July is a relatively quiet month in college basketball. There are a few teams that play international exhibition games (such as Kansas, which had nearly its entire roster in the World University Games). It is a great time to look at the transfers who have either sat out for a season or have graduated and moved on to a new school. Two weeks ago, we hit a sampling of players going to smaller schools. This week, we'll stop in a few schools in the Big East and SEC to see what is new.
Kareem Canty, guard, Auburn Tigers
Most people believe that it won't take coach Bruce Pearl long to turn the Tigers around. He had success at virtually every other previous stop in his career. Auburn did not win much in Pearl's first season, and the high-scoring K.T. Harrell has moved on. Pearl may point to Canty, a 6-1 Marshall transfer, to provide the points. Canty scored 16.3 points and doled out 5.5 assists for the Thundering Herd in 2013-14. The Harlem native has hopefully practiced his 3-point shot, since he made just 30.4 percent from long range.
Tyler Harris, forward, Auburn Tigers
Canty isn't the only new Tiger that should help boost the team's 15-win total (4-14 SEC). Harris, a transfer from Providence, should get a bigger role. Behind both Kris Dunn and LaDontae Henton, the 6-10 former Friar seemed destined to be the third option for the team. He often came off the bench, and saw his production fall from his first season in Rhode Island with 9.9 points and 4.0 rebounds in 27 minutes. Like Canty, however, Harris has not shown much proficiency from beyond the arc (just 28.6 percent last year).
Tyler Lewis, guard, Butler Bulldogs
The Bulldogs should once again be one of the better teams in the Big East. They have their top three scorers returning, and the 5-11 Lewis should fill the vacancy left at point guard. He showed the ability to run an offense two seasons ago at North Carolina State, posting 3.8 assists over 19.9 minutes. Lewis may not have to score much, however, as Kellen Dunham (16.5 PPG) and Andrew Chrabascz (11.2 PPG) will both be returning. He made just 34.6 percent of his field goals with the Wolfpack, but after a year off to practice, one would think improvement is on the horizon.
John Egbunu, center, Florida Gators
Florida looks more like a mid-major than a major power that went to three straight Elite Eights from 2012 to 2014. Former coach Billy Donovan ran off to Oklahoma City and left an uneven roster for Mike White, who should be used to a mid-major team after spending time at Louisiana Tech. At least there are some interesting big players, including Dorian Finney-Smith (13.1 points, 6.2 rebounds) and the 6-11 Egbunu. Playing for nearby South Florida in 2013-14, Egbunu provided 7.4 points and 6.2 rebounds as a freshman.
Derrick Gordon, guard, Seton Hall Pirates
With its cast of talented sophomores, it would appear that the Pirates are a team on the rise. Seton Hall won its first seven games of 2014-15, and even scored victories against ranked opponents in its first two conference tilts. Then, reality (with a dash of an Isaiah Whitehead injury) hit. Sterling Gibbs took his high-scoring ways to Connecticut, but the Pirates found an apt replacement with Gordon. The 6-3 guard averaged 9.8 points and 2.7 assists at Massachusetts last year, and should be able to set up Whitehead, Angel Delgado, and the rest of the Pirates for easy scores.
Durand Johnson, forward, St. John's Red Storm
To say that coach Chris Mullin is walking into a team bereft of name players would be an understatement. The Red Storm lost every player that played more than 9.2 minutes, so there is plenty of opportunity for someone to step up. That someone could be Johnson, who last played for Pitt in 2013-14. The 6-6 wing tore his ACL halfway through that season, but he scored in double digits eight times, including 17 points in a win over Maryland in his penultimate game as a Panther.
Anthony Collins, guard, Texas A&M Aggies
After three years of starting at South Florida (our second Bull transfer), we know who Collins is: a pass-first point guard. He averaged at least 5.2 assists and 1.5 steals in each of his seasons as the team's point guard. Collins moves closer to his Houston home at Texas A&M, but it remains to be seen how much playing time he will get with Alex Caruso on the squad. Because Collins is such a staunch defender, he may get extra playing time and could be worth watching for assists and steals (but not his ugly jumper).
Others to consider: Tomasz Gielo, forward, Ole Miss; Braeden Anderson, forward, Seton Hall
