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UConn men’s basketball 2023 offseason transfer tracker – The UConn Blog
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Keeping tabs on potential transfer portal targets for Dan Hurley this offseason
Transfer portal season is now in full swing as players around the country are already vying for greener pastures with the men’s college basketball transfer portal window officially beginning on March 13. With UConn having wrapped up the NCAA tournament in dominant fashion, it’s time to turn our attention to the portal and check out who could be donning a UConn uniform next season. The May 11 deadline to opt into the portal has passed, and there are still over 1,750 Division I players still searching for new homes according to Verbal Commits.
But first, the grid.
GRID UPDATE @UConnMBB secured a late night commitment from fifth year guard Cam Spencer (shout out to Ed Cooley for the assist).
UConn is now at 12 scholarship players for 2023-2024 and will likely start focusing on building the 2024 recruiting class. pic.twitter.com/kV3Jrfu5tN
Jordan Hawkins, and Adam Sanogo have recently declared for the NBA draft. Andre Jackson will reportedly test the NBA waters and secured a combine invite alongside Hawkins and Sanogo. Tristen Newton received a G-league combine invite but it was not enough to lure him from the college ranks, as he chose to return. Naheim Alleyne left to join forces with Rick Pitino and Richie Springs took his talents down to Hamden for a final college season with Quinnipiac.
A lot of roster moves have occurred in the past few weeks after the Huskies took down their fifth national title and the dust is now starting to settle. There is currently only one more scholarship spot left to fill for next season accounting for recent decisions made by Andre Jackson and Tristen Newton. Below is a list of transfers that have at least received interest from UConn. This list will be updated with more targets and current target commitments as the offseason goes on, so stay tuned for updates.
Fifth-year senior, 6-foot-4 shooting guard
Spencer was a late entry into the portal, with the rumor being that he can get more NIL money elsewhere. After three years at Loyola-Maryland, Spencer brought his sharpshooting to Rutgers, where he shot 43.4 percent from 3-point range on 166 attempts. That type of shooting will play just about anywhere, and while Spencer should have plenty of suitors, it’s hard to imagine there is a better purely basketball fit than UConn, who is losing a massive chunk of shooting skill in Jordan Hawkins and Joey Calcaterra to the NBA Draft and graduation, respectively.
While this will be Spencer’s second transfer in two seasons, he has entered the portal as a grad transfer and therefore will be able to play immediately. Potential landing spots for Spencer include UConn alongside Big East rival Georgetown, Kentucky, Indiana, Miami and Texas.
Update: Spencer committed to UConn on June 6. This will be his final year of eligibility.
SCOOP: Rutgers transfer Cam Spencer has committed to UConn, sources told @Stadium.
Huge, huge pickup for Dan Hurley and the defending champs. Just landed one of the best shooters in the country. Averaged 13.2 points per game and shot 43 percent from 3.
Senior, 6-foot-6 forward
With Rick Pitino coming to Queens and cleaning house, Jones is now looking for the third school of his career after stints at DePaul and St. John’s. Jones is a versatile and athletic small forward who has averaged 13.9 points and 7.1 rebounds over the past two seasons.
The Dominican native works best as a three or even small-ball four. With Karaban and Clingan locked into the 4-5 spots, Jones’ prospects of ending up in Storrs may heavily rest on Andre Jackson’s upcoming NBA draft decision. Jones doesn’t impact the game on the same level as Jackson, but he’s a better scorer and would give UConn another added element to the offense, especially with his ability to handle the ball in space. UConn has reportedly reached out to the talented senior, along with other major programs that include Kentucky, Memphis, Xavier, and Arkansas.
David Jones, formerly of St John’s, announced his commitment to Memphis this morning
Jones became the 6th Big East Player to transfer to the AAC, he will see:
Jordan Riley, Temple
Denver Anglin, SMU
Chuck Harris, SMU
Quante Berry, Temple
Kolby King, Tulane pic.twitter.com/U7gBp8zIp3
Junior, 6-foot-4 shooting guard
After Love’s attempted transfer to Michigan fell through, Love is back on the market as one of the most highly-sought after players in the portal. The junior was inefficient last season, shooting just 29.9 percent from three and 37.8 percent from the field, but was asked to carry the offensive load for a Tar Heels team that failed to live up to preseason expectations. Despite the struggles, Love is a talented scorer who could thrive in Hurley’s offense and is just one year removed from averaging nearly 16 points per game and shooting 36 percent from three as he helped lead UNC to the 2022 title game. Love committed to Arizona on May 30.
I now present to you… “Savage Mode 2” #BearDown ⬇️ ️ pic.twitter.com/brS7oXuWV0
Sixth-year Senior, 6-foot-4 shooting guard
Timberlake is a gamer. He’s a legit shot-maker and high-level scorer, leading Towson in that category at 17.7 points per game. Also an adept three-point shooter, Timberlake nailed 92 long-range shots at a 41.6 percent clip last year. He comes in at No. 21 in 247sports 2023 transfer portal rankings, so unsurprisingly he’s receiving a ton of interest from high-major programs but seems like a priority for Dan Hurley as it’s been reported that he will visit UConn. Timberlake would really give Dan Hurley a three-level scoring option at the two-spot and help the two incoming freshman guards acclimate to the college game.
Towson transfer Nick Timberlake has committed to Kansas, per his IG page.
Sophomore, 6-foot-6 shooting guard
UConn fans should be familiar with Storr, who dropped a combined 34 points on the Huskies in two meetings, helping St. John’s steal one at the XL Center this past year. He’s a former top 100 recruit that apparently is not a good fit for Rick Pitino but is already receiving calls from a significant number of programs according to Jon Rothstein. Storr would provide an immediate scoring punch in the backcourt (8.8 points, 40 percent 3-point) and possess great size that would give UConn a terrifying lineup with the 6-foot-6 Stephon Castle at the point.
Badger bandit ⚪️ #commited #badgernation #2 pic.twitter.com/ahf4QiThgw
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