The Orange got some help this offseason, while the Buckeyes only got hurt
— -- Now that Andrew White has finally made a decision and the transfer season has come to an end, it's time to hand out our annual awards.
Who has reason to celebrate, and who didn't fare quite so well in the newest manner of recruiting?
WINNERS
Jim Boeheim, Syracuse Orange
The Orange are coming off a Final Four berth but lost a bunch: Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney graduated, and Malachi Richardson left for the NBA after just one season. Boeheim and his staff might have added two starters for this season with the additions of wing shooter Andrew White (formerly of Kansas and Nebraska) and ex-Colorado State combo guard John Gillon. White should help give the Orange a long-range shooter, and Gillon could start at the point. He began his career at Arkansas-Little Rock and averaged 13.2 points and 3.8 assists last season for Larry Eustachy at Colorado State.
Mike White, Florida Gators
White added a big-time scorer who will help this season in Canyon Barry (Charleston) and someone who could start when he becomes eligible in Jalen Hudson (Virginia Tech). Barry averaged 19.7 points last season, while Hudson averaged 8.4 for the Hokies. The Gators could get to the NCAA tournament with a core that includes frontcourt guys John Egbunu and Devin Robinson, plus? KeVaughn Allen and Barry on the wing.
Kansas Jayhawks
Sure, Malik Newman struggled as a freshman at Mississippi State under Ben Howland, but the former top 10 recruit will get a second chance with Bill Self in Lawrence. Newman will sit out this season and then get the opportunity to step into the spot that will be vacated by senior Frank Mason. Newman is a big-time scorer who, despite an underwhelming season, averaged 11.3 points last season. The Jayhawks also added 6-foot-11 Liberty transfer Evan Maxwell, who will likely be a rotation big at KU.
Ole Miss Rebels
Andy Kennedy and the Rebels had one of the best transfer seasons of any program. They added Cullen Neal, who averaged 12.3 points last season at New Mexico, is eligible immediately in Oxford and has two years left. Kennedy and his staff also reeled in talented 7-footer Dominik Olejniczak, who posted modest numbers (6.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG) at Drake but went for 16.6 points and 7.7 boards in his final three games a season ago.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
Mark Few was the beneficiary of his assistant, Donny Daniels, and his longtime friendship with Phil Mathews, who happens to be the father of Cal transfer Jordan Mathews. The Zags will add a big-time scorer/shooter who made 159 of 372 (43 percent) shots from beyond the arc the past two seasons. Mathews is eligible to play in Spokane as a grad transfer this season.
USC Trojans
The Trojans lost four players via transfer, and all four combined won't be as significant as the addition of Duke transfer Derryck Thornton, who chose the Trojans over Kansas. Thornton struggled last season, but a year sitting out should help. Andy Enfield also added Minnesota grad transfer Charles Buggs, who should add an experienced body up front.
St. John's Red Storm
Chris Mullin and his staff added a couple guys from big-time programs. Sure, they weren't huge contributors, but Justin Simon (Arizona) and Marvin Clark Jr. (Michigan State) are high-character and should be able to help the Red Storm get back to relevance. Clark will sit and have two years left, while Simon will sit and have three remaining with the Johnnies.
Eric Musselman, Nevada Wolf Pack
The Wolf Pack added four transfers, though one of them -- Iowa State's Hallice Cooke -- won't be able to play because of heart issues. The key addition is? Caleb Martin, who averaged 11.5 points and 4.7 boards last season while playing more than 30 minutes per game at NC State. Martin's twin brother, Cody, who averaged six points last season, also came aboard and will sit this year and have two left in Reno. Musselman also added ex-Purdue forward Kendall Stephens, who recorded 32 starts with the Boilermakers and is eligible to play this year as a grad transfer.
Auburn Tigers
Bruce Pearl and the Tigers added three transfers: two grad transfers in former Purdue and Houston point guard Ronnie Johnson (9.4 ppg) and ex-Bethune Cookman and Georgia State big man LaRon Smith (7.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.0 bpg). Auburn also added Presbyterian's leading scorer,? DeSean Murray, who put up 20.2 points and 7.4 boards last season and will sit this coming season before playing two with the Tigers.
