It’s back and better than ever! Welcome to the NCAA Free Agent Tracker. This is Paint Touches’ sixth year of covering the NCAA basketball graduate transfer market. Every player listed here is eligible for either the Graduate Transfer Exception or the Graduate Transfer Waiver, meaning they will be immediately eligible for their new teams in the 20-21 season. This year, Paint Touches is also tracking regular transfers on a separate list.
It hasn’t even been two weeks and already there is massive upheaval from our last update. 7 out of the last update’s top 10 have been taken off the board as well as many of the better honorable mentions. Hell, there were 5 top free agents who entered the portal, got recruited, and committed in the 10 days since the last update…not to mention whatever nonsense led to Patrick Tape decommitting from and recommitting to Duke. A lot of new names have popped up to replace them but all but one of them are a tier below impact level. There are still a lot of good pieces that high major squads could pick up, but only two left who would really move the needle. Fortunately for Marquette fans, one of them has Marquette in his final four and will be announcing on Monday.
Added:
#2 Matt Haarms
#3 Justin Kier
#6 Charles Minlend Jr.
#7 Rapolas Ivanauskas
#8 Payton Willis
#9. Quan Jackson
#10 Jair Bolden
HM. Destin Barnes
HM. JJ Caldwell
HM. Tyrik Dixon
HM. Rashawn Fredericks
HM. Casdon Jardine
HM. Kurk Lee Jr.
HM. Balint Mocsan
HM. Cordell Pemsel
HM. Elijah Thomas
HM. Justin Thomas
HM. SaBastian “Bash” Townes
Removed:
#1 Carlik Jones (Committed to Louisville)
#2 Cartier Diarra (Committed to Virginia Tech)
#3 Bryce Aiken Jr. (Committed to Seton Hall)
#4 Jordan Bruner (Committed to Alabama)
#6 Mike Smith (Committed to Michigan)
#7 Dimencio Vaughn (Committed to Ole Miss)
#8 Jalen Tate (Committed to Arkansas)
#10 Vance Jackson (Committed to Arkansas)
HM. Brendan Barry (Returned to Dartmouth)
HM. Dontay Bassett (Committed to Weber State)
HM. Jalen Harris (Committed to Georgetown)
HM. Brandon Johnson (Committed to Minnesota)
HM. Jalen Johnson (Committed to East Tennessee State)
HM. Mattias Markusson (Returned to Loyola Marymount)
HM. Ryan Murphy (Committed to Tulane)
HM Abel Porter (Committed to Ohio State)
HM. Fred Scott (Committed to Boston College)
Committed before we could rank em:
Terrell Brown (Arizona)
Aaron Cook (Gonzaga)
Michael Ertel II (UAB)
Terrell Gomez (San Diego State)
Davion Mintz (Kentucky)
Patrick Tape (Decommitted and recommitted to Duke)
1. Justin Turner- 6’4” 205 lb RSJR SG from Bowling Green
Basic Stats: 32.3 mpg, 18.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.4 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.2 bpg, 2.1 tpg, 45.4 2P%, 39 3PM, 36.1 3P%
Advanced Stats: 46.7 eFG%, 2.4 OR%, 12.1 DR%, 16.8 ARate, 1.3 S%, 0.9 B%, 12.4 TORate, 37.6 FTRate, 28.4 POSS%
How did he become grad eligible?: Sustained a season ending injury four games into his freshman campaign
Who’s Involved?: Bowling Green, Iowa State, Marquette, and Missouri are his final 4
Bottom Line: Three-year starter for one of the better programs in the MAC, one of the more solid mid-major conferences. Not just a starter but a member of an All-MAC team each of his first three years. A high scorer who does most of his work off the bounce. Has always been accurate from three but never a high volume three-point shooter. Gets to the line often and converted over 85% of his attempts last season. Dominant scorer but average rebounder, distributor and defender. Will start for any of his 4 finalists and provide good scoring punch.
