Mid-Season Transfer Targets: High Major Edition

These high major players haven't had the seasons that many expected from them, which could lead to them entering their names into the portal come season's end.

It may still be early in the season, but I can guarantee you that competent college basketball programs are already reaching out to players who could potentially enter their names into the transfer portal come the end of their year. There are countless names that could fit into this category, whether it be mid-major stars looking to prove themselves against stiffer competition, high-major role players who believe they will stand out in a weaker conference, or players who just aren’t big fans of their school’s local weather. For today’s piece, I’ve selected a handful of players who I believe will seek greener pastures at the end of this season. I want to discuss why this is the case, and in what kind of system they would be best suited to thrive in. This is simply a prediction of what I think is likely to transpire, not an endorsement for certain players to leave a program. Every one of these players could very well stay put and wait for their opportunity to come naturally…I just don’t foresee that being the case.

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Isaac McKneely | Virginia

6'4” | 188lbs | Combo Guard | Junior

The Virginia Cavaliers have had an incredibly odd and disappointing season up to this point. Just days before their season began, long time head coach Tony Bennett announced his retirement from the sport, leaving the program and its players in limbo. One could argue that junior guard Isaac McKneely has been negatively affected by this situation more than anyone else on the roster. After a sophomore season where he emerged as one of the better guards in the ACC, many expected him to take a major leap heading into his junior campaign. However, he has more or less plateaued this year, looking slightly better according to some metrics and slightly worse according to others. That said, I would argue that him keeping up his solid level of play despite the trials and tribulations he’s been forced to face is a more impressive feat than many are giving him credit for. McKneely is a legitimately solid prospect who has lost a pivotal year of development, and considering I doubt the Cavaliers will be much better next year I suspect he will seriously consider joining a new program.

This season, McKneely is posting averages of 12.4 points, 3 assists, 3.2 rebounds, .8 steals, and .1 blocks per game on shooting splits of 42.2% from the field, 42.3% from three, and 73.7% from the free-throw line. He has slightly improved in every counting stat (besides blocks, as he sat at .2 last year) but has gotten slightly worse from beyond the arc and is facing an 11% decline at the charity stripe. That said, where he has seen the most improvement is in his passing and overall facilitating. He has doubled his assist output while seeing only a marginal increase in his turnover rate. This clear improvement as an initiator makes him a far more versatile guard, allowing him to seamlessly fit into most offensive systems. His other strong offensive trait is his outside shooting. Last season he sat at 44.5% from beyond the arc and 39.2% the year before that, all while increasing his volume every year. Players like McKneely are at a premium in today’s college basketball landscape, an older guard with strong decision-making instincts and the ability to knock down the three with the best of them.

If he does decide to enter the transfer portal, I think McKneely will find himself near the top of the transfer rankings almost immediately. Many top programs will court him, but I’d be shocked if he doesn’t suit up for a three-point focused program with an offensive minded coach. The first name that comes to mind is Pat Kelsey and the Louisville Cardinals, a program that has been wildly impressive this season being led by one of the best offensive coaches in the country. I could also see him heading home to West Virginia to join the Mountaineers. This is a program now headed by up-and-coming coach Darian DeVries, and they’ve had a fantastic season up to this point. Other teams on my short list include Illinois, Iowa, and Purdue. All five of these programs offered McKneely out of high school when he was a four-star recruit, meaning he’s already familiar with them and vice versa. No matter where he goes, I’m confident they will be in a better position than Virginia, and that he will finally get a chance to prove just how good he can be.

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