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2009-2010 BIG EAST PREVIEWS: IMPACT TRANSFERS

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This could be an unprecedented season in the Big East in terms of transfer students making an impact on the conference standings. There will be nine teams counting on 11 eligible transfers this season to make an impact on their line-ups. The transfers range from the sub 6-foot point guards to the near 7-foot big men and everywhere in between, filling holes throughout the league.

All in all, we count 11 players as impact transfers this season, the number would certainly have been 12 if not for the preseason injury to Scott Martin of Notre Dame, who was scheduled to undergo surgery yesterday to repair a torn ACL. The transfer from Purdue was a projected starter for the Irish this season, but his return to the court will have to wait another season.

Here are the new names in the conference via a Division 1-A transfer that fans need to know in 2009-2010:

2009-2010 Preseason All-Big East Impact Transfer Team

1st Team:

- PG: Chase Adams, Pittsburgh
The Panthers will be looking to fill the void left by Levance Fields’ graduation and Chase Adams could be walking right into the perfect situation. With redshirt freshman Travon Woodall in the mix and sophomore Ashton Gibbs as well, Adams comes to Pitt as a transfer from Centenary College and the NCAA ruled he is eligible immediately after Centenary decided to de-emphasize their athletic program.

While other players have bigger reputations, the 5-foot-10 Adams had the highest scoring average of any of the incoming transfers in his previous playing experience, averaging 14.6 points a game last season for the Gentlemen. Adams was also voted the Summit League’s Defensive Player of the Year as he placed 8th in the nation with an average of 2.7 steals a game.

“I feel like I bring a lot of energy and passion for defense, not saying their defense has been bad in the past, but I really care a lot about getting stops and battling and fighting for loose balls,” Adams told NBE at the recent Pitt media day. “I think this group has a ton of toughness already and I think I add to that with my toughness and I bring a veteran presence to a team with a lot of young guys on it along with Jermaine (Dixon), Brad (Wanamaker) and Nas (Robinson).”

Adams also connected on 40% of his three-point attempts last season while shooting 70% from the foul line. His attention to defense and an assist-to-turnover ratio of over 2.2:1 fits in well with Jamie Dixon’s philosophy at Pitt. Adams has a very real chance to start at point guard this season for the Panthers.
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- SG: Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame
The last time college basketball fans saw Ben Hansbrough in action was in the 2008 NCAA Tournament. In a second round contest, Hansbrough scored 19 points, leading Mississippi State to a near upset of eventual national runner-up Memphis.

Now, Hansbrough, the younger brother of recently graduated North Carolina star Tyler Hansbrough, enters the mix for the Irish as their starting shooting guard, filling in for Kyle McAlarney who graduated after last season.

As a sophomore at Mississippi State, the 6-foot-3 native of Poplar Bluff (MO) averaged 10.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists on an NCAA Tournament team. Hansbrough looks to be a near mirror-image in style to the departed McAlarney with a quick trigger from three-point range and plays with the same intensity and effort of his older brother. He also saw the perfect fit in the Irish when he was looking for a new home to finish his college career.

“I left Mississippi State and came here and had an idea of the kind of team I wanted to play for,” Hansbrough told UND.com at the recent Irish media day. “As soon as I got to Notre Dame I knew. They’ve led the country in assists the past three years, that tells you there are a lot of unselfish players on this team.”

With the graduation of perimeter threats McAlarney, Ryan Ayers and Luke Zeller, along with the season-ending inury to Scott Martin, Hansbrough will get plenty of opportunities to light up the scoreboard from beyond the arc in an offense predicated on the inside-out attack with the Big East coaches pick as the conference preseason Player of the Year Luke Harangody in the paint.
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- SF: Wesley Johnson, Syracuse
Another player walking into a situation that is tailor-made for his skills is Wesley Johnson, the 6-foot-7 Iowa State transfer that has Syracuse Orange fans feeling optimistic of the upcoming season. Despite losing sophomore Jonny Flynn and juniors Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf to the professional ranks following last season’s Sweet 16 season, Jim Boeheim has spent the past few months touting the new addition at small forward.