Rick Stansbury, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
The former Mississippi State head coach has added three transfers since he took over with the Hilltoppers. Que Johnson, who averaged 11.3 points at Washington State, and Junior Lomomba, who started 34 games last season for Providence, are grad transfers who will play this season. But the prize was Buffalo point guard Lamonte Bearden, who has played in a pair of NCAA tournaments in his first two seasons and averaged 13.7 points and 4.2 assists last season for the Bulls. Bearden will sit and have two seasons left at WKU.
LOSERS
Nick McDevitt, UNC Asheville Bulldogs
A year ago, McDevitt lost his leading scorer, Andrew Rowsey, to Marquette. This offseason, he lost his top two scorers. Freshman Dylan Smith (13.5 ppg) left for Arizona, and fellow frosh Dwayne Sutton (12 ppg, 7.7 rpg) returned home to Louisville and will walk-on for the Cardinals this season. If McDevitt still had those three, the Bulldogs would be favored to win the league and go to the NCAA tournament. Instead, McDevitt is fighting for his job.
Tim Miles, Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Cornhuskers will have to replace leading scorer Shavon Shields, but that was expected. What was not was the sudden departure of Andrew White III (16.6 ppg), who announced in the summer that he was leaving. White began his career at Kansas, where he played sparingly for two seasons.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Maybe it'll wind up being addition by subtraction, but anytime you lose a trio of top 100 players, it doesn't look good. Austin Grandstaff left after the first semester, then Daniel Giddens (Alabama), A.J Harris (New Mexico State) and Mickey Mitchell (UC Santa Barbara) transferred after the season. The four combined to average just 13 points last season, but again ... it's not a good look to lose 80 percent of what was considered a stellar recruiting class.
Michigan Wolverines
Yes, I know the Wolverines added Kentucky transfer Charles Matthews, but?John Beilein lost four players to transfer: grad Spike Albrecht and sophomores? Kameron Chatman, Aubrey Dawkins and Ricky Doyle. Chatman was heralded coming out of high school and is headed to Detroit, Dawkins left to play for his father, Johnny, at UCF, and Doyle went back home and will play at Florida Gulf Coast. Those departures will hurt Michigan's depth this season.
Kentucky Wildcats
John Calipari and the 'Cats will be just fine, but they could have used the experience and depth that Marcus Lee and Charles Matthews would have provided. Lee would have been a senior and was a good team guy, while Matthews would have given UK a quality four-year player -- something that has been a rarity in Lexington since Calipari came aboard.
Missouri Tigers
Kim Anderson needs to make progress this season, and he'll do so with major turnover. The team's second-leading scorer, Wes Clark, left Columbia, as did four other players. Namon Wright (9.6 ppg) is headed to Colorado, former Top 100 recruit Jakeenan Gant is gone, and so are Tramaine Isabell and D'Angelo Allen. It doesn't help to have a mass exodus when you haven't won much your first two seasons, so the key for Anderson will be the results on the court this season.
Craig Neal, New Mexico Lobos
It wasn't just a tough blow to lose someone who averaged 12.3 PPG. It was also extremely difficult for the coach to watch Cullen Neal, who happens to be his son, transfer to Ole Miss for his final two seasons. It just wasn't working at UNM, with the pressure, the health issues, etc. Maybe it'll work out for all parties, but Neal lost a talented player who is also his kid.
Bob Walsh, Maine Black Bears
Walsh lost three of his top four scorers to the transfer wire. Isaac Vann (16.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG) left for VCU, Kevin Little (14.7 PPG) went to Colorado State, Devine Eke (9.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG) is headed to Rider, and Lavar Harewood (5.1 PPG) will play in the junior college ranks at Cloud County.
Kyle Smith, San Francisco Dons
He didn't have a chance, but imagine if Devin Watson (San Diego State) and Uche Ofoegbu (UNLV) had remained with the Dons' new coach. Watson put up 20.3 points per game, and Ofoegbu averaged 9.2 points and 4.6 boards per game last season.
VCU Rams
The Rams lost Michael Gilmore, and coach Will Wade finished second to Syracuse for the services of local product Andrew White. Gilmore landed at Miami. White strung his recruitment out for more than two months before choosing Boeheim and the Orange.
