4 transfers Arizona Basketball needs to target... and one they won't get
By Mason Duhon
Worth a visit:
Colorado's J'Vonne Hadley and Stanford's Kanaan Carlyle may not be game-wreckers, but they're high-upside guys who could play at pivotal depth roles in the 2024-25 season. To make a good deal even sweeter, Carlyle would get to play and develop for three years as a part of a program on a push to win it all.
Entered: 03/27. J'Vonne Hadley. . J'Vonne Hadley. G. JH. Senior. 514. . player
Hadley has taken the long road in terms of his basketball career, but it has paid off for him. After spending his freshman season with Northeastern in 2020-21 where he only saw 6.1 minutes per game, he played JuCo ball at Indian Hills Community College in the 2021-22 season. He transferred for a second time ahead of the 2022-23 season, this time to Colorado.
In Boulder, Hadley started 55 of 58 games played over the next two seasons and became a key cog in the Buffaloes' main lineup. He didn't lead the team in any major categories last season but proved to be a reliable depth piece. He averaged double-digit points (11.6), six rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while shooting an impressive 83.9% from the free-throw line.
The biggest draw of bringing Hadley in is his willingness to not be the star player. With an extremely promising incoming class and a handful of returning rising stars, he wouldn't have to carry the load and would be an extremely high-upside seventh or eighth man at worst.
Kanaan Carlyle. 517. KC. . Entered: 03/17. G. Kanaan Carlyle. player. . Freshman
Though Stanford cratered down the stretch, Carlyle popped in a few of his showings and poses a high upside if he's developed correctly — which is still a question for the Arizona staff. The former four-star recruit in the 2023 class started strong, dropping 28 points against Arizona, 22 against Oregon State, and a program freshman record 31 against Washington State, but he never cracked 20 points again after the home loss to the Cougars.
He finished the season averaging double figures, with his 11.5 points per game being good for fourth on the team despite playing the least out of the eight-man starting rotation. Carlyle only played in 23 of 32 possible games, but he still shot 38.6% from the field and 32% from range while dealing 2.7 assists per game. His efforts earned him an honorable mention for the Pac-12 All-Freshman team alongside KJ Lewis.
With time and as a key part of the rotation, Carlyle could add competition to a point guard room that's already star-studded and serves as a great backup plan should Kylan Boswell opt to find a new home.