“Wesley shoots it well, he obviously gets up and down the court, he jumps and he’s a good rebounder,” Boeheim told the Auburn Citizen recently. “He’s a (6-7) guys that can run the court, shoot the basketball and rebound – all good qualities.”

In the Syracuse system that has seen small forwards in the past with his qualities put up big time numbers, Johnson looks like he fits the mold perfectly. As a freshman at Iowa State he averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds and was regarded as the second best frosh in the Big 12 behind only Kevin Durant. He fought through leg injuries as a sophomore, playing with a stress fracture, but still managed 12.4 points a game despite playing without his trademark explosive athleticism. Now, 100% healthy, many are counting on Johnson to have the biggest impact of all the newcomers in the Big East and possibly the country among transfers.

From the early moments he stepped on the court last season with his new Orange teammates, he has impressed them.

“Wow, how’d we get him?” Antonio Jardine told the Citizen with a grin when asked of his first impression seeing Johnson last year in practice. “How’d we pull that off?”

Now, his time has come to make that impression in games with the lights on in the Big East. When he became available with a release from Iowa State, just about every school in the conference was hoping to land his services to finish his college career. SU got his first visit and he found his new home.
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- PF: Herb Pope, Seton Hall
While most teams are utilizing a transfer here and there to fill in a hole or a missing piece, Bobby Gonzalez and Seton Hall seem to be betting their future on transfers blending together to move the Pirates up the Big East ladder. Over the last three seasons, a true power forward has been a big missing piece of the SHU attack, those days look to be over this season with the addition of Herb Pope.

Pope appeared in the final 16 games of his freshman season at New Mexico State, helping the team go 12-4 in that stretch and into the WAC conference tournament final. NM State fell short, losing in overtime to Boise State, as Pope scored 20 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. In his 16 games at New Mexico State, the 6-foot-8 Pope averaged 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 24 minutes of action.

The story on Pope is pretty well known. Growing up in Aliquippa (PA), 30 miles or so outside of Pittsburgh, Pope bounced around from foster homes and relatives as his parents were in and out of jail. Trouble also seemed to follow the talented Pope as he was sent home from an AAU tournament prior to his senior season after an altercation with a coach. After seeing all the major conference schools stop recruiting him, Pope decided to sign in the late signing period with Reggie Theus and New Mexico State. Not long after, Pope was shot four times following an altercation at a party. While returning to Pittsburgh in December of his freshman season, Pope was arrested for DUI as police found him passed out behind a wheel of a running car in a traffic lane. So, while his talent and potential are unquestioned, there is a risk associated to adding him to your program. However, after a full season at Seton Hall and under the mentoring for former Pittsburgh All-American Charles Smith, Pope looks to be taking advantage of a new chance.

“We all have a lot to prove and coach has stressed eliminating the distractions,” Pope told NBE last month. “It’s up to us to listen to him and play hard.”

On the court, Pope fills the power forward hole in Gonzalez’s system perfectly based on his talent and skill set. He can rebound and he can pass. He has a strong basketball IQ as long as he is not forcing the issue with his offense. He can face up, back down a defender and is built like a NBA power forward with the skills to potentially play on the way at the next level as well. However, Pope is only focusing on the here and now as a Pirate.

“Right now for each and every one of us,” said Pope, “it’s about the team.”

While many are pointing at Wesley Johnson as the transfer with the biggest impact in the conference and possibly nationally, that could very well be the safe choice. However, if the full potential of Herb Pope is reached this season, look out, there might not be a bigger story to develop in the nation this year.
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- C: Ibrahima Thomas, Cincinnati
Cincinnati fans and head coach Mick Cronin all are big believers that this will be a breakthrough season for the UC program under coach Cronin. After four consecutive non-NCAA Tournament seasons, this is the season that a return to the ‘Big Dance’ is supposed to be a reality. With a solid core of returning players lef by Deonta Vaughn and Yancy Gates, plus highly acclaimed frosh Lance Stephenson, the Bearcat talent is at a new peak. Come December, the frontcourt will get a little deeper, taller and talented when Oklahoma State transfer Ibrahima Thomas is eligible to join the rotation.