2. Matt Haarms- 7’3” 250lb RSJR C from Purdue
Basic Stats: 20.5 mpg, 8.6ppg, 4.6 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.2 spg, 2.0 bpg, 1.2 tpg, 56.9 2P%, 10 3pm, 31.3 3P%
Advanced Stats: 55.1 eFG%, 10.4 OR%, 16.2 DR%, 9.7 ARate, 0.6 S%, 12.6 B%, 16.5 TOrate, 38.4 FTRate, 22.0 POSS%
How did he become grad eligible?: Arrived on campus during winter break his freshman season and used a redshirt
Who’s Involved?: Arizona, Arkansas, Boston College, BYU, Gonzaga, Kentucky, Memphis, Minnesota, Texas Tech, and UNC Greensboro are his final 10
Bottom Line: You can’t teach 7’3”…and you certainly can’t teach 7’3” with the ability to run the floor and shoot from range. Amsterdam native who continued the Purdue tradition of overpowering big men. Elite shot blocker with a block% ranking first in the Big 10 and top 10 in the nation. Average on the defensive boards but cleans up rebounds on the offensive end. Never became the dominate post scorer Boilermaker fans had gotten used to in Haas and Swanigan. Can shoot from range but it has never been a consistent weapon for him. If your team has a role for an aircraft carrier type center, Haarms could play big minutes for them. As an added bonus, you get a player with Johnny Bravo level hair.
3. Justin Kier- 6’4” 197 SR SG from George Mason
Basic Stats: 34.8 mpg, 14.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.6 spg, 0.3 bpg, 2.7 tpg, 50.4 2P%, 33 3pm, 37.1 3P% (18-19 stats)
Advanced Stats: 51.6 eFG%, 1.6 OR%, 20.0 DR%, 15.7 ARate, 2.7 S%, 1.0 B%, 20.1 TOrate, 36.9 FTRate, 22.7 POSS%
How did he become grad eligible?: Injured his foot twice the past season and was limited to 9 games as a result
Who’s Involved?: Arkansas, Butler, BYU, Cincinnati, DePaul, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Minnesota, NC State, Ohio State, Wake Forest, Washington State, and others
Bottom Line: Three-year starter in one of the best mid-major conferences Earned the A10’s Most Improved Player Award between his sophomore and junior seasons. Combo guard with good size. Can score anywhere on the floor but loves to attack out of the pick and roll. Hard to contain and found his way to the foul line frequently for the Pioneers. An elite rebounder for his size and known as a plus defender. Health is a concern as he tried to play through injury this past season and put up some dreadful numbers in the process. If healthy, he could start for most high majors and be an important bench piece for a really good one.
4. Amauri Hardy- 6’2” 190 lb JR PG from UNLV
Basic Stats: 34.6 mpg, 14.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.3 apg, 0.7 spg, 0.2 bpg, 2.4 tpg, 47.6 2P%, 63 3PM, 27.3 FTRate, 33.3 3P%
Advanced Stats: 48.8 eFG%, 1.6 OR%, 9.3 DR%, 20.5 ARate%, 1.2 S%, 0.6 B%, 17.4 TORate, 27.3 FTR, 23.4 POSS%
How did he become grad eligible?: Graduated in 3 years.
Who’s Involved?: Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Butler, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan State, Missouri, Oregon, Seton Hall, TCU, Wake Forest, Washington, and others
Bottom Line: Was part of TJO’s double point guard attack for a top 100 UNLV squad that was trending in the right direction to end the season. A true combo guard who can play either guard position. His minutes and usage were at career highs this past season but most of his advanced stats took a small hit with the increased usage. Put on a squad with better weapons around him and decreased usage could lead to new levels of efficiency. His younger brother Jaden Hardy is a top 10 recruit in the class of 2021. Unless Amauri redshirts or Jaden reclassifies they won’t play together…but landing the older brother couldn’t hurt a team’s chances with the younger one. Kentucky is currently considered the team to beat for the younger Hardy’s services.
5. Darius Perry- 6’2” 195 lb JR PG from Louisville
Basic Stats: 19.5 mpg, 5.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 0.5 spg, 0.0 bpg, 1.4 tpg, 39.3 2P%, 27 3PM, 38.9 3P%
Advanced Stats: 48.1 eFG%, 0.4 OR%, 8.1 DR%, 23.9 ARate, 1.6 S%, 0.0 B%, 23.2 TORate, 10.3 FTRate, 17.8 POSS%
How did he become grad eligible?: Graduated in three season
Who’s Involved?: Alabama, Arizona State, Gonzaga, Iona, Iowa State, Marquette, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, San Diego State, Seton Hall, Texas, Wichita State, and others
Bottom Line: A former top 75 recruit who never quite lived up to the hype as a Cardinal. Even so, he managed to claim a starting spot in 26/31 games the past season for a team that spent most of the season ranked in the top 10. A speedy guard with an effective outside shot and strong defensive instincts. Was not called on to be a scorer at Louisville and is reportedly looking for a situation where he can get more buckets. Despite his quickness, he is not known as a slasher and was allergic to drawing fouls. Also had more than one game where he had a mind-numbing turnover at the most inconvenient time. Put on the right squad, Perry could be a double-digit scorer and a more than capable lead guard. Could also be a valuable bench player for any of the elite programs in the country.
