Dick Vitale, College Basketball analyst 9y

Transfers will have major impact

Men's College Basketball

As the new season gets underway soon, there is a major trend in college basketball. Transferring is almost at an epidemic pace. ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman listed over 500 players who switched uniforms in Division I.

More and more players are turning into Marco Polos, exploring for greener pastures. College basketball's version of free agency is here to stay. Some are looking for instant gratification and leave for a bigger role. Some are junior college stars looking for that Division I scholarship. Others are recent graduates who have one year of eligibility left and are looking for one last shot at glory with a higher-profile program.

In past years, I have limited the number of members on my All-Marco Polo team. This season, I could have easily picked 30 legitimate players for this squad. There are that many guys who will step in and make an impact on their respective programs.

I have decided to come up with a Sweet 16. They are all players going from one Division I school to another. Time to unveil the 2014-15 All-Marco Polo team:

Matt Carlino, BYU to Marquette: In his first season as Marquette coach, Steve Wojciechowski has to be happy to have the graduate student from BYU on board. Carlino averaged 13.7 points and 4.3 assists per game last season. He ranked first in the West Coast Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio.

Bryce Dejean-Jones, UNLV to Iowa State: The Cyclones have benefited from transfers in the past. Just look at what DeAndre Kane meant to the program last season after transferring in from Marshall. Dejean-Jones will have a major impact on a very good team.

Anthony Hickey Jr., LSU to Oklahoma State: Hickey started in 31 games for LSU last season and came up big against several tough opponents (20 points vs. Kentucky, 20 vs. Memphis). He posted a solid 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Kedren Johnson, Vanderbilt to Memphis: If Johnson can return to the form displayed two years ago, coach Josh Pastner will be ecstatic. Johnson led Vanderbilt in scoring during the 2012-13 season, averaging 13.5 PPG, but sat out last season due to a suspension.

Jalen Jones, SMU to Texas A&M: The versatile 6-foot-7 Jones averaged 14 PPG and 7.7 RPG for Larry Brown last season. The Aggies are happy to have him, plus an amazing recruiting class for next season, as Billy Kennedy is all smiles these days.

Trevor Lacey, Alabama to NC State: Lacey was a winner at Alabama (44-25 in two seasons), and the 6-3 guard provides leadership and scoring potential to the Wolfpack.

Anthony Lee, Temple to Ohio State: The 6-9 Lee is a force on the glass. He led the Owls with 8.6 RPG last season while shooting 50 percent from the floor. He will fit in nicely up front for Buckeyes coach Thad Matta.

Justin Martin, Xavier to SMU: The 6-6 Martin scored in double figures in 16 of Xavier's 20 Big East games last season. Go ask Creighton about him; he had 19 points and 16 rebounds versus the Bluejays.

Antoine Mason, Niagara to Auburn: New Tigers coach Bruce Pearl wanted instant offense, and he got it when Mason transferred in. He was second in the nation in scoring last season, trailing Creighton's Doug McDermott.

Sheldon McClellan, Texas to Miami (Fla.): Miami has so many new faces, including the 6-5 Longhorns transfer. He averaged 13.5 PPG as a sophomore for Texas. McClellan also gained valuable experience on a preseason trip to Spain.

Rodney Purvis, NC State to Connecticut: Purvis will see a lot of time in the backcourt with Ryan Boatright now that Shabazz Napier is gone. Look for Purvis to provide leadership.

Angel Rodriguez, Kansas State to Miami (Fla.): Rodriguez is returning home as he played his high school basketball in Miami. He was a second-team All-Big 12 performer at Kansas State.

Ricky Tarrant, Tulane to Alabama: Talk about potential. Tarrant had 20 games with 20-plus points in two seasons at Tulane. If he can shake off the rust, SEC opponents will learn about him early.

Byron Wesley, USC to Gonzaga: The Zags have one of the deepest backcourts in America, and the addition of Wesley is a major positive. He averaged a team-high 17.8 PPG and 6.4 RPG for USC last season.

Kyle Wiltjer, Kentucky to Gonzaga: Wiltjer just didn't get enough opportunities at Kentucky. He will be a good fit with the Bulldogs and coach Mark Few.

Trey Zeigler, Pittsburgh to TCU: As a sophomore at Central Michigan during the 2011-12 season, he averaged more than 15 PPG Can he return to that form? Coach Trent Johnson hopes so.

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