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College basketball transfer portal: How ex-Syracuse guard Joe Girard III fits with top contenders – 247Sports
Syracuse transfer guard Joe Girard III has quickly become one of the biggest priorities in the transfer portal. The 6-foot-1 senior guard has one more year of eligibility, and boatloads of programs have come calling. Girard averaged 16.4 points, 3.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game last season for Syracuse. He’s also going through the 2023 NBA Draft process but is expected to return to college basketball next season.
Girard’s best two assets are his experience (123 career starts) and his clip (297 career 3-pointers). Girard shot 38.1% from 3-point range last season on 7.2 attempts per game. He shot over 40% from downtown in 2021-22. Girard graded out in the 48th percentile nationally in catch-and-shoot jumpers last season, per Synergy. But he is one of the elite off-the-bounce shooters (42.3%, 91st percentile). Girard was in the 8th percentile in catch-and-shoots and 85th percentile in off-the-bounce jumpers in 2021-22.
“I want to express my utmost gratitude to my family, Coach (Jim) Boeheim, and Orange Nation for the past four seasons,” Girard posted on social media. “Thank you to every fan and supporter who has impacted me in a positive manner and has helped me shape who I am today. I am confident in God’s plan and trust that the next chapter will be amazing.”
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Girard told CBS Sports Jon Rothstein a list of long schools have reached out. How would Girard fit with those schools?
Indiana: The Hoosiers are in dire need of shooting after Miller Kopp (63 3-pointers in 2022-23) exhausted his eligibility. If Xavier Johnson is able to get a waiver to play next season, Girard would be able to get more off-ball reps.
Pittsburgh: Starting guards like Jamarius Burton and Nelly Cummings are gone, so the door is open for a shot-maker like Girard to be an interesting fit for a Jeff Capel III-coached offense that ranked inside the top-30 nationally last season. Pitt would let Girard chuck as many 3s as his heart desires.
Tennessee: The Vols may have to replace veteran 3-and-D weapon Santiago Vescovi. Girard is not the defender Vescovi is, but the Syracuse transfer would add the big-time shot-making Tennessee’s offense would need. He also would not have to play point guard when Zakai Zeigler got back up to speed, but Girard would have to transition into a completely different defensive mindset at Tennessee compared to the cushy, 2-3 zone life he had at Syracuse.
Auburn: The Tigers shot just 31.5% from 3-point range last season. It got just 26.8% of its points on 3s in 2022-23. If Bruce Pearl wants to change that, adding an assassin like Girard makes a ton of sense. Zep Jasper is out of eligibility which clears the way for another guard to step in.
Butler: Butler was one of the worst offenses in the country last season, and the Bulldogs’ backcourt has already lost Chuck Harris, Myles Tate and Jayden Taylor to the transfer portal. Girard is a plug-and-play option who can easily fit in with whatever roster-construction idea Thad Matta tries to implement.
LSU: Matt McMahon had way too many lineups last season where KJ Williams and Adam Miller were the only shooters opposing defenses had to respect. An addition like Girard would change that significantly and raise the floor quickly.
Florida: Kyle Lofton is out of eligibility, and both Kowacie Reeves and Trey Bonham entered the transfer portal, so there’s plenty of opportunity at stake for Girard to come in and play on the ball a ton.
Ohio State: Bruce Thornton looks every bit the part of Ohio State’s next big-time point guard. But Girard could follow the Sean McNeil path. The West Virginia transfer knocked down 37% of his 3-pointers for Ohio State this past season on plenty of volume (160 attempts). With Brice Sensabaugh likely trending toward being a first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Ohio State will have plenty of shots available.
Stanford: It feels like Stanford is on the verge of some major roster reshuffling. There’s a world where Jerod Haase has a ton of opportunity to sell Girard.
Clemson: Things have been very quiet for Clemson. The Tigers won’t get stud wing Hunter Tyson back. He’s out of eligibility. It is waiting on PJ Hall to make a decision about the 2023 NBA Draft. As of now, Clemson’s top-two shooters (Tyson and Brevin Galloway) are out of the picture for next season, so prioritizing a veteran shooter like Girard could be a pretty good fit for Brad Brownell and Co.
Notre Dame: New Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsberry has one heck of a sell to shooters in the transfer portal after he helped Bucknell transfer Andrew Funk erupt for 112 3s at Penn State last season. Girard could follow a similar model.
Oklahoma: Even if Grant Sherfield doesn’t return, the Sooners will put the ball in soon-to-be sophomore Milos Uzan’s hands a lot. But adding Girard would give Porter Moser a much-needed veteran to what could be a pretty young Oklahoma backcourt.
Maryland: The Terps were a very streaky 3-point shooting team last season. With Jahmir Young back in the mix, Maryland can sell Girard on not having to handle the brunt of the shot-creation duties. Girard can stick to just spotting up and being a knockdown catch-and-shoot assassin. Girard being the Don Carey replacement makes a lot of sense for both sides.
Washington: Washington is on the prowl for shooting after its two leading 3-point shooters (Keyon Menifield and Cole Bajema) entered the transfer portal. Girard is one of the top shooters in the portal, so the interest makes sense. Washington coach Mike Hopkins was a long-time Syracuse assistant who plays a 2-3 zone, so there’s a lot of familiarities for Girard to hop on a plane out West.
Nebraska: Fred Hoiberg knows how to get shooters really good looks. Junior Keisei Tominaga had a phenomenal season, shooting 40% from 3-point range for the Huskers this past season. Girard could step into the Sam Griesel role as a lead ball-handler and form a tantalizing shot-making duo with Tominaga.
Arkansas: The Hogs only got 20.1% of its points from 3s this season. That ranked 358th out of 363 Division I teams. Girard would have to change and adapt to be a fit on the defensive end, but he’d instantaneously improve the floor-spacing for Arkansas’ offense.
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