .231 3pt%, 0.7 spg, 0.3 bpg in seven games.
• PF Nura Zanna - Transferred from: LIU Brooklyn to Houston. In 16-17: 9.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 0.5 apg, 0.624 FG%, 0.7 spg, 0.3 bpg.
• G Terrence Samuel - Transferred from: Penn State to South Florida. In 16-17: 3.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.8 apg, .407 FG%, 0.333 3pt%, 0.6 spg.
• G Stephan Jiggetts - Transferred from: Farleigh Dickinson to South Florida. In 16-17: 13.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.2 apg, .392 FG%, 0.313 3pt%, 0.6 spg, 0.1 bpg.
• F Payton Banks - Transferred from: Penn State to South Florida. In 16-17: 10.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1 apg, .362 FG%, 0.363 3pt%, 0.4 spg, 0.3 bpg.
• F Seth Berger - Transferred from: UMass to Oregon State. In 16-17: 2.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.2 apg, .508 FG%, .211 3pt%, 0.5 spg, 0.2 bpg.
• F Christian Sengfelder - Transferred from: Fordham to Boise State. In 16-17: 12.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 0.8 apg, .424 FG%, .335 3pt%, 0.9 spg, 0.4 bpg.
• SG Isaiah Washington - Transferred from: Penn State to Quinnipiac. In 16-17: 0.7 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 0.1 apg, .214 FG%, 0.25 3pt%, 0.1 spg.
• G Marcus Jackson - Transferred from: Rice to Santa Barbara. In 16-17: 12.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, .435 FG%, 0.368 3pt%, 0.9 spg, 0.1 bpg.
• G Antwoine Anderson - Transferred from: Fordham to Connecticut. In 16-17: 11.1 ppg, 2 rpg, 3.2 apg, .409 FG%, .344 3pt%, 1.7 spg.
• G/F Nick Fuller - Transferred from: Nebraska to South Dakota. In 16-17: 1.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.3 apg, .667 FG%, .300 3pt%, 0.1 spg in 15 games.
• SG J.T. Miller - Transferred from: Howard to Missouri State. In 16-17: 14.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2 apg, .422 FG%, 0.258 3pt%, 1.5 spg, 0.4 bpg.
• G A.J. Lapray - Transferred from: Pepperdine to Rice. In 15-16: 2.9 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.6 apg, .309 FG%, .298 3pt%, 0.4 spg, 0.1 bpg in 14 games.Lapray didn’t play last season, after medically retiring due to lingering hip injuries.
• SG Al Freeman - Transferred from: Baylor to NC State. In 16-17: 9.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.2 apg, .431 FG%, 0.395 3pt%, 0.4 spg, 0 bpg.
• PG Justin Bibbins - Transferred from: Long Beach State to Utah. In 16-17: 13.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.6 apg, .398 FG%, .375 3pt%, 1.3 spg, 0 bpg.
• SG Malcolm Allen - Transferred from: Stanford to Arizona. In 16-17: 1.9 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.8 apg, .429 FG%, 0.167 3pt%, 0.5 spg, 0 bpg.
• PF Roschon Prince - Transferred from: Long Beach State to Detroit. In 16-17: 9.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1 apg, .466 FG%, n/a 3pt%, 0.6 spg, 0.4 bpg.
• G/F Ray Bowles - Transferred from: Pacific to Fresno State. In 16-17: 13.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.7 apg, .355 FG%, 0.315 3pt%, 0.8 spg, 0.3 bpg.
• Dontel Highsmith - Transferred from: Northern Illinois to Cleveland State. In 16-17: 6.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.7 apg, .406 FG%, .311 3pt%, 1.0 spg, 0.1 bpg.
• G Richaud Gittens - Transferred from: Weber State to Seattle. In 16-17: 7.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, .457 FG%, .375 3pt%, 0.8 spg, 0.0 bpg. Gittens broke his foot in summer 2016. He rehabbed his Jones fracture in time for the for the start of his senior year, but would only play six games before reinjuring his foot. He was granted a medical redshirt and will end his career at Seattle.
• SG Jordan Hill - Transferred from: Wisconsin to Seattle. In 16-17: 1.5 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.5 apg, .352 FG%, .257 3pt%,, 0.2 spg, 0.0 bpg.
• F Dylan Jones - Transferred from: Penn to Rice. Jones didn’t play in 2016-17 season, after only playing four games for Penn the season prior. In his three seasons with Penn, averaged 1.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.1 apg, 0.2 steals and 0.2 blocks over 47 games. He’ll graduate and join, Rice’s newly-promoted coach, Scott Pera’s program.
• C Maurice Kirby - Transferred from: Loyola U-Chicago to IUPUI. In 16-17: 1.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.3 apg, .4558 FG%, n/a 3pt%, 0.2 spg, 0.3 bpg.
• F Kevin Mickle - Transferred from: Florida Gulf Coast to Ohio. In 16-17: 1.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.3 apg, .519 FG%, .000 3pt%, 0.4 spg, 0.3 bpg
• C Wadley Mompremier - Transferred from: Ohio to Arkansas - Little Rock. In 15-16: 2.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.1 apg, .551 FG%, .400 3pt%, 0.1 spg, 1.1 bpg. Wadley redshirted in 2016-17 ,to preserve his last year of eligibility.