6. Charles Minlend Jr- 6’4” 208 lb RSJR SG from San Francisco
Basic Stats: 29.4 mpg, 14.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.0 spg, 0.5 bpg, 1.8 tpg, 48.3 2P%, 46 3pm, 30.3 3P%
Advanced Stats: 47.0 eFG%, 5.9 OR%, 12.8 DR%, 12.7 ARate, 2.0 S%, 1.9 B%, 13.0 TORate, 37.1 FTRate, 26.9 POSS%
How did he become grad eligible?: Redshirted his sophomore season
Who’s Involved?: Arizona, Arkansas, Butler, BYU, Gonzaga, Indiana, and Mississippi State are his final 7
Bottom Line: The leading scorer from one of last season’s best mid-major programs. Son of Charles Minlend Sr, who is 10th in career rebounds for St. John’s and a veteran of a long international playing career. Minlend Jr averaged double digit scoring for the Dons starting his freshman season. He started as a 3P specialist though he was never able to match his shooting splits from his first season. As an upperclassman, he became known as a downhill scorer, attacking defenses with confidence and spending a disproportionate amount of time at the FT line. Known as a solid defender who can deny penetration without fouling. Saved some of his best games for the likes of Gonzaga, BYU, and St. Mary’s. Could be a 4th or 5th starter on most teams. Maybe more if they are in need of a scorer from the 2G position.
7. Rapolas Ivanauskas- 6’10” 230 lb RSJR PF from Colgate
Basic Stats: 29.1 mpg, 13.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.1 apg, 0.6 spg, 0.4 bpg, 2.4 tpg, 50.0 2P%, 31 3PM, 26.3 3P%
Advanced Stats: 46.0 eFG%, 6.9 OR%, 22.4 DR%, 14.0 ARate, 1.3 S%, 2.0 B%, 17.6 TORate, 23.3 FTRate, 27.5 POSS%
How did he become grad eligible?: Missed all but three games of his first two seasons due to shoulder surgeries
Who’s Involved?: Cincinnati, Dayton, Georgetown, Maryland, and others
Bottom Line: A former 3-star that was recruited by several high majors. Ended up transferring to Colgate after multiple shoulder surgeries held him to just 11 minutes played in two seasons at Northwestern. The NCAA granted him a waiver to play right away at Colgate and it paid immediate dividends. Ivanauskas was the Patriot League Player of the Year in his first season with the Raiders. He took a step back this past season. He still put up big numbers but his eFG% dropped from an elite 56.5% to a modest 46%. He is a mobile big man who can play both inside and out. He is a beast on the defensive boards and solid on the offensive glass. He’s far from an elite rim protector but can play big when he needs to. Ivanauskas dominated Patriot league competition but struggled mightily against the few high majors the Raiders faced. He has the potential to be a solid 5 for a high major but the fans of whoever lands him should not expect the same numbers he put up at Colgate. There may be a chance that the NCAA grants him a 6th year of eligibility that would give his new home two years of service.
8. Payton Willis- 6’4” 182 lb RSJR SG from Minnesota
Basic Stats: 29.3 mpg, 8.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.9 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.3 bpg, 0.6 tpg, 44.6 2P%, 57 3PM, 35.6 3P%
Advanced Stats: 50.7 eFG%, 1.6 OR%, 11.1 DR%, 12.2 ARate, 1.5 S%, 1.0 B%, 8.6 TORate, 7.1 FTRate, 14.4 POSS%
How did he become grad eligible?: Sat out his junior year after transferring from Vanderbilt
Who’s Involved?: Arkansas, Auburn, DePaul, Marquette, Ole Miss, Rhode Island, Xavier, and others
Bottom Line: A low usage, high efficiency shooter from a high major squad that was better than its 15-16 record might have suggested. At Minnesota, he never tried to be more than he was. Rarely put the ball on the floor, didn’t seek out contact, but moved well off the ball to get himself open jumpshots. Resulted in an ORtg of 111.8 (351st in nation per KenPom) and was among the top 25 players in the country for TORate. He was also known as one of the better perimeter defenders for the Gophers with the ability to defend the 1, 2, or 3 position. Any high major in need of a three and D specialist should be giving him a long look. If a bigger role in the offense is what Willis is searching for, he may need to drop to the mid-major level. Marquette has reportedly reached out. He may be a good add for no other reason than he torched Wisconsin for 21 points on 5/7 3P shooting in Minnesota’s upset victory over the Badgers.
