March Madness isn't even over and a new type of madness has already set in: the NCAA transfer portal. After losing a pair of young forwards already, the roster is poised for plenty of turnover between the transfer portal and professional opportunities. The only person guaranteed not to return next year is Keshad Johnson, and the jury is still out on three more. Either one of a pair of mid-major transfers could help fill that void.
Utah State's Great Osobor and Pepperdine's Jevon Porter both fit the bill for what Arizona Basketball head coach Tommy Lloyd will be looking for. They're both extremely athletic big men who can hold their own at the 4 spot on the court while being threats to score 15-plus points every game. Even if they don't ultimately suit up for Arizona, Lloyd needs to at least initiate a conversation.
Here's the rub: the 6-foot-8 Osobor likely won't be suiting up for Arizona. Danny Sprinkle-led Montana State was the only school that offered him out of high school, and Osobor played there for two years before following Sprinkle to Utah State. Now, with Sprinkle on the move yet again taking the head coaching position at Washington, it's safe to expect that Osobor will be suiting up as a Husky next season.
That said, he's exactly what Tommy Lloyd is looking for in a Johnson replacement. Osobor is an extremely athletic player with a set of skills that allow him to thrive in a combination 4/5-man role. The reigning Mountain West Player of the Year led his team in scoring (17.7 points), rebounds (9.0 per game), and blocks (1.8 per game) while shooting 57.7% from the field. He also landed at second on the team in assists (2.8 per game) and steals (1.3 per game).
Porter has quite the pedigree coming out of Pepperdine: he's the younger brother of Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. Aside from the name brand, though, Porter fits what Arizona needs: a big man with a deadly shot. He was an unheralded prospect, only getting offers from Pepperdine and his hometown Mizzou as a three- to four-star prospect. Now, he can put himself on the map with a high-major program.
Despite missing the first 12 games due to injury, the 6-foot-11, 225-pound forward averaged 16.2 points per game last season, good for second on the team. Also second on the team were his one block and 0.8 steals per game averages. Where the All-West Coast Conference honorable mention really stood out, though, was in his availability: Porter's 31.5 minute-per-game average was nearly 10 minutes more (21.8, Boubacar Coulibaby) than Pepperdine's next most durable forward.
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