On3 Sports Lists Four Big 12 Players as Transfer Portal Steals
While fans have yet to officially see which additions from the transfer portal hit their stride on a new team, On3 Sports’ Jamie Shaw ranked the top 10 transfer portal steals this offseason including four Big 12 members on his list.
The four players mentioned are West Virginia‘s RaeQuan Battle, Houston‘s Damian Dunn, Iowa State‘s Keshon Gilbert, and Kansas State‘s Tylor Perry, which all earned some big praise on Shaw’s list.
Shaw started off by mentioning Montana State transfer RaeQuan Battle, saying, “RaeQuan Battle was awarded first-team All-Big Sky after finishing fifth in the league in scoring. If the multiple-time transfer is granted a waiver, scorer is a role the 6-foot-5 guard should be given the opportunity to step right in and fill for the Mountaineers. Originally from Washington State, Battle played his first two seasons of college ball at Washington, where he started three games and averaged 4.8 points. Even with the off-season they have had, West Virginia found success recruiting the transfer portal.”
The second player mentioned is that of one of the new Big 12 teams in 2023, Houston’s Damian Dunn.
“Last January, Damian Dunn went to Houston and scored 16 points, and took home a win against a top-ranked Houston team,” Shaw said. “Fast-forward to this season and Dunn has transferred to play for the Cougars. Dunn is in his fourth year of college basketball, but with a redshirt season and COVID year, he has only played for two. In each of the past two seasons, he was named All-League AAC. Houston lost Marcus Sasser to the NBA Draft and Tramon Mark to the transfer portal. Dunn is a proven commodity who will be asked to come in and get buckets, just like he did on January 1, 2023.”
The third player mentioned on Shaw’s list was UNLV transfer, Keshon Gilbert, who committed to Iowa State back in April. Shaw raved about Gilbert saying, “Simply put, Keshon Gilbert is a smooth operator. He has positional size with a crafty handle and a good burst into the paint. Where Gilbert really shines is on the defensive end, where he uses keen anticipation and his length to get into the passing lanes. He also has the ability to slide his feet at the point of attack. Iowa State likes to play at a slower tempo, really focusing on the defensive end. With continued efficiency, Gilbert can shine in this type of system.”
The fourth and final player on the list is one of the bigger names to hit the transfer portal this offseason as the reigning Conference USA Player of the Year, Kansas State point guard, Tylor Perry.
“While Tylor Perry might be considered a smaller guard, he is one who can flat-out put the ball in the basket,” Shaw said. “The sub-six-foot lead guard is the reigning Conference USA Player of the Year. For his two year career at North Texas, Perry has shot 41.3 percent from three on 6.6 attempts over a 67-game span. Jerome Tang showed last season, with Markquis Nowell, that he is not afraid to let his guards boogie a little. Perry came from a school, and a system at North Texas, that liked to slow things down to a screeching pace. Tang does not.”
With multiple Big 12 players falling into the category of transfer portal steals, and some of the best rosters in the country, this basketball season should continue the narrative of the conference being the best in all of college basketball.
