College basketball transfer portal: Sir'Jabari Rice, Souley Boum headline booming under-the-radar transfers – 247Sports

“Fit” and “opportunity” are two popular buzzwords throughout the college basketball transfer portal. The transfers who have had the most success this season have found that perfect combination between a seamless fit and the necessary opportunity to showcase their skills. Usually, the fit is clunky or the opportunity has not been there for the transfers who have struggled to find their groove.
Plenty of the biggest names at the top of the transfer portal rankings have turned into studs, but a bunch of programs uncovered some gems in the portal that were not quite household names.
Make no mistake, coaches are building a sell for the next transfer portal cycle. The programs with a good track record will be set up for success when the next wave of transfers enter the portal on March 13.
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Here are 12 transfers who were ranked outside the top-50 who have transformed into vital pieces for their respective teams.
Numbers to know: 11.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 36% from 3
Iowa State transfer Tyrese Hunter was the more-heralded addition for Texas, but Rice has become a player Rodney Terry cannot take off the floor. Rice is an elite connector for everything Texas is trying to do. The New Mexico State transfer doesn’t have a high usage rate (22.8), but Texas is outscoring opponents by 20.22 points per 100 possessions with Rice on the floor this year, according to Pivot Analysis. Texas owns a +15.69 net rating with Rice in the game during Big 12 play. His shot fake is becoming legendary, and he’s draining 37.5% of his catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. Opponents are shooting a measly 29.5% from the floor when Rice is the closest defender, according to Synergy. Rice is the best sixth man in the country.
Numbers to know: 16.4 points, 4.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 41.6% from 3
Boum has become the straw that stirs the drink for one of the best teams in the Big East. Xavier is in the mix for the Big East crown, and if it gets the job done, Boum will have a strong case for Player of the Year. The UTEP transfer jumped up a level knowing that his volume of shots was going to go down. But his efficiency numbers across the board have spiked under Sean Miller. Boum is in the middle of his best shooting season on 3s, 2s and from the free throw line. He’s leveled up against enough tougher competition.
Numbers to know: 10.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 66.9 FG%
Talent has never been an issue for Dainja, but his body was all out of sorts and no one really knew what to expect from the Illini big man this season. Six points and four rebounds would’ve probably been a realistic preseason expectation for a guy who played just nine minutes of college basketball at Baylor.
He’s blown those modest expectations out of the water in his true “freshman” season.
After some troubling December showings, Illinois coach Brad Underwood inserted Dainja into the starting lineup, and the Illini reeled off a 9-3 surge. Dainja isn’t at the Zach Edey, Trayce Jackson-Davis levels yet, but he’s certainly cemented himself as one of the top-half Big Ten big men. He’s won head-to-head matchups with Iowa’s Filip Rebraca, Michigan State’s Mady Sissoko and Rutgers’ Cliff Omoruyi.
Dainja’s soft hands, quick feet and shifty hips have all translated immediately. He ranks in the 84th percentile nationally in scoring efficiency off post-ups, per Synergy. Brice Sensabaugh (Ohio State), Kris Murray (Iowa) and Jalen Pickett (Penn State) are the only Big Ten players who have better efficiency off post-ups than Dainja’s impressive 1.036 points per possession mark.
There’s a strong argument brewing that Illinois needs to feed Dainja even more to reach its offensive ceiling.
Numbers to know: 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 40.8% from 3
No one knew what to expect from Johnson. Even Kansas State’s coaching staff was trying to temper expectations early in preseason workouts. Johnson had missed two years. Doctors forced him to not do literally anything for months while they ran tests to see if his heart was intact.
Turns out, Johnson is a complete alien.
The chiseled, 6-foot-6, 230-pound wing has made a triumphant return to the floor and looks even better than his old self. Johnson is a huge reason behind Kansas State’s revival. Jerome Tang has given him the keys to the offense, and Johnson has put the pedal to the metal. Johnson looks like a First-Team All-Big 12 lock, and his defense can be absolutely nasty. He looks like the best athlete on the floor 24/7.
Numbers to know: 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals
Joiner looked like an ideal fit for NC State on paper, but it’s been even better than anyone could have predicted. Get your cliches out: “Fit like a glove”, “Match made in heaven” or “Perfect marriage.” I’ll be here all week. Pick your favorite platitude, and it probably works for Joiner and NC State.
