College basketball transfer portal: Examining each new Big East player’s potential role

gram Eric Hunter Jr.: Butler gets a better version of Hunter. The stats might say that Hunter has taken a step back, but his all-around game has never been better. He just found it hard to start his game when he was surrounded Jayden IveyTrevion Williams, Zach Edie as well as Sasha Stefanovich in Purdue. Hunter shot a career-high 43.6% from three-point range to become Purdue’s top perimeter defenseman. Hunter is a proven scorer, but he can score a point as well. Next year he will have a versatile important role for Butler.

F Ali Ali: The Akron Wing became a star in Year 3 and he turned that into a big opportunity with Butler. Ali is a complete 6’8 linebacker with a talent for playing both inside and out. Butler will most likely use him as an inconsistency hunter. Last season, he averaged 13.9 points and 40.7% shooting from downtown on 3.5 attempts per game. There just aren’t many guys like Ali in the Bulldogs. He should get the role of a monster for Butler and become one of the best newcomers in the Big East.

F Manny Bates: The former NC State star is one of Butler’s biggest X factors. He is a fantastic rim protector when healthy. Bates missed the entire 2021-22 season, but if he could get back to being 80% himself, Butler could win the gold. Butler has a hole in the center and Bates was brought in to fill it.

F Jalen Thomas: Thomas was a great shot blocker in Georgia State, so he should get the role of a big man running around the ring behind Bates. Playing Thomas and Bates together probably won’t work, but they should form a good 1-2 combination in the center.

gram Baylor Scheierman: Receiving South Dakota State’s prize transfer was a huge win for Creighton. Now the fun begins. Creighton has four studs in Ryan Nembhard, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Trey Alexander as well as Arthur Kaluma. Scheierman will have all summer and fall to find his place on this talented Bluejays team. Scheierman has been one of the highest rated transfers, but Creighton won’t just give him the lead role. Shayerman will be in the starting lineup. He will have a huge impact. But how big? And will he be the guy who throws in the late games? These are variables that are still up in the air.

gram Francisco Farabello: Shierman is the bigger name, but adding Farabello could help Creighton in some really big ways. His defense and possession off the bench should make him a fantastic sixth man. He is also another guy that you have to guard. He used 38.6% of his triples last year, so you can’t ignore him half the court.

gram United Gibson: Two of DePaul’s top scorers are gone, so Gibson could be the highest scoring player of his career. He’s the most proven scorer on the roster, and it’s not particularly close. Gibson is set to be the Blue Demons’ main offensive mover, and he plans to put in big numbers.

G Caleb Murphy: It was another big win for DePaul, but Murphy is more of a distributor than Gibson. Murphy and Gibson have to deal with 1 and 2 respectively and they can really play well with each other. Murphy has some defensive moves that need to be fully shown. Gibson may run more gaudy stats, but Murphy could prove to be DePaul’s most influential transfer.

gram Brandon Murray: LSU translation is the gem of the Georgetown translation package. Murray has the NBA ambition and the game to get there. Wing, at 6ft 5in, is a strong, burly defender whose offensive game will develop in his sophomore year. Murray is a real scorer with three levels, who has a chance to become an All-Big East player.

gram Jay Heath: There will be a lot of competition for a place in the starting lineup, but the Heat must be on the inside lane. The Arizona State transfer hit 43% from three-point range. But he really needs to add more to his offensive game. He threw only 52% into the ring. The Heat will have a lot of chances to become the top scorer in Georgetown.

gram Primo Spears: Duquesne’s transfer ended his rookie season with a bang, scoring 30 points against Rhode Island, 34 points against La Salle, and 25 points against George Washington. Oh, and he had a total of 16 assists in those three games. The Spears should seek regular playing time in the Hoya’s backcourt.

FROM Holy Wahab: Patrick Ewing squeezed the maximum out of Wahab and helped him become one of the most sought-after transfers. But things didn’t work out for Wahab in Maryland, and he returned to rediscover that magic with Ewing.

F Akok Akok: Injuries have prevented Akoku from showing his true potential as a shooting guard and a big man who can 3-ball. He will be one of Georgetown’s most athletic forwards, but recovering from an Achilles injury is no easy task.

Gee Wayne Bristol Jr.: This looks like a nice addition to Hoyas. Bristol is a 6-foot-6 striker who scored 40% of three for Howard in 2019/20. It’s been a while since he’s been on the set, but Bristol has the option of carving out his role if he can get the rust off.

F Bradley Eseviro: The LSU product adds the necessary mass to the front area. Eseviro is built like a brick house, so if a striker proves he can defend and rebound, he’ll have minutes.

gram Bryson Mozon: The South Carolina transfer has shot 41.3% from three-point range in his long career. Mosone scored 71 triples last year. It will play and he can play a big role as a spacer to open the court for Murray to get down to the ring.

G Zach Reitsil: The jump from the NAIA to the Big East is no easy task, but Wrightsil has an intriguing profile. The 6ft 7in guard posted huge numbers and his record is very impressive. He can lean his head against the ring to perform decisive dunks and blocks. He chased people defensively and played with high motor skills. Rights joins the Marquette program, which has many young promising guys such as Cam JonesTyler Kolek Olivier Maxence Prosper and Oso Igodaro. But don’t be surprised if Raytsil gets a bigger role than expected. Shaka Smart might be up to something.

gram Devin Carter: Carter really took off as his first year in South Carolina came to an end. He can really get on the line and play, so Providence will use him along with the point guard. Jared Bynum. Carter is a great athlete, and if a jumper comes along, Providence may have talent from the Big East.

F Bryce Hopkins: The only thing that got in the way of Hopkins was the situation. Kentucky just had a lot of talent. Hopkins took advantage of his minutes, but he simply did not have enough of them. This will change in Providence. Hopkins looks poised to play an important role on the flank and show why he was such an elite recruit.

gram Noah Locke: An experienced guard can really stretch the floor. Bynum, Locke and Carter’s potential starting defense will be three guys under 6ft 3in, but this could be really awesome.

FROM Clifton Moore: The La Salle transfer should increase the length of the Providence frontcourt. The 6-foot-10 big guy averaged 12.9 points per game last year, and with Providence’s talented defensemen, he could get some easy buckets. However, he will earn in defense. Moore averaged 2.8 blocks per game last year.

gram Corey Floyd Jr.: It really was supposed to be Floyd’s first year of college, but he retrained and joined UConn a year early. Floyd enters a crowded backcourt in Providence, but he should be ready to take on a monster role in 2023-24.

gram Andre Curbelo: There is a wide range of outcomes that can be played against Curbelo in St. John’s. A fast, wide-open regimen might just be what the doctor ordered for Curbelo. He…