Three upperclassmen transfers climbing NBA Draft boards

Sometimes, all it takes is a chance of scenery for a player’s game to take off. Be it a different play style, a different locker room voice, or a different role, many factors can come into play. The 2022 NBA Draft was an interesting one for transfers. Walker Kessler, Jake LaRavia, and Tari Eason were each drafted in the first round, one year after transferring schools.

Read Non-five-star freshmen who could be one-and-done

The 2023 NBA Draft might be no different. In the age of the transfer portal, good players are looking for changes in scenery each year. Over 1,700 players entered the college basketball transfer portal in 2022.

Here are three upperclassmen transfers who are opening up new pieces of their games that could help them find their way into hearing their name called in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Read Five sophomores building NBA Draft buzz

SG Ricky Council, IV (Arkansas)

Heigh/Weight: 6-6/205
2020 On3 Consensus: NR
Transferred from Wichita State

Ricky Council, IV has quite possibly been the most electric player in D-I basketball to start the 2022-23 season. The 6-foot-6 guard has taken Eric Musselman’s Muss Buss by storm, showcasing shot-creating, shot-making, and ridiculous vertical explosion.

Council has had no problem stepping into the go-to scoring role for the top 15 ranked Razorbacks. He is averaging 20.1 points while shooting 51.4 percent from the field. The high-flying Council will need to tighten up the three-point shooting, he is shooting 31.0 percent from three, but he is showing he can consistently get to his spots and knock down the two and three-dribble pull-up in the mid-range, 45.5 percent. Council is also using his strong frame and explosion to finish at a staggering 72.1 percent at the rim.

Lengthy, explosive, and confident, Ricky Council, IV is showcasing a full arsenal of scoring tools seven games into the season.

SF Terrence Shannon (Illinois)

Height/Weight: 6-6/210
2019 On3 Consensus: No. 84
Transferred from Texas Tech

Terrence Shannon passes the look test. He has a strong and lengthy frame that just bleeds explosion. Shannon is no stranger to the NBA Draft process, having declared previously and gone through workouts and the Combine.

It was at the 2021 NBA Draft Combine that Shannon showcased a 39.5 max vertical jump, tied for ninth in that draft class. At Texas Tech, Shannon was able to develop his defensive chops as a positional defender. At Illinois, Shannon has been given a lot more freedom as a go-to option. Already seven games in, Shannon is attempting 4.5 more shots per game, and he is shooting those shots at a 49.4 percent clip from the field and 42.9 percent from three.

Shannon has progressively gotten better with his three-point jump shooting as he has gone through college, from 35.7 percent as a sophomore to 38.4 percent as a junior to 42.9 percent this season. He will need to continue showing creation off the bounce and stay consistent with the jump shot. But there are defensive metrics in place that show him as a high-quality player on that end, and the early returns from given more offensive freedom have been intriguing.

SF Jalen Bridges (Baylor)

Height/Weight: 6-7/220
2019 On3 Consensus: No. 112
Transferred from West Virginia

Jalen Bridges was a two-year starter for Bob Huggins at West Virginia prior to transferring to Baylor this offseason. The thought is he is well-versed on the defensive side of the ball. Now, he will need to find some consistency with the jump shot. As a redshirt freshman, Bridges shot 40.9 percent from three. Last season, as a sophomore, Bridges regressed to 32.5 percent from three.

This season Bridges started his first two games going 3-of-7 from three; he is 1-of-14 since. Will the real Jalen Bridges please stand up? What Bridges’ seven-game sample size at Baylor has shown is a development in efficiency and shot selection. Bridges is moving well off the ball and creating opportunities for himself, shooting at a 51.1 percent clip from the field. He has maintained around 6.5 shots per game. He is getting 61 percent of his shots at the rim, where he is scoring 1.607 points per possession.

Jalen Bridges has caught the eye of scouts and personnel, but can he find the consistency with his jump shot to show he can space the floor at the next level?

Others to watch

Pete Nance (UNC), Tyrese Hunter (Texas), Baylor Scheierman (Creighton)