PAISAA Season Review: Impact transfers

With another great season in the books, it's time to look back on the winter that was in the increasingly talent-rich PA independent school scene. We'll continue our season review by taking a look at a handful of familiar faces in new places who made immediate impacts as transfers this past winter.    There may not have been a guard in the area who did more for his team than Miller, as the Jersey transplant regularly put the team on his back while stuffing the stat sheet in a handful of dynamic two-way performances. Using his burgeoning frame and highly-functional athletic package to go with a crafty but decisive handle, Miller was a regular at the front of the rim where he would either finish among the trees or set up a teammate for an easy look. A consistent factor in the floor game as well, he also shows great instincts as a defensive playmaker and rebounder from the backcourt. Having led George to a surprise undefeated regular season in Friends League play, Miller has a chance to cement his recruitment into mid-to-high major territory with continued growth as a game manager and perimeter shooter.     With a deep core of impactful forwards returning, the addition of Newson in the backcourt represented the cherry on top for the now back-to-back Friends League champs. A long, sinewy wing guard with blossoming high-major recruitment, the Delaware native made a splash right away with his dynamic two-way game. Playing both on and off the ball, he brought a consistent punch getting downhill while also using his length and quickness to fit in seamlessly with ANC's in-your-face style of defense. Perhaps most important to his long-term development was the growth Newson showed as a shooter, turning himself into a consistent weapon from beyond the arc off the catch. There's more he can take onto his plate in years to come, but the high-major ability was clear transitioning into an experienced, well-oiled lineup in Bryn Athyn.     Coming in midseason from Canada, Bottomley would prove to be just the spark Phelps needed as he kickstarted a struggling group down the back half of the year and ignited a Cinderella run to a PAISAA title. Filling a key void as the Lions' floor general, the transfer from north of the border brought a consistent stability to the floor with his mature balance of scoring and playmaking. With the ball on a string and an unselfish mindset while surveying the floor, he routinely got the ball where it needed to be to keep the offense humming. His near double-double to upset top-seeded Perkiomen in the semifinals highlighted an instant impact on the local scene as Bottomley looks to continue his momentum onto the EYBL circuit this spring and summer.     Looking to continue a storied lineage of Westtown bigs who have gone on to play at the highest levels, Walker is impossible to miss upon taking the floor with his striking blend of imposing length and graceful mobility. A transfer from Illinois, he covers ground with a natural fluidity that few his size can match as a relentlessly live body whether it be changing ends in transition or patrolling defensively in search of blocks. Blessed with rim protection tools for the highest levels, he really tantalizes with his ability to also chop his feet on the perimeter or recover out to shooters in space. While not the most traditionally skilled, he fits a modern mold with his ability to space the floor offensively both vertically as a lob threat and out to the arc with his burgeoning 3-point stroke. There's a ways to go in terms of strength and ball skills, but Walker played his role to great effect for Westtown in the middle and figures to draw recruiting attention up to the high-major level with his enticing skillset and physical gifts.     Improving seemingly game-by-game through the course of the season, Galli proved to be a driving force as Hill finished runners-up in both the MAPL and PAISAA tournaments. A classic stretch forward by way of Italy, he made his greatest and most consistent impact as a prolific floor-spacer in the frontcourt whether picking and popping in the halfcourt or trailing to spots in transition. Galli grew more comfortable and aggressive as the season progressed, incorporating more of a slashing attack off the bounce and using his size as a mismatch scorer inside. His production, skill level, and intensity should have him on the boards of scholarship-level programs looking for frontcourt help in the late signing period.

With another great season in the books, it's time to look back on the winter that was in the increasingly talent-rich PA independent school scene. We'll continue our season review by taking a look at a handful of familiar faces in new places who made immediate impacts as transfers this past winter.