Yes, before I go any further, I understand the title is a little redundant. Junior College players are transfers. Got it.
Now that that is out of the way, it's time to run through ACC rosters and highlight some additional new blood. Transfers are often the best fantasy sleepers; they've most likely been forgotten about while sitting out a season, yet have experience and are better bets to contribute immediately than some 18 year old hotshots. At least that is the theory, because a quick rundown of the names which follow revealed very little as far as impact players. So read on for educational purposes, and file these names away for when their opportunity may arise.
Matthew Humphrey, G, Boston College (transfer from Oregon) - We'll see how much value Humphrey will bring shortly, as the Eagles' season gets underway tonight. Coming in to the year, the 6-foot-5 junior figured to provide leadership to a roster that features nine freshmen. You'd think that would also lend itself to not just off the court leadership, but some statisical leadership as well. It's an unfair sample size, but Humphrey struggled in the Eagles' lone exhibition contest. It's going to be a while before a roation is sorted out in Chestnut Hill, and Humphrey could either find his way to big minutes, or be the odd man out of a huge youth movement. The opportunity is there for Humphrey to grab.
Jeff Peterson, G, Florida State (transfer from Iowa and Arkansas) - Who wouldn't be skeptical of the nomad Peterson, who becomes the first player to ever play in the ACC, Big Ten and SEC. He played 20 minutes in the season opener against Jacksonville, scoring six points. He'll have some value for the 'Noles, but none for your squad.
Kiel Turpin, F/C, Florida State (JUCO) - Turpin's size (6-foot-11, 225 pounds) and junior college accolades (consecutive Most Valuable Player awards in NJCAA national tournaments) have me intriguied. The fact he hasn't even played during an exhibition game means we are at least a season away from hearing Turpin's name. He's obviously a project, but one worth remembering for the future.
Brandon Reed, G, Georgia Tech (transfer from Arkansas State) - With one game in the books, Reed looks like a winner. Or at the very least, the biggest benefactor of Glen Rice, Jr. suspension. Reed scored a team-high 16 points against Florida A&M in 26 minutes, and hit 6 of his 8 shot attempts. He averaged 15.1 points while at Arkansas State, and should be a nice addition to the Yellow Jackets' rebuilding efforts. You can assume he'll slow some come conference play, but Reed is probably the most valuable player on this list.
Pierre Jordan, G, Georgia Tech (transfer from Florida State) - Jordan played sparingly at FSU, graduated, and has enrolled in his hometown school to persue a graduate degree. He saw 21 minutes of run in the season opener, but should see his minutes decrease as the competition increases.
John Auslander, F, Maryland (transfer from Greensboro College) - Auslander played just 7.4 minutes for a Division III school. He walked on at Maryland, and was rewarded with a scholarship over the summer. You can credit him for his hard work and determination, or you can thank tremendous roster turnover in College Park for the available scholarship. He did play five minutes off the bench in last night's season opener, but there won't be any reason to read his name again this year.
Kenny Kadji, C, Miami (transfer from Florida) - Kadji is the one player on this list who we've written about extensively. And in the early going, it's been all hype. Kadji is a former five-star recruit of the Florida Gators. The 6-foot-10, 251 pound native of Cameroon, Kadji is proving to be more of a project that initially thought. He'll have ample opportunity to contribute to this depleted front court, and could hold some value this year as a shot blocker. I'm certainly not writing the big guy off after one bad performance, but it looks like his best bet for fantasy value will be in the coming seasons.
Trey McKinney-Jones, G, Miami (transfer from Missouri-Kansas City) - If I were ranking the players on this list in terms of value for this season, McKinney-Jones would come in just behind Reed as the #2 player here. He made his debut over the weekend, and scored 12 points in 24 minutes, pulling down four boards in the process. Miami is going to use a lot of three-guard sets, simply because they have to. McKinney Jones should play enough to match his averages from UMKC; 10.9 points and 3.8 boards.
Shane Larkin, G, Miami (orignially signed with DePaul) - The son of Cininnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin, Shane orignially signed with DePaul before taking his talents to South Beach. He hasn't been cleared to play by the NCAA, and may be forced to sit out all of the 2011-2012 season, but is a name to watch. He gives the 'Canes something they haven't had in a very long time - a true point guard.
Alex Johnson, G, North Carolina State (transfer from Cal State Bakersfield) - A week ago, I knew next to nothing about Johnson, before being alerted to him by a friend and colleague, PackPride.com's James Henderson. His words, not mine include "a knock down shooter and one of two ball handlers on the team, period." Early returns are mixed, largely because Johnson can't buy a basket. He's hit just 3 of 17 shots through two games. More importantly, he's played 28 minutes. No one can shoot 17.6% all season, so as long as Johnson keeps playing, his production will be consistent enough to have some fantasy value in ACC circles.