Five NAIA Transfers Who Could Make an Immediate Impact at the Division I Level
From NAIA Player of the Year Jesse Van Kalsbeek to Devin Davenport, here are five transfers from the NAIA level poised to make a splash in Division I.
If you are an in-depth follower of the recruiting trail in college basketball, there is no doubt that you’ve noted an up-tick in transfers from other divisions in college basketball. This trend isn’t just one other realm of basketball, whether that’s jumping from DII to DI, DIII to DI, or even those that come from the NAIA level.
Just last season, we saw players like Collin Parker transfer to Austin Peay and dominate with 17.6 points per game along with 6.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Ben Humrichous went from Huntington University in Indiana to the Final Four with Illinois, while there are other stories like Riley Minix who has been playing in the G-League and even signed a two-way contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
While the portal was made the world of college basketball more chaotic, it’s also opened up the opportunity for players who normally would be overlooked at the Division I level the chance to prove themselves and set up even potential long-term careers.
This season is looking to be no different with this trend, so let’s take a look at five players that are transferring in from the NAIA level to Division I that has a great chance of making a huge splash in year one.
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Jesse Van Kalsbeek (South Dakota State)
How Jesse Van Kalsbeek wasn’t already playing at the Division I level is mind-blowing, but as just a sophomore (incoming junior) we’ll get to see at least two more seasons if not three with the NCAA potentially moving to a five-year eligibility rule.
Van Kalsbeek was named the NAIA Player of the Year after what was about as dominating of a campaign that a single player could put together at Northwestern. He led the Raiders with 27.8 points, 4.7 assists, 12.4 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 61.2% overall and 41.2% from deep on just 34 attempts.
He had three 40+ point games, which ironically all came within the first six games of the season. In one of those games, he finished with 47 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists with just two turnovers against William Penn. He poses a unique skill set that allows him to not just be a monster scorer, but a prolific rebounder as well. At 6’7, he is not afraid of slashing to the paint and he does so with ease. He’s lightning quick on his feet, allowing him to function almost at the same speed as a guard.
He does have some work to do on cutting down on his turnovers. He averaged nearly three per game, and it became a bit more of an issue as the season went on. However, it’s very important to remember that on a team like South Dakota State, he’s not going to have to function as a “do-it-all” kind of player. He’ll be able to slot in to his natural positioning as a slashing forward with the ability to play outside of his position and lock down the paint.
Zach Lee (Cal State Bakersfield)
Zach Lee is a 6’4 guard that has spent his entire career so far at Loyola New Orleans. He redshirt his freshman season after appearing in five games, but he started to take off in his official freshman season. He earned a spot on his conference’s All-Freshman team while averaging nine points with 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He battled injuries in his sophomore season, but he bounced back last year with his strongest year to date. He averaged 14.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 51.5% overall and 38.3% from beyond the arc on 60 attempts.
Cal State Bakersfield is in full rebuild mode at the moment, and this is going to give someone like Zach Lee an opportunity to shine. The Roadrunners named Todd Lee their head coach after spending the last couple of seasons at USC as an assistant. He has plenty of coaching experience, with a record of 154-81 at Kentucky Wesleyan & 66-52 at South Dakota.
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Devin Davenport (Eastern Illinois)
Devin Davenport spent last season at Missouri Valley College where he emerged as a dominant offensive weapon. The 6’2 guard averaged 20.3 points, four rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 44.1% overall and 36% from three-point. He’s not going to be a floor general, but he can be one of your go-to players for scoring on the floor.
The Panthers have a couple of point guards coming in, Jaden Miller & Jalen Calloway” while Markus Blackwell is returning following a solid debut last year. Davenport will immediately slide in as one of their top offensive weapons as Marty Simmons looks to continue building Eastern Illinois up following an extension after the season.
For Davenport, he’ll be a two-way scorer as he can knock it down from deep, but he’s also a strong finisher from inside. He took 31.4% of his attempts last season from outside, and he shot 47.8% from inside the arc on his remaining attempts. He becomes lethal at the free throw line as well, shooing 89.7% on 175 attempts last year.
Look for Davenport to make a huge impact in his first season at the Division I level.
Jackson Cooper (Indiana State)
Indiana State has already saw some success in bringing over players from the NAIA level. Last season, Ian Scott transferred in from the NAIA and averaged 13.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists for the Sycamores last year while shooting 63.2% overall.
Jackson Cooper had a tremendous season last year for Oregon Tech. The 6’7 forward averaged 17.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game while shooting 56.6% from the floor. He’s not a three point threat as he’s attempted just two shots from beyond the arc over his last three seasons. His performance last year was good enough to name him as a second-team All-American in the NAIA as well as his conference’s Player of the Year.
Cooper had some ridiculous stat lines last year, including a 28 points, 15 rebound, and 10 assist tripe-double against a strong College of Idaho team. He in general fits the mold of head coach Matthew Graves’ coaching style very well. The Sycamores struggled mightily offensively in nearly every category, but they dominated from inside the arc where they were 25th in the country and took 50.6% of their shots. Cooper, someone who is prolific from inside the arc, is going to fit in perfectly for the Sycamores in year one.
Izaiah Day (Morehead State)
Coming from Taylor University, Izaiah Day put together a massive stat line this past season. In 30 games, the 6’3 guard averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 48.7% overall and 42.2% from beyond the arc.
Last year, Morehead State put together a strong season in year two underneath Jonathan Mattox at the helm. The Eagles finished 20-13 overall and 15-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Overall, they lacked consistent offense as they ranked just 285th in effective field goal percentage, 281st in three-point shooting percentage, and 267th in two-point shooting percentage.
Day is going to immediately slot in as one of the key offensive players for the Eagles next season and they are going to be able to rely on his efficient shooting capabilities. His 42.2% three-point shooting was based on a shade over seven attempts per game and his overall 48.7% shooting percentage was based off 11.7 attempts per game. While he lines up as a three-point specialist, he can get it done inside as well and he can finish well at the free throw line were he shot 74%.