Recently I dove into the impact that graduate transfers had for SEC teams last season.
Basically, I discovered that no one managed to replicate the same success in the SEC that they enjoyed in the mid and low major conferences.
However, the most successful grad transfers—names like Canyon Barry and Bola Olaniyan–followed this formula for success: be elite in an area where the team you are transferring to is deficient.
So what can we expect this year from the nine graduate transfers on seven SEC teams?
First Tier – Potential Stars
James Daniel III – Tennessee via Howard
Daniel is a small guard at 6’0 and 170 pounds, but he gets buckets.
He only played in two games last year before receiving a medical redshirt for an ankle injury. As a junior, he averaged 27.1 points per game on his way to becoming Howard’s all-time leading scorer.
He would have easily eclipsed the MEAC record too had he played last season (only about 300 points shy). He led the MEAC in 3-point attempts and led the nation in free throw attempts (over 11 per game!) in 2015-16.
Daniel has an elite skill as a scorer and Tennessee needs a scoring guard to compliment sophomore big man Grant Williams.
Daniel shot 33% from three while putting up a ton of them at Howard. Assuming he does not have quite the green light at Tennessee, his shot selection will be better and his percentage will go up.
He won’t get to the line nearly as much in the SEC but he will likely average double-digit scoring for the Vols this season.
Egor Koulechov – Florida via Rice and Arizona State
Koulechov, a 6’5 guard originally from Israel, was a first team Conference USA player last year at Rice in scoring 18.2 points per game and grabbing 8.9 rebounds per game.
However, it is a little concerning that when he played tougher competition at Arizona State in the Pac-12 that his averages were a pedestrian 3.7 points per game and 2.8 rebounds per game.
But, the SEC is becoming a league of big guards who can do it all—think Dazon Ingram, Mustapha Heron, and Sindarius Thornwell.
Koulechov will fit that mold and play a crucial role for the Gators. He should be factor on an already impressive team.
Randy Onwuasor – LSU via Southern Utah and Texas Tech
Onwuasor is another fairly big guard (6’3, 205 lbs) that can fill up the nets.
Last season at Southern Utah, he scorched the Big Sky for 23.6 points per game (fifth in the nation) and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 83% from the line.
Similarly to Koulechov, he also struggled to produce in a more competitive conference when he played in the Big 12 at Texas Tech, only averaged 4.2 points per game in 18 minutes.
LSU lost Antonio Blakeney to the Chicago Bulls, so there is an opening for another scoring guard at LSU.
With pass-first point guard Tremont Waters drawing rave reviews in Baton Rouge, Onwuasor could get the shots required to make a significant impact for the Tigers.
Second Tier – Important Role Players
Duane Wilson – Texas A&M via Marquette
Wilson was a solid three-year contributor at Marquette, averaging 8.8 points last season. Recruiting rankings projected him as a consensus top 100 player coming out of high school.
If you watched the Aggies last year, you know what the glaring problem was. Hint: it wasn’t their frontcourt that has a projected lottery pick and two other potential NBA players.
Wilson already has made his way into the starting lineup, starting last week’s exhibition against Texas.
He has to play an important role in order for A&M to live up to the hype this season.
Markel Crawford – Ole Miss via Memphis
Crawford was a part of the incredible implosion of the Memphis roster after last season. He comes to Oxford after averaging double digits at Memphis.
Crawford is a skilled combo guard that will be added to a solid stable of backcourt players for the Rebels.
Ole Miss is going to miss Sebastian Saiz but most coaches in the league agree that you’ll go farther with good guard play than good post play.
Kassius Robertson – Missouri via Canisius
Robertson is an average-sized guard who can really fill it up from deep (41% last season). He averaged 16.1 points per game last year for Canisius.
Every team needs a shooter, and Missouri has landed one in Robertson.
With Michael Porter Jr. doing his work from all spots on the floor, teams are going to be busy locating him. This should allow Robertson plenty of space to bomb away.
He could easily move into the Top Tier category.
Wesley Myers – South Carolina via Maine and Niagara
Myers averaged 16.9 points a game last season at Maine.
He also had a great season at Niagara, who regularly produces big scorers like Antione Mason, a former Auburn grad transfer.
Myers has a tremendous opportunity at South Carolina, who lost high scoring guards Sindarius Thornwell and P.J. Dozier.
Third Tier – Looking for Quality Minutes
Frank Booker – South Carolina via Florida Atlantic and Oklahoma
Booker, who grew up in Iceland, averaged 5.7 points per game for Florida Atlantic last year.
He will have a chance to play quality minutes for South Carolina team that will look a lot different this year after losing several guards.
Booker scored 11 points in 16 minutes in the team’s exhibition win over Erskine.
Jeremy Combs – LSU via North Texas
Combs is a former Conference USA Second Team player and was even runner-up for the Freshman of the Year.
The 6’7 forward averaged 10.2 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game for the Mean Green last season.
Combs could carve at a role for LSU this year depending on how players fit in Will Wade’s system.
However, Combs is coming off an ankle injury that caused him to miss 16 games last year, so how it has healed remains to be seen.