How E.J. Evans and Tristan Jeffries’ transfers affect the 2019-20 season
Transfers are a big part of modern day high school basketball. It’s not uncommon to see top players in good programs transfer to a big name to give them a better chance of winning a championship. The majority of transfers…
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Continue ReadingTransfers are a big part of modern day high school basketball. It’s not uncommon to see top players in good programs transfer to a big name to give them a better chance of winning a championship. The majority of transfers happen before the start of the school year, but there are a few exceptions to the rule. Trenton Catholic’s E.J. Evans just transferred to St. Benedict’s, while Tristan Jeffries is now at St. Thomas Aquinas after leaving Gill St. Bernard’s. Both players were part of their original school’s fall league teams, so their departures seem very abrupt.
Jeffries’ move to St. Thomas Aquinas makes the Trojans one of the teams to beat in Non-Public A South. St. Thomas Aquinas already had a dynamic backcourt in Wake Forest signee Quadry Adams and sophomore Jaquan Harris. Junior guard Kyree Henry is one of the top shooters in New Jersey, which should open up driving lanes for Adams and Harris. Southern New Hampshire signee Derrick Grant is a load on the block and should pair nicely with Jeffries. Throw in junior guard Jalen Jones and sophomore big man Mehki Johnson and the Trojans have a team primed to make the Non-Public A South final.
The loss of Jeffries will sting, but the Knights may have actually gotten better. Freshman Mackenzie Mgbako is a super talented player with deep range, good handles and a solid feel for the game. He’s not as athletic as Jeffries, but Mgbako pairs up better with Princeton signee Zach Martini down low. North Alabama signee Will Soucie struggled at times during the fall league, but should be up to form once the season starts. The young backcourt of Denver Anglin and Isaac Hester will have to grow up fast as the Knights do not have many other options in the backcourt. Gill St. Bernard’s are still a talented team that will make noise in the state playoffs.
Evans’ departure could prove costly for the Iron Mikes. He was slated to be the team’s second leading scorer after VCU signee Jamir Watkins, but his loss changes everything. Princeton Day School transfer Freddie Young Jr. proved he was capable of being a secondary scorer and should shoulder more of the scoring load. Junior guard Donavin Crawford is a capable outside shooter that will have to become a more diverse scorer. Jean Bernard is a solid role player, but the senior will have to increase his scoring output. Freshman Dasear Hawkins is a talented player who will be asked to produce right away. The Iron Mikes have the pieces to overcome Evans’ departure and they should make a deep run in Non-Public B South.
St. Benedict’s Prep has already started playing games, so it could be hard for Evans to get significant playing time right away. The Grey Bees already have a talented backcourt in NJIT signee Adetokundo Bakare and Barra Njie. Freshman Ty-Laur Johnson has been an early season spark-plug for St. Benedict’s and should continue to get good minutes. Evans is a talented player that will help St. Benedict’s win a lot of games this season, but he will struggle to find minutes during the early portions of the season.