• C Duby Okeke - Transferred from: Winthrop to Nebraska. In 16-17: 3.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 0.1 apg, .600 FG%, .000 3pt%, 0.1 spg, 1.4 bpg
• C/F Nick Madray - Transferred from: Eastern Michigan to Wagner. In 16-17: 2.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 0.1 apg, .444 FG%, n/a 3pt%, 0.4 spg, 0.5 bpg.
• F Rodney Hawkins - Transferred from: St. Peter’s to Pikesville. In 15-16: 5.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 0.8 apg, .439 FG%, .292 3pt%, 0.3 spg, 0.4 bpg. Hawkins didn’t play last season and will play his final season with Pikesville, which plays Division I basketball in the smaller National Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
• G Antino Jackson - Transferred from: Akron to New Mexico. In 16-17: 8.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.3 apg, .408 FG%, .340 3pt%, 0.9 spg, 0.1 bpg.
• C Mark Donnal - Transferred from: Michigan to Clemson. In 16-17: 3.9 ppg, 2 rpg, 0.1 apg, .651 FG%, 0.5 3pt%, 0.3 spg, 0.3 bpg.
• PF Jeremy Combs - Transferred from: North Texas to LSU. In 16-17: 10.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 0.5 apg, .563 FG%, .000 3pt%, 1 spg, 0.6 bpg.
• F Jeremy Verhagen - Transferred from: Northern Colorado to Nicholls. Verhagen sat out last season. In 15-16: 6.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 0.3 apg, .522 FG%, .250 3pt%, 0.3 spg, 0.7 bpg.
• C Matthew Atewe - Transferred from: Washington to Pepperdine. In 16-17: 2.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.1 apg, .516 FG%, n/a 3pt%, 0.2 spg, 0.7 bpg.
• PG Trey Dickerson - Transferred from: South Dakota to Georgetown. In 16-17: 10.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.8 apg, .404 FG%, .333 3pt%, 0.6 spg, 0.1 bpg.
• C Legend Robertin - Transferred from: Clemson to Nicholls. In 16-17: 0.9 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 0.0 apg, .600 FG%, n/a 3pt%, 0.1 spg, 0.9 bpg.
• F Jeff Beverly - Transferred from: UT - San Antonio to Iowa State. In 16-17: 15.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1 apg, .397 FG%, .232 3pt%, 0.4 spg, 0.2 bpg.
• G Andrew Dakich - Transferred from: Michigan to Quinnipiac. Dakich sat out last season to preserve a year of eligibility. In 15-16: 0.6 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.6 apg, .417 FG%, .167 3pt%, 0.3 spg, 0 bpg.
• C Marin Maric - Transferred from: Northern Illinois to DePaul. In 16-17: 14.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 0.8 apg, .566 FG%, .277 3pt%, 0.7 spg, 0.5 bpg.
• F Hans Brase - Transferred from: Princeton to Iowa State. Brase missed the entire 2015-16 season due to injury, and had to withdraw from school to maintain eligibility. He played in all of five games last season before a knee injury cut it short. In 14-15: 11.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.1 apg, .424 FG%, 0.345 3pt%, 0.6 spg, 0.5 bpg
• G/F Monty Boykins - Transferred from: Lafayette to Pittsburgh. Boykins missed all but one game last season after injuring his shoulder. In 15-16: 10.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.9 apg, .384 FG%, .358 3pt%, 0.6 spg, 0.1 bpg.
• G/F Donte Clark - Transferred from: UMass to Coastal Carolina. In 16-17: 12.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.9 apg, .406 FG%, .301 3pt%, 0.9 spg, 0.4 bpg.
• G Malcolm Duvivier - Transferred from: Oregon State to Akron. Duvivier missed all of last season due to personal reasons. In 15-16: 6.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.2 apg, .377 FG%, 0.361 3pt%, 0.4 spg, 0.2 bpg.
• G Maurice O’Field - Transferred from: Arizona State to Nicholls. In 16-17: 0.8 ppg, 0.6 rpg, 0.4 apg, .571 FG%, .000 3pt%, 0.1 spg, 0.0 bpg.
• F Rasheed Anthony - Transferred from: Seton Hall to St. Louis. In 16-17: 0.2 ppg, 0.6 rpt, 0.0 apg, .333 FG%, n/a 3pt%, 0.0 spg, 0.0 bpg.
• C Rozelle Nix - Transferred from: Pittsburgh to South Alabama. In 16-17: 1.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.1 apg, .375 FG%, n/a 3pt%, 0.0 spg, 0.2 bpg.
• PF Alex Foster - Transferred from: Bradley to Albany. In 16-17: 2.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.1 apg, .552 FG%, n/a 3pt%, 0.0 spg, 0.3 bpg.
• G/F Darius Thompson - Transferred from: Virginia to Western Kentucky. This one’s not official yet, but is being reported as if it’s a done deal. In 16-17: 6.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.2 apg, .457 FG%, .321 3pt%, 0.8 spg, 0.4 bpg.