Going from a molasses tempo in Ole Miss to Kevin Keatts’ vroom-vroom gameplan has been just what the doctor ordered for Joiner. He’s handled the heavy workload without a problem, and he’s had five 20-plus showings during ACC play. Despite the pace and the 35.6 minutes per game, Joiner is still immune to turning the basketball over. He’s also been one of the ACC’s best pick-and-roll navigators this season.
NC State is hurtling toward an NCAA Tournament bid, and it has all the makings of a scary team because of its flame-throwing backcourt.
Numbers to know: 18.6 points, 6.2 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 35.7% on 3s
Steve Forbes is building quite a resume on why guards should transfer in and play at Wake Forest. Appleby is the latest example. Frustrating shot selection plagued Appleby at times during his tenure at Florida, but his decision-making has improved leaps and bounds under Forbes. Appleby is in the conversation for the ACC’s best guard. His scoring numbers have spiked because he’s getting to the free throw line constantly (7.1 attempts per game), but the 6.2 dimes have been a treat. Appleby is just ridiculously hard to contain. He earned a well-deserved NIL deal with Applebee’s because, well, duh.
Numbers to know: 13.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals
Holmes just fits the T.J. Otzelberger aura. Holmes is mentally tough, and he definitely doesn’t skip arm day. The St. Bonaventure transfer has become Iowa State’s go-to scorer. Holmes is shooting 37% from 3-point range (a big jump from last year’s 27% mark) and he’s a willing creator for others. Holmes’ individual defensive numbers don’t jump off the screen, but he plays more than 30 minutes a night for an Iowa State defense that ranks eighth in the country in defensive efficiency. Holmes has made Iowa State not miss Tyrese Hunter much at all.
Numbers to know: 19.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 43.2% from 3
The Illinois transfer picked fit and opportunity over a headline-grabbing destination. It’s worked. Podziemski has made a name for himself in the West Coast Conference and NBA Draft circles for good reason. The Illinois transfer has shared the brunt of the ball-handling duties with the speedy Carlos Stewart and it’s become one of the most-productive backcourts in the country.
He’s been deadly as a catch-and-shoot assassin and in pick-and-rolls. Podziemski owns a nearly-unblockable off-the-bounce jumper, and he creates easy buckets in transition. His “want to” on defense can’t be questioned either. Podziemski would likely have an even better shot at WCC Player of the Year honors if Santa Clara didn’t go 0-4 combined against Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s –– the league’s best two teams.
Numbers to know: 16.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.4 blocks
Basile has unlocked a new level at Virginia Tech. The under-the-radar Wright State transfer is averaging a team-high 16.5 points with incredible efficiency. Basile is shooting 38% from 3-point range, averaging nearly two 3-pointers per game. He’s shooting 60% on 2s and 71% from the free throw line. Basile went for 33 in back-to-back games against Notre Dame and Boston College. Virginia Tech’s dangerous guards certainly help Basile get better looks, but he’s become one of the ACC’s best offensive big men.
Numbers to know: 7.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Other transfers have more eye-popping individual numbers than Vander Plas, but his impact on winning looms large. Virginia would not be leading the ACC without the contributions from the Ohio transfer. Vander Plas doesn’t need a play to be run for him to make an impact. He doesn’t turn it over, and he’s transformed into an elite, multi-positional defensive weapon. Vander Plas shuts down post-ups and can switch onto guards and hang in there. His 3-point stroke has fallen off this year, down to just 30%. But he’s proven throughout his career he can be a knockdown shooter. If it returns in March, it will be worth it. But Vander Plas’ defensive versatility has been just what Virginia needed. He’s become Virginia’s best interior defender. Tony Bennett has incredible lineup versatility due to Vander Plas’ mere presence.
Numbers to know: 18.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists
Harkless seemingly left a big role at Oklahoma for UNLV. It’s ended up being a pretty good move for the 6-foot-3, 195-pound senior. Harkless’s production has spiked. He’s been a free throw machine. Harkless helped second-year UNLV coach Kevin Kruger shift to a much more up-tempo attack. UNLV has had stretches this season where it looked like a potential NCAA Tournament team thanks to Harkless making that jump. Harkless is KenPom’s top-rated player in the loaded Mountain West.
Numbers to know: 13.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 39.3% from 3
Do you know who leads the SEC in transition points per game? It’s not Alabama’s sensational freshman Brandon Miller. It’s D’Moi Hodge. The Cleveland State transfer followed Dennis Gates to Mizzou, and he’s absolutely shined. Hodge is shooting a career-high 39.3% from 3-point range on 6.8 attempts. Missouri has exceeded all the expectations because guys like Hodge have had no issues assimilating to the speed and athleticism of the SEC.
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