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The final few days of college basketball’s transfer portal window saw multiple players enter who had already declared for the NBA draft.
It makes sense – college programs need to make sure they fill any potential holes on the roster, so they can’t exactly wait around for a player to decide on the draft process. If they are going to fill the spot of a player in the draft process, said player should be in the portal in order to keep their options open.
That’s the case with Kansas State wing Arthur Kaluma, who spent the first two years of his career at Creighton before transferring last offseason and joining Jerome Tang’s team. Kaluma averaged 14.4 points, 7.0 boards, and 2.0 assists last season while shooting 34.5% from three on 4.5 attempts per game.
His size and scoring ability will get him plenty of attention from NBA scouts, but if he does return to school he will have plenty of suitors – a list that could include the following programs:
Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
John Calipari wanted to bring Kaluma to Kentucky last offseason, ultimately losing out to Jerome Tang and Kansas State. He could win this time around, however, with plenty of NIL money still on the table at Arkansas, and key additions already made at center (Jonas Aidoo) and shooting guard (Johnell Davis).
Kaluma would slot nicely in between the two, and Calipari’s high octane offense should allow him to thrive while providing veteran experience to a team expected to be very young next year with multiple five-star freshmen committed.
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Kentucky missed out on Utah State transfer forward Great Osobor, and while they did land Andrew Carr from Wake Forest to play power forward there is still plenty of room in Lexington for a high profile scoring wing like Kaluma.
Mark Pope’s offense prioritizes outside shooting, and while Kaluma isn’t elite in that area he would be paired with Dayton’s Koby Brea and new point guard Kerr Kriisa, and the floor spacing this team possesses would likely lead to a lot of easy buckets for the 6’7 senior.
Syndication: The Courier-Journal
Pat Kelsey already has a tremendous class of transfers joining him in his first season with the Cardinals. However, the team has mostly made additions in the backcourt, and snagging a small ball four with the scoring capability Kaluma has would solidify this team as a legit contender in the ACC.
For Kaluma, getting to play with a point guard like Chucky Hepburn and in a high-octane offense like Kelsey’s will be very compelling – and if the NIL money has not run out at Louisville this is a match that could make a lot of sense for both sides.
Annie Rice/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
Texas Tech strongly pursued Kaluma when he entered the portal out of Creighton, and they could make another big push for the Irving, Texas native. Coach Grant McCasland has already landed star point guard Elijah Hawkins, guard Kevin Overton from Drake, and a power forward from Pitt in Federiko Federiko.
Landing Kaluma to play the three would help fill out the Red Raiders roster as they look to build on a strong season in the Big 12.
Syndication: The Topeka Capital-Journal
Kaluma’s priority right now is going through the NBA draft process, and the 6’7 wing could get enough positive feedback to stay in the draft and forego his final year of college basketball eligibility.
Kaluma’s improved three point shooting and NBA frame will no doubt keep him on the radar, and if he does well during testing and scrimmages at the combine it’s certainly not out of the question he gets a promise as a second round pick in a weak draft class.
If that’s the case, it might make sense for him to go pro rather than risk coming back and either getting hurt or underperforming – or just competing against a stronger draft class in 2025.
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Courtesy : https://collegesportswire.usatoday.com/lists/transfer-portal-kansas-state-arthur-kaluma-college-basketball/