Transferring Talent: Five All-Americans Began Careers With Other Schools

"Stepping onto a brand new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation which is not nurturing." - Maya Angelou

Whether schools are simply filling out a roster with a backup or chasing a pot of gold at the end of a Larry Bird-created rainbow jumper, they seem to be looking around every corner and under every rock for a transfer. Bird left a potential powerhouse at Indiana but never played for the Hoosiers before becoming national player of the year with Indiana State. The majority of All-American transfers depart from universities that currently are power-league members.

How many All-Americans actually played varsity basketball for two different four-year schools? The average was about one every two years until the transfer portal yielded five such A-As. Duke and Kansas, two of the five schools with the most All-Americans in history, had their first transfer in that category during the previous decade - Duke guard Seth Curry (Liberty) and KU center Jeff Withey (Arizona). Of course, the premier player in this category in 2021-22 is Kentucky center Oscar Tshiebwe, who transferred from West Virginia after averaging 10.6 ppg and 8.9 rpg for the Mountaineers in 2019-20 and first semester of 2020-21. Tshiebwe is shaping up as becoming the first transfer ever to become national player of the year after competing in games with another four-year school. He was the first player to average more than 15 rpg since Alcorn State's Larry Smith in 1979-80 (15.1).

Mississippi State lost a transfer All-American when Ben Hansbrough departed for Notre Dame but the Bulldogs had their own player in this category earlier this century after Lawrence Roberts left Baylor. In an era when transfers have almost become an obsession for various reasons, there was a modest uptick in the ratio with seven All-Americans in this category in a six-year span from 2000 through 2005 before Louisville's Luke Hancock (George Mason) became Final Four Most Outstanding Player. Tshiebwe and four additional transfers - James Akinjo, Johnny Juzang, Walker Kessler and JD Notae - joined the following alphabetical list of A-As who began their collegiate career at another four-year school:

*Attended junior college between four-year school stints.
NOTE: Burgess was an Air Force veteran.