As a sophomore for the Cowboys, Thomas averaged 8.3 points and 3.9 rebounds, playing 21 minutes a game in seven contests early in the season before deciding to look for a new home. The 6-foot-11, 230-lb native of Senegal decided to come east and compete in the Big East with the Bearcats and they were happy to have him.

Thomas has the skills to step out on the perimeter and shoot out to the three-point arc. He could provide a perfect high-low combo in the paint with Gates. His addition to a frontcourt that also includes 7-footer Anthony McClain and bruising PF/C Steven Toyloy gives UC one of the biggest line-ups in the conference.
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2009-2010 Preseason All-Big East Impact Transfer Team

2nd Team:

- PG: Anthony Crater, South Florida
The Bulls have also tried to use the transfer model as a way to climb up the Big East ladder, to date, however, they have not found a whole lot of luck in that regard. Anthony Crater, a native of Flint (MI) comes to the Bulls via Ohio State where he played in just 10 games as a freshman before opting to transfer. Likely the point guard of the future for Stan Heath, Crater becomes eligible in mid-December and will share the lead guard duties with senior Chris Howard for the balance of the season.
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- SG: Keon Lawrence, Seton Hall
Another very talented transfer joins the mix at Seton Hall in Newark (NJ) native Keon Lawrence who came back home after two seasons at Missouri. As a sophomore, Lawrence averaed 11 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 29 minutes on a Tiger team that missed the post-season. Lawrence is another with NBA potential with size and athletic ability in the backcourt, but needs to learn to play under control and mesh with his teammates. A year away from the game to practice and fine-tune his skills could do wonders for the 6-foot-3 guard. He certainly has the talent to be among the top four or 5ive transfers, but opportunity might be limited as the SHU backcourt has several options this season and everyone will need to play their roles.
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F/G: Taylor King, Villanova
A highly touted recruit from California, Taylor King appeared in 34 games as a freshman at Duke, averaging 5.5 points in just 10 minutes of action a game. Known to lite it up quickly from beyond the three-point arc, King connected on 43 of 114 attempts from beyond the arc in 2007-2008. With a talented backcourt of players able to drive and dish, King projects to be a pure shooter off the bench, relieving Corey Stokes, this season for the Wildcats.
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F: Jonathan Mitchell, Rutgers
After playing his first two seasons at the University of Florida, earning a national championship ring as a freshman, Mount Vernon (NY) native Jonathan Mitchell comes closer to home and reunites with former high school teammate Mike Coburn on the Rutgers roster. Mitchell appeared in 35 games as a sophomore, averaging 3 points in 11 minutes of action. He will be expected to become the starting power forward for the Scarlet Knights this seasons and stabilize a position that has not lived up to its potential under Fred Hill.
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F: Eric Wallace, DePaul
With DePaul needing help all over following an 0-18 conference regular season in 2008-2009, Ohio State transfer Eric Wallace will be counted on to make an immediate impact at the forward position. A North Carolina native who prepped at Hargrave Military Academy, Wallace attended Ohio State as a freshman, but saw just 4.8 minutes a game in 15 contests with the Buckeyes, averaging 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds. Wallace adds some strength and athletic ability to the Blue Demon frontcourt.

Big East Impact Transfer Honorable Mention:

F: Jeff Robinson, Seton Hall
A testament to the improved depth at Seton Hall has Jeff Robinson coming in to a complimentary role when he is eligible to play in mid-December. The New Jersey native was a highly touted recruit out of Elizabeth (NJ) prep power St. Patrick and played a season and a half for John Calipari at Memphis. Robinson was a solid reserve as a freshman on the NCAA Tournament runner-up Tiger squad, averaging 3 points and 2.3 rebounds in 9 minutes of action per outing in 28 games. He appeared in just 5 games as a sophomore as some nagging injuries and a little off court trouble put him behind some newcomers at Memphis and he decided to transfer closer to home mid-year. Robinson will play a role at SHU behind forwards Pope and Robert Mitchell and wings Jeremy Hazell and Keon Lawrence this season as he tries to assimilate himself into the rotation in mid-season. Look for a bigger role in the future for Robinson with SHU.
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