Matt Haarms | Purdue | C
Transferred to BYU
The 7-foot-3, agile center will be leaving the Big Ten behind this season, with his departure from Purdue after three successful seasons. Haarms started 41 games at Purdue, putting up solid numbers as an on-and-off starter for the team. He averaged 8.6 points and 4.6 rebounds as a junior. As a sophomore, he put up 9.4 points and 5.4 rebounds. Haarms was key to Purdue’s rim-protecting, averaging 2.1 blocks per game last season. He was also a consistent scorer, shooting 52.4 percent from the field in his last two years. As a versatile center, Haarms can be a scoring threat from anywhere on the floor; he made 10 of 32 three-pointers (31.3 percent) in his 2019-20 campaign. Joining BYU this year, Matt Haarms will be competing for a starting position. He’ll provide this young team with experience and size since the team has lost seven of its seniors and has not had a 7-foot-3 player in 30 years. Holding lots of potentials, Haarms will be a player to look out for this 2020 season.
Bryce Aiken | Harvard | PG
Transferred to Seton Hall
Former first-team All-Ivy guard Bryce Aiken will be joining a talented Seton Hall team this 2020-21 season. As a senior, Aiken averaged 16.7 points for Harvard; however, due to a foot injury, he was only able to play seven games. Joining the Pirates for another chance at a senior campaign, Aiken will bring a strong offensive skill set and leadership, both of which he showcased while at Harvard. His junior year, he averaged 22.2 points and 2.6 assists, helping bring the team to the Ivy League tournament final and scoring 38 points in a loss to Yale.
Carlik Jones | Radford | SG
Transferred to Louisville
The Big South Player of the Year will be headed to the ACC, arguably the most talented conference, in his redshirt senior season. As a 6-foot-1 point guard, Jones has an outstanding scoring capacity, making his presence known by everyone on the court. In his final season with the Highlanders, Jones averaged 20 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists and became just the second player in Big South history with 1,500 points, 450 rebounds and 450 assists. He has a great feel for the game and can play with composure when times call for it. During his time in Radford, Jones has hit five buzzer-beaters, including a clutch game-winner in the 2018 Big South Championship. As a thrifty player, he’s a threat from beyond the arc, can slash to the paint, and create open looks for his teammates. With him in the backcourt along with David Johnson, Louisville will have the best backcourt duo in the ACC.
Sam Hauser | Marquette | PF
Transferred to Virginia
At 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, Hauser brings a big, physical profile in efforts to replace graduated big men Mamadi Diakite and Braxton Key. Losing the two star forwards has been a huge hit on Virginia’s frontcourt and scoring. The team will be without two of their top three scorers and 40 percent of their rebounding from the 2019-20 season. Hauser, who was one of the best sit-out transfers on any bench in the nation last year, will help diminish the gaps left by the departures. In his junior campaign with Marquette, Hauser was a consistent rebounder and an efficient offensive player, averaging 7.2 boards per game along with a 50/40/90 performance— .538 FG, .402 3PT, .924 FT. The versatile forward will also help improve some struggles the Cavaliers faced last year. Since Virginia was the third-worst 3-point shooting team in the ACC last season, beyond the arc shooting has become a necessity for the 2020-21 season. At Marquette, Hauser averaged 15 points a game while shooting 44.5 percent from the 3-point range.
Joey Hauser | Marquette | PF
Transferred to Michigan State
The former top-50 recruit and brother of Sam Hauser (see above) will resume his last two years of college eligibility at Michigan State. Averaging 9.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists as a freshman in the 2018-19 season, Hauser has shown he can put the numbers and be a contributor for the team. He’s a 6-foot-9 forward who can become deadly on the perimeter and add some firepower to the frontcourt. With Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman Sr. gone, Michigan State will need many to step up.
Tom Izzo, head coach of the Spartans, isn’t worried, however, with the gaps left by East Region All-Tournament Team big man Tillman. He has confidence in Hauser, saying, “To me, he’s the real deal. He can really shoot it. He’s just an all-around player; he can pass it, he can defend it, he can handle it.”
With high hopes, Izzo expects Hauser to play a key role on the roster over the next three seasons for the Spartans.
