The conference season is underway as Providence topped DePaul in overtime on Tuesday. With the next Big East game not coming up for another week, why not check in on the best Big East transfers? With the transfer portal one of the keys to success in modern-day college athletics, nearly every Big East team has an impact transfer or two this season.
Time will tell how the new additions will impact the Big East’s pecking order. However, in the early portion of the 2024-25 college basketball season, Big East transfers have made their presence felt.
Let’s take a look at the transfers who have made strong first impressions as 10 of the 11 Big East teams currently have winning records. Big East teams are 6-5 against ranked opponents this season with four more matchups against ranked teams set for Saturday.
Big East Transfers Making Their Presence Felt
It is hard to imagine when the teams would be right now without the production from the Big East transfers. Marquette is the only one of the Big East teams without having a transfer being a double-digit scorer.
The newcomers could make things interesting when the Big East season kicks into high gear. It could be quite the season if the Big East opener between Providence and DePaul is any indication.
Xavier plays Cincinnati, Butler faces Wisconsin, Creighton is at Alabama and UConn meets up with Gonzaga in an exciting slate of games on Saturday. Keeping tabs on how the Big East transfers fare against those ranked opponents will be fun.
Ryan Conwell, Xavier
It is hard to get more consistent than Xavier’s Ryan Conwell. He averaged 16.6 points per contest as a sophomore at Indiana State. Conwell had the same scoring average in his first eight games.
Conwell went off for 21 points in wins against Texas Southern and Wake Forest. He has scored in double figures in nine of his first 10 games.
Ryan Conwell hits the 3️⃣ and he’s got 13 points!#LetsGoX | ALL IN pic.twitter.com/GmMf10bqNs
— Xavier Basketball (@XavierMBB) December 11, 2024
Tarris Reed Jr., UConn
Former Michigan forward Tarris Reed Jr. is one of two transfers brought in by the two-time defending national champion UConn Huskies. Aidan Mahaney had nine key points in a win over a ranked Baylor team. Make no mistake, Reed has been the most consistent of the two UConn transfers.
Reed is averaging a team-best 8.2 rebounds per game. He is also one of four double-digit scorers for the Huskies. Reed scored in double figures in four of UConn’s first five games. He had 22 points and 11 rebounds in a loss to Memphis in the Maui Invitational.
Jacob Meyer, DePaul
Jacob Meyer, the 6-foot-2 sophomore, comes to DePaul from Coastal Carolina. After averaging 15.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists last season, he is putting up 14.3 points for the Blue Demons. His biggest jump came from long range. After shooting 40% while taking 3.8 3-pointers per game at Coastal Carolina, he is connecting on 44% of his 3-pointers while attempting six shots from 3-point range.
Teammate Isaiah Rivera, who is averaging 12.8 points per game, gives DePaul another double-digit scorer after transferring in from Illinois-Chicago.
Pop Isaacs, Creighton
It was a big blow for Creighton to see Pop Isaacs suffer a season-ending hip injury. The Texas Tech transfer formed a Big 3 with Big East Preseason Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner and Steven Ashworth.
Isaacs was averaging 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in eight games for Creighton. His final game came in an upset of No. 1 Kansas. Isaacs had 27 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in the 76-63 victory.
Bensley Joseph, Providence
Bensley Joseph is coming off back-to-back games at Providence with more than 10 points as he had 12 points in a win over BYU and 16 in a loss to Rhode Island. The Miami transfer has never been a huge scorer, but that may have to change with the Friars. He led the Friars with 20 points in the win over DePaul, raising his scoring average to 12.1 points per game.
Wooga Poplar, Villanova
Another Miami transfer makes the list. Wooga Poplar returned to Philadelphia after playing for three seasons at Miami. His season-high of 20 points came in the opener against Lafayette. That was also one of two double-doubles for the 6-foot-5 senior.
#Villanova’s Coach Neptune on Wooga Poplar’s 18-point performance against Temple:
Poplar also finished the game with seven rebounds. pic.twitter.com/LvqjmDU2AF
— David Szczepanski (@WXVUDavidS) December 8, 2024
Poplar is averaging 12.7 points and 7.3 rebounds as Villanova has won its last three games. He is second only to Eric Dixon in scoring for the Wildcats with an average of 13 points per game. Jhamir Brickus has also played well so far after transferring in from crosstown rival La Salle.
Micah Peavy, Georgetown
Micah Peavy was a double-digit scorer at TCU during the 2023-24 season when he hit the transfer portal. The 6-foot-8 forward landed at Georgetown. Peavy had a three-game stretch when averaged 21 points and 4.3 assists per game. He has struggled a bit recently but he is still a key piece of a Georgetown team that underwent quite a roster overhaul in Ed Cooley‘s second season at the helm of the Hoyas.
Kadary Richmond, St. John’s
Kadary Richmond was the top-rated transfer according to the 247sports.com transfer database. He was a rare Big East-to-Big East transfer as he left Seton Hall for St. John’s. Richmond is one of three double-digit scorers for the Red Storm. He leads the team with 44 assists compared to just 22 turnovers. Richmond is also in double figures in both steals and blocked shots.
Patrick McCaffery, Butler
After five seasons playing for his father Fran McCaffery at Iowa, 6-foot-9 forward Patrick McCaffery landed at Butler. Despite some recent struggles shooting the ball, McCaffery is third on the Bulldogs in scoring with an average of 13.2 points per game. McCaffery has been lighting it up from 3-point range. He has connected on 27 of his first 55 shots from 3-point range.
Chaunce Jenkins, Seton Hall
The well-traveled Chaunce Jenkins is the top scorer for Seton Hall. It has been an interesting start as Jenkins is shooting lower from the field than he did in each of the last two seasons at Old Dominion. However, his 3-point percentage is 10 points higher than it was a season ago.
