The number of transfers for the 2020-21 high school basketball season in the state of Florida is already in the double-digits.
Let’s take a look at the top 10 transfers thus far this offseason:
1. JALEN DUREN: PHILLY ROMAN CATHOLIC TO MONTVERDE
Jalen Duren is the consensus No. 2 2022 prospect in the nation behind Emoni Bates. Duren (pictured) is transferring from Philly Roman Catholic to Montverde Academy in Central Florida. The 6-foot-10 5-star averaged 18.1 points and 12.5 rebounds as a sophomore. The true post was dominant last summer at the USA Basketball Junior National mini-camp at University School in Davie. He would go on to help the U.S. take gold at the 2019 FIBA Americas U-16 championship. The chiseled Duren is an efficient shooter who does it at both ends. He posted 21 and 16 vs. McEachern (Ga.) in December at the City of Palms in Fort Myers. Miami is among six early offers.
2-3. IMG ACADEMY ADDS GUARDS BATES, HOWARD
IMG Academy lost starting guards Jaden Springer (Tennessee) and Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss) to graduation. Enter Tamar Bates and Jett Howard. Bates comes to Bradenton from Kansas City Piper, where the 6-4 2021 averaged 21 points a game and was the Kansas 4A Player of the Year. He has double-digit offers, including Kansas, Kansas State, Colorado and Iowa State in the Big 12, as well as Creighton and Alabama. Howard, a 6-7 rising junior and son of Michigan coach Juwan Howard, transfers to IMG from Davie University School. Howard averaged better than 15 a game as a sophomore. He has early scholarship offers from Florida, Michigan and Vanderbilt. IMG has also added 6-8 forward Kordell Charles from Canada.
4-6. TRIO JOINING FORCES AT BISHOP MCLAUGHLIN
Bishop McLaughlin, near Tampa, went 2-22 and did not have a player taller than 6-2 in 2019-20. Enter new coach Derrick Sharp. Sharp comes to McLaughlin from Tampa Blake and he is not coming alone.
Tampa Blake 2022s Emanuel Sharp and Anthony Davis Jr. are headed to McLaughlin, along with Tampa Sickles 2022 Dillon Mitchell. The 6-4 Sharp has offers from Florida, USF, SMU and Texas Tech. The 6-7 Mitchell has offers from Florida, USF, SMU, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech. Davis (6-4) has an early scholarship offer from James Madison.
7-8. SHORTER, CORBETT HEAD TO WEST OAKS
Fort Lauderdale High 2021 Jordan Shorter and Poinciana 2021 Jahsean Corbett are transferring to Orlando West Oaks Academy. The 6-5 Shorter holds early offers from Florida, FIU, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and USF, according to West Oaks coach Kenny Gillion. Samford, Stetson and N.C. A&T have offered the 6-6 Corbett, who jumped on radars by averaging a double-double at the FIBA U-17 in San Juan. [Editor’s note: Hours after this piece was published, Tallahassee Rickards 5-10 2021 point guard Ray Robinson announced he was transferring to West Oaks for his senior season. Robinson helped lead Rickards to the 5A state title as a junior.]
9. ARCHBISHOP CARROLL LANDS GEORGIA ALL-STATER
6-4 guard Micah Bell had a big-time junior season at Douglasville, Ga., Chapel Hill, earning All-State honors. The long and athletic Bell is moving south and will spend his senior season at Miami Archbishop Carroll. Bell’s brother, Mike, is a 2020 commit to Johnson & Wales. Bell averaged 19.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals in 2019-20.
10. SLEEPER PICK OF THE GROUP
My sleeper pick is 6-10 project Logan Lord, who heads to Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian from St. Thomas Aquinas. Can Cilk McSweeney and Steve Allen coach up the big by February for a run in the postseason? Lord could give Calvary a presence in the paint as a rim protector and rebounder.
FIVE MORE TRANSFERS
- 6-5 2023 Gregory Spate: Oakland Park Northeast to Coral Springs High
- 6-3 2023 Jessiah Pierre Johnson: Dade Christian to Davie University School
- 6-6 2021 Tristan Goldstein: St. Thomas Aquinas to Cypress Bay
- 6-5 2022 Riley Kugel: Orlando Central Florida Christian Academy to Dr. Phillips
- 6-3 2021 Steve Laurent: Tallahassee Godby to Pompano Beach Blanche Ely