Penn State Basketball pursuing lefty sharpshooter Noah Thomasson
As the transfer portal continues to erupt, there is a thrill factor in all of the unpredictability.
While the staggering number of transfers isn't a new concept, NIL has created an environment where guys are quickly exiting winning programs and entering the transfer market.
It doesn't matter if it is the day after their most successful collegiate season ends. If there is a greater opportunity out there, loyalties are hard to come by all across the country.
There doesn't have to be an issue or a concern or a sudden change which triggers a transfer in today's landscape.
It is free agency, as many envisioned it would be. That's why it is so entertaining.
As would one expect, there is major emphasis on proven, experienced guards. Guards who have experienced success at the mid major level are becoming heavily prioritized by high major programs.
Such is the case with Niagara transfer Noah Thomasson.
Five days after entering the transfer portal, the 6-foot-3 graduate transfer from Niagara heard from numerous highly prominent programs.
Thomasson, who averaged 19.5 points, 3.8 boards, and 3.5 assists while shooting it at 48 percent from the floor, recently listed Penn State, St. John's, Georgia, and San Francisco as the schools he is hearing from most consistently.
A deft left handed flamethrower with a knack for creating his shot off the dribble, Thomasson was one of the country's most prolific and consistent scoring threats this past season.
He was able to circumvent the streakiness and swoons which tend to derail ball-dominant scorers, hovering around 50 percent from the floor for much of the 2022-23 season.
Thomasson also brings a veritable lost art in today's game with his ability to step in from the 3-point line and knock down the deep two point jumper.
Butler, Charleston, Notre Dame, Texas A & M, and several others have kept tabs on Thomasson since he decided to transfer.
Thomasson erupted with his scoring prowess during the 2022-23 campaign's stretch run, as he averaged 23.2 points during the final seven games of the regular season.
With Mike Rhoades now inheriting the keys to the kingdom at Penn State, there is speculation that several of his former VCU players will reunite with him in Happy Valley.
Now that reigning A-10 Player of the Year Ace Baldwin will follow Rhoades to Penn State and has committed. Bringing in a proven scoring threat of Thomasson's caliber would give the Nittany Lions a significant backcourt.
A commitment from both players, of course, would get the momentum rolling as Rhoades continues to get a feel for the lay of the land and reconstruct the roster.
A downhill scorer with a unique arsenal that includes stepbacks and pull ups and elbow jumpers, Thomasson possesses all that is prioritized in the transfer market with experience.
While he started his career out at Houston Baptist, the Texas native wound up transferring and spent a year at Butler Community College in the prestigious Jayhawk Conference (one of the country's top JUCO conferences).
After averaging 15 points at Butler as a volume shooter, Thomasson revitalized his NCAA career at Niagara.
The well traveled Thomasson has made it clear that winning and the opportunity to make the Big Dance are vital factors in his decision.
Georgia head coach Mike White appears to be gaining traction with Thomasson, even as the team is coming off a down year. Oklahoma coach Porter Moser has also been recruiting the high scoring Thomasson thoroughly.
While St. John's head coach Rick Pitino and the newly minted staff in Queens have zoned in on Thomasson, many anticipate sophomore Iona transfer Walter Clayton Jr. (who thrived as a 16PPG scorer on a Pitino-coached team that made the tournament last season) will commit soon.
Clayton Jr. and Thomasson are essentially the same type of player, so how things play out with that visit will be a determinating factor in the Thomasson sweepstakes.