9. Quan Jackson- 6’4” 180 lb RSJR SG from Georgia Southern
Basic Stats: 32.9 mpg, 13.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 2.6 spg, 0.4 bpg, 1.7 tpg, 46.4 2P%, 50 3PM, 29.4 3P%
Advanced Stats: 44.1 eFG%, 1.7 OR%, 13.4 DR%, 8.5 ARate, 4.2 stl%, 1.1 bpg%, 13.1 TORate, 36.0 FTRate, 21.9 POSS%
How did he become grad eligible?: Redshirted his FR season
Who’s Involved?: Arkansas, Cincinnati, Georgia, Oregon State, Rhode Island, Wake Forest, and others
Bottom Line: A tenacious defender from one of the better low major programs out there. Uses his size and strength to bully smaller guards out on the perimeter. Uses a combination of size and speed to pick opponent’s pockets which gave him a steal% that ranked in the top 20 nationally this past season. His defense earned him two all-conference selections in the past two seasons. Offense will be the thing that holds him back. He was an inefficient scorer against Sun Belt level defenses, needing a lot of shots to get to his 13.6 points a game. His most effective weapon is his ability to get to the line with a FTRate that ranked in the top 500 players. But once he was there, he couldn’t always convert, making only 66% of his FTs as a RSJR. Teams needing a defensive specialist on the perimeter should show a lot of interest. Would need a strong enough offense around him to hide him on that side of the floor. Likely ends up at the mid-major level.
10. Jair Bolden- 6’3” 215 lb RSJR PG from South Carolina
Basic Stats: 21.4 mpg, 8.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.1 bpg, 0.8 tpg, 42.2 2P%, 47 3PM, 41.2 3P%
Advanced Stats: 52.2 eFG%, 1.0 OR%, 11.4 DR%, 12.2 ARate, 2.1 S%, 0.6 B%, 11.2 TORate, 13.4 FTRate, 17.6 POSS%
How did he become grad eligible?: Sat out his junior season after transferring from George Washington
Who’s Involved?: No public list yet
Bottom Line: Was a microwave scorer off the bench for the Gamecocks this season. Had the ability to enter a game and make a few shots quickly to give the more defense focused Gamecocks an offensive boost. Struggled inside the arc but was one of the best three-point shooters in the SEC, making over 41% of his long range attempts. His best performance of the season was a 22-point outburst against the usually suffocating Virginia Cavaliers. Played off the ball at South Carolina but was the starting PG his first two years at George Washington. His role at a high major would be as a three-point shooting specialist but could play some point if necessary. A strong mid-major in need of a point guard could be a good fit for Bolden.
20 other free agents worth watching:
Destin Barnes- 6’7 215 lb SF RSJR SG from Jacksonville
Ryan Betley- 6’5 200 lb SR SG from Penn
Drew Buggs- 6’3 195 lb RSJR PG from Hawaii
JJ Caldwell- 6’1 185 lb RSJR PG from New Mexico
Evan Cole- 6’9 217 lb JR PF from Georgia Tech
EJ Datcher- 6’10 255 lb SR C from Mississippi State
Ceasar DeJesus- 6’2 190 lb RSJR SG from UCF
Tyrik Dixon- 6’1 173 lb RSJR PG from Missouri State
Rashawn Fredericks- 6’5 200 lb SR SF from UAB
Devin Gage- 6’2 190 lb RSJR PG from DePaul
Gorjok Gak- 6’11 244 lb RSJR C from Florida
Casdon Jardine- 6’7 218 lb RSJR SF from Utah Valley State
Kurk Lee Jr- 5’9 150 lb SR PG from Dexel
Balint Mocsan- 6’3 190 lb SR SG from Idaho State
Cordell Pemsl- 6’9 248 lb RSJR PF from Iowa
Jock Perry- 7’1 250lb RSJR C from Saint Mary’s
Justin Thomas- 5’11 180 lb RSJR PG from Morehead State
Taurean Thompson- 6’11 235 lb RSJR PF from Seton Hall
Elijah Thomas- 6’5 220 lb RSJR SF from Saint Mary’s
SaBastian “Bash” Townes- 6’5 260 lb SR PF from Bryant
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