Kasean Pryor transfer portal: Top 5 landing spots for USF forward ft. UConn
Versatile big man Kasean Pryor has entered the transfer portal after an eventful season with South Florida.
Pryor posted on X (formerly Twitter) to reveal that he is declaring for the NBA Draft and thanked the school for allowing him to play for the team.
“I want to thank the University of South Florida for welcoming me with open arms and embracing me for who I am. And to Coach Amir and the rest of the staff for giving me this opportunity and seeing my potential,” Pryor said on X.
He became the third player on the 2023-24 South Florida roster to leave the team after Chris Youngblood and Selton Miguel.
Pryor, who played 13 games in two seasons with Boise State, appeared in 32 games for the Bulls and averaged 13 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He also recorded a team-high 23 blocks and shot 44.7% from the field, including 36.2% from the 3-point line.
The energetic forward led South Florida to an American Athletic Conference regular season title, edging Florida Atlantic. Unfortunately, the Bulls did not make it to the NCAA Tournament and instead took part in the National Invitational Tournament where they reached the second round.
Pryor helped South Florida finish the season with a 25-8 record. Many teams have expressed interest in securing the services of the 6'10 forward. On Saturday, On3.com's senior national recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw posted the list of teams who have spoken to Pryor.
With the long list of teams expressing interest in acquiring the forward, here are the top five options for Pryor.
Top five transfer portal landing spots for Kasean Pryor
#5 Wisconsin
Shaw reported that the Wisconsin Badgers have contacted Pryor, expressing their interest in acquiring his services. Pryor fits several of Wisconsin's needs next season. He is a solid rim protector and a good interior defender.
Pryor is also a good shooter from the 3-point area which they badly need after AJ Storr, Connor Essegian, Gus Yalden, Isaac Lindsey, Luke Haertle, Ross Candelino, and Chucky Hepburn left Wisconsin.
#4 Illinois
Illinois lost Amani Hansberry, Sencire Harris, and Dain Dainja as they entered the transfer portal. However, the impending transfers wouldn't mightily affect the Fighting Illini's campaign in the 2024-25 season as they found three replacements in Kylan Boswell from Arizona, Tre White from Louisville, and Jake Davis from Mercer.
If Pryor decides to play for Illinois next season, expect coach Brad Underwood to be a happy camper as he would have gained one of the best forwards who can shoot from long range and provide excellent interior defense.
#3 Arkansas
New Arkansas coach John Calipari is one of the best coaches capable of bringing the best out of his forwards/centers. Pryor is no Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, or Marcus Camby but he's built like them, a big man who is a solid post defender and can make jump shots.
If Pryor chooses the Razorbacks over the ton of teams mentioned in Shaw's post, he will learn a lot from former NBA bench tactician Calipari before making a big jump to the professional ranks.
#2 Michigan
Dusty May continued to make a big splash in the transfer portal by acquiring Rubin Jones and Danny Wolf from North Texas and Yale, respectively. If you think May is satisfied with his new recruits, think again, as he is also in contact with Pryor.
If Pryor commits to teaming up with May, he could form an athletic frontline crew with Wolf, as both are capable of spacing the floor with their outside shooting range. Pryor can also provide the much-needed spark for the team with his versatility and boundless energy.
#1 UConn
#1 UConn
UConn's frontline combo of Donovan Clingan and Alex Karaban have declared for the NBA Draft, although the latter could still change his mind and use his remaining college eligibility to play for Dan Hurley again. To fill up the void left by Clingan, the Huskies secured the commitment of Michigan transfer Tarris Reed Jr. Reed averaged 9.0 ppg, 7.2 RPG, and 1.4 bpg this past season and can improve further considering the impending departures of the 7-foot-2 Clingan and the 6-foot-8 Karaban.
UConn have contacted Pryor and he could be the ideal replacement for Karaban as he has averaged 13 points and 7.9 rebounds in his years with South Florida. He can also ease Reed's burden in the paint as he can move freely and help defensively when needed.
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Is Kasean Pryor an excellent transfer portal acquisition in the forward/center position? Let us know in the comments section below.