Freshmen are the newcomers that get the most attention. There are other newcomers on the college campuses - transfers from two-year and four-year institutions - and they can be the key to winning your fantasy league. Chris Bennett started us off earlier this week with the transfers in the ACC. I'd like to add redshirts, but the SEC did not have any redshirts to write about. With the early results filtering in, I am going to concentrate on the players that are getting playing time. Some of the other newcomers, such as Kentucky backup point guard Twany Beckham, could get playing time if injuries occur.
Arnett Moultrie, forward, Mississippi State Bulldogs
I wrote about Moultrie three months ago and the 6-foot-11 junior has eclipsed his sleeper status. With Renardo Sidney in and out of the lineup (something that should continue all season), Moultrie should be the Bulldog to own. Through three games, the UTEP transfer has grabbed 38 rebounds and has double digit boards in each game. In the most recent game against South Alabama (in which Sidney did not play), Moultrie also showed that he could score when called upon. He was 9-for-16 from the field, 9-for-10 from the line, and hit a three-pointer on his way to 28 points. Sidney's presence will hurt Moultrie's point production but he will be a consistent boardman all season long.
Murphy Holloway, forward, Mississippi Rebels
If anyone is going to challenge Moultrie for the rebounding crown in the SEC, it is going to be Holloway. His transfer story is unusual in that he transferred away from Mississippi and sat out last year while attending South Carolina. A domestic issue resolved itself, so Holloway returned to Oxford for his junior season. He transferred, but he didn't really transfer. Coach Andy Kennedy is glad to have the 6-foot-7 forward back. In his first two games, Holloway has snagged a combined 27 rebounds. In the opener against Louisiana-Monroe, he had 17 rebounds, but just six points. He bounced back with 14 points to go along with ten rebounds in the win over Grambling State. It will be interesting to see if Holloway can continue to clean the glass against Drake and Miami in the next two weeks.
Mike Rosario, guard, Florida Gators
With four scoring guards on the roster, someone has to come off the bench. Through two games, that someone is Rutgers transfer Rosario. The junior who averaged 16.7 points in 2009-10 as a Scarlet Knight is the sixth man for the Gators, but has not played more than 20 minutes yet. He had a great game against Jackson State in the opener. The 6-foot-3 guard hit five three-pointers on his way to 19 points. He cooled noticeably in the loss to Ohio State earlier this week. He only managed four shots and finished with five points. Rosario's production will wax and wane depending on the opponent. He should be able to produce against the next four teams on the Gator schedule: North Florida, Wright State, Jacksonville, and Stetson.
Justin Hamilton, center, LSU Tigers
This season, Iowa State is looking like Transfer U. As it happens, players also transfer away from Ames, including the 6-foot-11 Hamilton. The center started the majority of his games as a Cyclone and averaged 6.4 points and 5.4 rebounds in 2009-10. He finds himself starting at the pivot in Baton Rouge as well. In his first two games as a Tiger, he is averaging 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds (and is keeping freshman Johnny O'Bryant from the starting lineup). The center is also second on the team in assists at 2.5 per game. That is probably indicative of the lousy guard play for LSU than Hamilton's passing ability, but it is worth noting. LSU takes on Northwestern on Thursday with South Alabama and Houston to finish out November.
Varez Ward, guard, Auburn Tigers
Ward arrived in Auburn with the reputation as a true point guard. An injury to his quadriceps ended his Longhorn career, so he moved from the Big 12 to the SEC prior to 2010-11. So far Ward looks like a good match for coach Mike Anderson's offense with 11.5 points and 5.5 assists in two games. Kennesaw State and McNeese State are not strong comeptitors, but Ward has shown an improved outside shot. The 6-foot-2 junior has hit four of his first seven three-pointers. He has only made 16.7% of his free throws (1-for-6), but that is likely a small sample size anomoly. Auburn continues to play small schools in Nicholls State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff before facing some Tier 1 competition (Seton Hall, South Florida) to start December.
John Florveus, center, Georgia Bulldogs
The only junior college transfer on the list, Florveus comes to Georgia as a seven-foot project. The junior is coming off the bench and has an extremely limited offensive game. However, he is athletic and, according to Blue Ribbon, a hard worker. The good news is that he has made every shot he has attempted through three games. The bad news is that he has only attempted five shots and played 14.0 minutes per game. If you are desperate for a center, Florveus will likely improve as the season goes on. He'll face an uptick in competition with California and Xavier in the next week. The Bulldogs face five Tier I teams (and the Musketeers) through the middle of December.
Dwight Miller, forward, Tennessee Volunteers
Guard Trae Golden is the story in the Volunteer state, but he did not transfer. I'll have to wait until he cools off to write about him. For now, it is Miller who is a bench piece. He transferred from Midland College after spending a year at Pittsburgh. After getting a pair of token minutes in the opener, Miller came off the bench to play 15 minutes and provide seven points and six rebounds in the Vols' recent win over Louisiana-Monroe. At this point, Miller is just a backup for Jeronne Maymon who put up a double-double against the Warhawks. If Tennessee needs more muscle in the frontcourt, Miller may get more minutes. For example, Miller may be needed on Monday against Mississippi State in an early SEC conference game.