The college basketball transfer portal cycle has slowed to a crawl, with a last burst coming from Coleman Hawkins committing to Kansas State and Supreme Cook picking Oregon. There are not many big name players still looking for a new home, with former Kansas State wing Arthur Kaluma the biggest name at the moment.
However, that does not mean the hundreds of players still unsigned are not going to be big time contributors next season – and among the many who are projected to make an impact is former Wake Forest wing Damari Monsanto.
Monsanto is a 6’6 wing from Pembroke Pines, Florida. He redshirted as a freshman at East Tennessee State in 2019-20 before stepping into a big role right away as a sophomore – averaging 11.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals while shooting 35.4% from three in 25 games in 2020-21.
Monsanto then followed his coach Jason Shay, who took an assistant job at Wake Forest. Under coach Steve Forbes, Monsanto appeared in 17 games in 2021-22, averaging about 16 minutes per night and posting averages of 7.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.8 steals while shooting 39.5% from three on 5.1 attempts per game.
As a junior Monsanto had the best season of his career, playing in 27 games and averaging 13.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.0 steals while shooting a blistering 40.5% from three on an even eight attempts per game.
Injuries once again cropped up for the senior in 2023-24, as he only managed to appear in 11 games and averaged just 5.1 points while shooting 34.7% from three.
The story with Monsanto is simple: when he’s healthy, he’s among the purest three point shooters in the country. He doesn’t facilitate, he’s an okay defender, but his job on the floor is to knock down three point shots. And in today’s college basketball, who doesn’t need that?
Below is a look at five programs where it makes sense for Monsanto to spend his final year of eligibility, including a program that reportedly had him on campus for a visit earlier this month:
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Reports indicate Maryland had Monsanto on campus last weekend, although no commitment has been reported.
The Terrapins have made quite a few additions in the backcourt already via the transfer portal – inclduing Belmont’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Selton Miguel from South Florida, and Rodney Rice from Virginia Tech – but this team shot a disastrous 28.9% from three last year, 350th in the country.
Adding Monsanto can only help them improve in a key area of need as they look to get back on track in the expanded Big Ten.
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UMass wasn’t quite as bad as Maryland at shooting from beyond the arc last year, although their 31.3% mark was just 314th in the country. The Minutemen lost seven players in the transfer portal, including leading scorer Josh Cohen (USC) and guard Robert Davis (Old Dominion) who was second on the team in three point attempts.
Monsanto would play big minutes right away for Frank Martin’s club, and would help this team space the floor in a major way as they look to build on last year’s 20 win season and stay competitive in the A10.
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Pitt had two players attempt over 3.5 three point attempts per game last season: Blake Hinson, who is out of eligibility and onto the pros, and point guard Carlton ‘Bub’ Carrington, who is expected to be a first round pick in the 2024 NBA draft.
The Panthers could use more floor spacing and outside shooting, and the team’s lone guard addition via the portal so far – Houston’s Damian Dunn – is a career 31.3% shooter on 3.2 attempts per game.
Monsanto makes sense as a veteran shooter to fill the void for Jeff Capel’s team, and he’d get to stay in the ACC and compete for an NCAA Tournament berth with the Panthers.
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Another option to stay in the ACC, and be close to his home in Florida, is to play for Leonard Hamilton and the ‘Noles. FSU lost nine players to the transfer portal, and while they were fortunate to get Jamir Watkins back in the mix for next season, this roster still has a lot of holes that need to be filled.
Florida State also shot just 31.7% as a team from the three point line, and Monsanto could easily step into the role vacated by graduating senior Darin Green – who shot 38% on 6.4 attempts per game last season.
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A lot of the programs on this list did not shoot it well from beyond the arc last year, but that’s not the case for Amir Abdur-Rahim and the South Florida Bulls. USF shot 36.7% from three, good for 32nd in the country, which helped this team to a surprising first place finish in the AAC.
However, Abdur-Rahim’s three most prolific outside shooters – Chris Youngblood, Kasean Pryor, and Selton Miguel – all found new homes in the transfer portal at Alabama, Louisville, and Maryland, respectively.
The Bulls did land Quincy Ademokoya in the portal, a 35.1% shooter last year at Kennesaw State, but Monsanto would provide even more floor spacing and shooting for this roster as they look to build on last year’s momentum.
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Courtesy : https://collegesportswire.usatoday.com/lists/damari-monsanto-wake-forest-transfer-portal/