Seth Towns | Harvard | SF
Transferred to Ohio State
As the 2017-18 Ivy League Player of the Year, Seth Towns has missed the past two seasons due to a knee injury. However, when he’s healthy, he could be the best player on this list (No. 12 overall in the top returning college basketball players for the upcoming season). Towns, who boasts a 6-foot-8 wingspan, brings a combination of length and shooting ability that can create matchup nightmares. He’s a combo forward who can play in the post and work defenders on the perimeter; he’ll fit in with Ohio State’s offense smoothly and have an immediate impact. With not much depth at the wing position, Towns will be a vital piece to the roster. Since he can play both small and power forward, he provides versatility to Coach Holtmann’s options in playing small ball or going big. In his sophomore season, Towns averaged 16.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and shot 44.1 percent from 3.
🗣️"He will blend seamlessly in with Ohio State, the Columbus native coming back home."@Seth_Towns17 ranks among the nation's top returning players in college basketball according to @TheAndyKatz.#GoBuckeyes #Team122 pic.twitter.com/D07n65Uyek
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) August 14, 2020
Johnny Juzang | Kentucky | SG
Transferred to UCLA
Johnny Juzang was a top-30 recruit in 2019 and left Kentucky after his freshman campaign. Although Juzang didn’t get the minutes he may have wanted with the Kentucky team, he had some great performances nearing the end of the season, which will be crucial to his future. He made 10 of his final 20 3-point field goals. He would also drop a season-high of 13 points, four field goals made and three 3-pointers in Kentucky’s second to last game. Juzang has proven he can be deadly as a perimeter shooter, draining 32.6 percent of his three-point attempts his freshman year and 43.4 percent from the 3-point line in his senior season in Harvard-Westlake high school. The addition of the 6-foot-6 guard for UCLA will get to play alongside top-scoring guard, Chris Smith, and son of Shaquille O’Neal, Shareef. If Juzang continues to play with confidence and consistency, as he did at the end of the season with Kentucky, he’ll be an effective contributor for UCLA, which will be a team to look out for PAC-12 this upcoming year.
D.J. Carton | Ohio State | PG
Transferred to Marqutte
D.J. Carton, a former top-50 recruit in the 2019 class, has proven he can play a vital role with a top team in college basketball. At Ohio State, a national championship contender last season, Carton played as a consistent provider to the offense, averaging 10.4 points while shooting 47.7 percent from the floor and 40 percent from 3-point range. After playing 20 games with the Buckeyes, Carton decided to step away from basketball due to issues with his mental health. Hopefully, now, back and better than ever, Carton will continue his success with Marquette. And with Markus Howard, the Big East’s all-time leading scorer, leaving, Carton should slot right into the starting lineup.
Joel Ntambwe | UNLV | F
Transferred to Texas Tech
Joel Ntambew will be joining a deep and talented roster for his redshirt sophomore season. Joining the Red Raiders, a preseason top 10 team, Ntambwe will likely star at the wing position and possibly become a potential star. As a freshman, Ntambwe put up very impressive numbers for the Runnin’ Rebels. He averaged 11.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 2018-19 while shooting 38.6 percent from 3-point range. With a soft shooting touch and the ability to create his own shot on the perimeter, Ntambwe will expand Texas Tech’s scoring capacity. He’ll be a tremendous asset to a roster that seeks to replace last season’s two top scorers, Jahmi’us Ramsey and Davide Morretti.
Caleb Daniels | Tulane | SG
Transferred to Villanova
Caleb Daniels will be departing from a 12-18 Tulane team to join a national championship contender. Daniels, who played two seasons with the Green Wave, struggled with very little help from teammates. As a 6-foot-6 star player, he averaged 16.9 points, 5.3 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in his sophomore campaign. In one of his last games, before the pandemic hit, Daniels dropped 36 points on 64.7 percent of shooting. Nonetheless, the Green Wave lost this game along with many others, despite Daniels’ outstanding contribution. Transferring to a team that went 24-7 last season, the scoring guard could have his talents put to good use. With Daniels, the Wildcats improve on their experienced and talented backcourt, which now boasts one of the best guard cores in the nation. Although Caleb Daniels will be playing in the Big East, which will be a huge step-up competition-wise, and will likely receive fewer minutes, he’ll still be a solid, all-around producer to Jay Wright’s unit.
