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Elite college basketball transfer Taran Armstrong signs professional deal with NBL – 247Sports
One of the top college basketball transfers in the 2023 portal class decided to begin his professional instead of remaining in college. Cal Baptist point guard Taran Armstrong signed a two-year deal with the Cairns Taipans of Australia’s National Basketball League, according to ESPN.
Armstrong, the No. 3 overall transfer, is the top non-center transfer in this class. He narrowed down his list of schools to include Gonzaga, Xavier, Creighton and Providence but started trending more toward the professional route, with 247Sports’ Travis Branham logging a pro prediction in his 247Sports Crystal Ball in April.
An unranked prospect from NBA Global Academy, the Australia native picked Cal Baptist in the 2021 class. And after averaging 10.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game as a freshman, Armstrong followed that up with 11.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game this past season.
“Taran Armstrong entered the 2022-23 season on the Draftables list and while his season didn’t live up to expectations, there is a lot to be excited about what he can do when surrounded by better players,” Branham wrote in his initial transfer rankings. “He is a 6-foot-5 point guard with speed, wiggle, high IQ and impacts the game as a playmaker, facilitator, he can make shots off the catch and pull and score out of ball-screens. Armstrong arguably has the highest floor in this transfer class so far and is going to be an instant impact and starter wherever he goes next season.”
Some of Armstrong’s finalists covered well for potentially losing Armstrong with other transfers: Gonzaga landed Ryan Nembhard (somewhat ironically from fellow Armstrong finalist Creighton), Creighton brought in Utah State’s Steven Ashworth, while Xavier paired transfers Dayvion McKnight and Quincy Olivari of Western Kentucky and Rice, respectively.
Will Armstrong eventually pop back up in the NBA? He’s flashed that ability at times, but there are a few skills that might need improvement. While Armstrong’s creativity is a strong, he could stand to clean up his turnovers. He played in 33 games last year and had multiple turnovers in 31 of those contests, including five or more turnovers five times.
And his biggest swing skill would be improved shooting. He made fewer than one 3-pointer per game in both of his college seasons, while shooting 30.8% from 3 as a freshman and 30.5% as a sophomore. And his free throw shooting (65.3% for his career, 65.6% last year) could stand to tick up as well.
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Armstrong’s passing, ball-handling and the potential he’s shown in both pick-and-roll and in isolation made him one of the most attractive transfers in the portal. And while Armstrong turning pro robs colleges of that potential, if he fills in a few of the holes in his game, he could be back stateside as a professional before too long.
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