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College basketball transfer portal: Malik Mack, Jamal Mashburn Jr. headline top available point guards – 247Sports
The five finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, handed to college basketball’s best point guard, were fairly self-explanatory: UConn’s Tristen Newton, Houston’s Jamal Shead, Purdue’s Braden Smith, Marquette’s Tyler Kolek and Alabama’s Mark Sears. It’s no coincidence that all five maestros are still alive in the Sweet 16. They’re joined in the second weekend by some of the top point guards in the sport like Iowa State’s Tamin Lipsey, Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard, Arizona’s Caleb Love and Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler.
The transfer portal has its fingerprints all over it.
Sears (transfer from Ohio), Kolek (transfer from George Mason), Love (transfer from UNC), Nembhard (transfer from Creighton) and Newton (transfer from East Carolina) are among the top portal success stories.
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Indiana, Arkansas, Maryland and USC are among the top point guard-needy teams looking to replicate that model in the 2024 cycle.
The portal has only been open for eight days, but there’s a wide array of readily available options at point guard. Table-setters, scorers, pick-and-roll savants, veterans or high-ceiling youngsters? There are some strong options for teams who need a quick fix or others who want a potential longer-term option.
RELATED: Ranking top 25 transfers in 2024 cycle
Let’s dive into the top available point guards in the transfer portal…
Kanaan Carlyle, from Stanford: Carlyle is a blur off the bounce, and he racked up 5.0 fouls drawn per 40 minutes. Carlyle is a dynamic lead guard who is an improved jumper away from being a high-level impact piece next season.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie, from Belmont: Gillespie’s shooting splits are fantastic. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound guard shot 39% from 3-point range, 83% from the free throw line and 71% at the rim. Ben Krikke (from Valparaiso), Marcus Domask (from Southern Illinois), Lance Jones (from Southern Illinois) and Rienk Mast (from Bradley) were all impactful high-major starters this season. Is the same thing in store for fellow Missouri Valley Conference transfers in the 2024 cycle?
Dug McDaniel, from Michigan: Speed. McDaniel is impossible to contain. He can split ball-screens in a hurry, and the 5-foot-11 guard has loads of game. McDaniel is one of the top pick-and-roll maestros in the transfer portal. If he can shoot over 36% from 3-point range again while improving his decision-making, McDaniel can be a real needle-mover.
JP Pegues, from Furman: Pegues is a big-shot taker and maker. Pegues owns limitless range. He shot 35% from downtown on 218 attempts.
Zeke Mayo, from South Dakota State: Mayo tore up the Summit League, and he’s a true three-level scorer. Mayo shot over 60% at the rim, 53% on 2s, 82% at the free throw line and 38% from beyond the 3-point stripe. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound guard scored in double figures in all but two games this past season.
Malik Mack, from Harvard: Mack was one of the top freshmen in the country, and he’ll quickly become one of the most sought-after prospects for point guard-needy teams in the transfer portal. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound guard struggled at times to finish at the rim, but that’s about it. Mack is a tantalizing talent with oodles of room to grow. Mack owned a 33% assist rate last season and was an instant flamethrower for an iffy Harvard offense.
DJ Davis, from Butler: Davis was not Butler’s point guard (that was Posh Alexander), but Davis can handle the rock and be a lead ball-handler. Davis is on the floor to get his clips up. Davis shot 34% from 3-point range on some high-difficulty looks. Davis shot 95% from the charity stripe and 54% on 2s, but he might always have some limitations defensively.
Bensley Joseph, from Miami: Joseph can create his own offense, and he turned into a reliable catch-and-shoot threat, but the Miami transfer has to show he can do more. Joseph shot just 50% on layups and the turnover problem isn’t going away.
Dakota Leffew, from Mount St. Mary’s: Leffew took a big jump in his second true year with a big on-ball role. The 6-foot-5, 185-pound guard averaged 17.6 points and 3.9 assists while shooting 36% from 3-point range.
Jamal Mashburn Jr., from New Mexico: Mashburn has been getting buckets for four years. Mashburn has just one year of eligibility remaining, and he’s 144 points away from cracking the 2,000-point plateau. We know the deal with Mashburn now. He’s a consistent double-digit scorer who is more of a scorer than a distributor. He’s a good, not great, 3-point shooter, but Mashburn is a midrange assassin. The 6-foot-2 veteran is a plug-and-play starter who will command a serious market in the 2024 cycle.
Jordan Sears, from UT Martin: Sears was an electric scorer for UT Martin. He gave Morehead State 34 points in the OVC Tournament. Sears also eclipsed 20 points in two games against high-major competition last year. The soon-to-be, fifth-year senior shot a career-best 41% from 3-point range on 162 attempts after shooting just 29% from downtown in 2022-23.
Meechie Johnson, from South Carolina: Johnson has a devastating first step. He can really get into the paint and suck the defense in. Johnson becomes so hard to guard when the treys are falling, but he can be a bit streaky. Johnson shot 29% from 3-point range during SEC play, but when he’s getting downhill, Johnson can live at the rim and create open looks for teammates. Johnson is a no-doubt, high-major starter at his next stop.
Skyy Clark, from Louisville: Clark’s flashes were tantalizing. The sophomore guard had 36 points against N.C. State in the ACC Tournament and finished shooting over 35% from 3-point range last season. Clark is a two-level scorer right now. More than serviceable from downtown and he owns a terrific pull-up jumper, but Clark shot just 44% on layups, per Synergy.
Koren Johnson, from Washington: Johnson might have been the best guard in Washington’s veteran-laden backcourt. Johnson shot 37% from downtown on 110 attempts, and he really found his stride as a scorer down the stretch. He scored at least 16 points in seven of UW’s last eight games. Johnson shot over 40% on 74 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers this past season.
Kanye Clary, from Penn State: Clary left Penn State late in the season, but he put up gaudy numbers on his way out. Clary is a jitterbug scoring guard who can attack gaps and get to the charity stripe. Clary only shot 40% on 2s during Big Ten play, and he’s not a high-volume 3-point shooter, but he’s wired to score.
Layden Blocker, from Arkansas: The former four-star prospect didn’t necessarily play bad at Arkansas, but the leash was not long in an always-evolving rotation. Blocker has to grow as a shooter, but the speed, athleticism and defense make him an intriguing option in the transfer portal. Blocker has three years of eligibility which is another bonus. He might be just a year or two away from being a star.
Noah Reynolds, from Green Bay: Reynolds is a well-traveled guard who has turned himself into a real hooper. The former Wyoming product committed to Wisconsin last year before backing out, joining Green Bay and leading the Phoenix to a revival season. Reynolds averaged 20 points per game and was named the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year in addition to his first-team, all-league honors. Reynolds dominated the Horizon League. Can he make the jump?
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