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The college basketball transfer portal has been closed for over two weeks, but there are still hundreds of talented players searching for a new home ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Among the many highly sought after players still available is Kevin Patton Jr. Patton is a 6’8 wing who had an excellent freshman season for Steve Lavin and the San Diego Toreros in 2023-24.
The Temecula native averaged 9.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks across 26 minutes per game – making him among the most impactful freshman defenders in all of college basketball.
With three years of eligibility remaining, and coming off a season that highlighted his athleticism, defensive instincts, and developing offensive game – he shot a respectable 33.8% from three on 2.5 attempts – it’s no surprise the list of schools showing interest is exceptionally long.
Below is a look at five schools that make sense for Patton as a landing spot ahead of the upcoming season, including one that already hosted him on a visit:
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Coach Eric Musselman is no stranger to making a flurry of moves via the transfer portal, and he’s already had to do that after taking over for the USC Trojans this offseason.
USC hosted Patton earlier this week, and he’d provide elite perimeter defense to a roster that already includes plenty of high level guards – including transfers Desmond Claude (Xavier), Chibuzo Agbo (Boise State), and Bryce Pope (UC San Diego).
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Jon Scheyer has been hard at work adding key role players to Duke’s roster as a supplement to returnees Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster, as well as the loaded incoming freshman class led by Cooper Flagg.
Patton would be a tremendous option for this team on the wing, providing perimeter defense and athleticism while not taking touches away from the star players in Durham.
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San Diego State already added one transfer from San Diego in guard Wayne McKinney, and Patton could follow his teammate across the city to help shore up an area of need on Brian Dutcher’s squad.
The Aztecs lost Micah Parrish and Elijah Saunders in the transfer portal to Ohio State and Virginia, respectively, and a tough, physical, high level defender like Patton is a near perfect fit for what this program is trying to do in the Mountain West.
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Stanford hired coach Kyle Smith from Washington State early in the offseason, but otherwise things have been quiet in Palo Alto. The Cardinal brought in a pair of transfer guards – Derin Saran from UC Irvine and Oziyah Sellers from USC – but there’s still work to do to get this team to be competitive in the ACC.
Patton would step into a big role right away, and the opportunity to stay close to home, play for a phenomenal defensive coach, and compete against teams like Duke and North Carolina is certainly going to be tempting for the rising sophomore.
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Florida State has 10(!) players currently in the transfer portal, and coach Leonard Hamilton has only brought two transfers to Tallahassee – Bostyn Holt from South Dakota and Jerry Deng from Hampton.
With plenty of holes to fill, and in a system that relies on athletic perimeter defenders, Patton should be a priority target for the ‘Noles. Whether they can convince him to move across the country to play for a team that has struggled the past few years is another issue altogether, but this is a good team/player fit at least on paper.
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Courtesy : https://collegesportswire.usatoday.com/lists/transfer-portal-kevin-patton-san-diego-duke-usc/