Three Centers Cincinnati Needs to Target in the Transfer Portal

The Bearcats need a lot more production from the five position in 2022-23.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Mar 29, 2022 9:32 AM EDT

CINCINNATI — Wes Miller and his Cincinnati staff get their first crack at a full offseason in 2022, and the transfer portal figures to play a big role. The Bearcats have three open scholarships to work with after Mason Madsen, Mike Saunders, and A.J. McGinnis entered the transfer portal.

David Dejulius's return lessens the blow of three guards leaving the program, but Cincinnati still has holes at all three levels of the floor. The Bearcats could use a sharpshooting guard, a big defensive wing, and an offensive big man.

Cincinnati is bringing in freshman center Sage Tolentino this fall—but he's not expected to have a major role. Outside of Tolentino, the only other bigs are Ody Oguama and Viktor Lakhin. Both of them could take major leaps in the offseason, but that's a hazy proposition given their career history.

Let's take a look at three potential transfer portal names that could fill that last need.

K.J. Williams - Murray State

The 2021-22 OVC Player of the Year should be Cincinnati's top big-man target in the portal after he entered this week. At 6-foot-10, 245 pounds, Williams is an offensive force that averaged 18.4 points and 8.4 rebounds this past season.

The fifth-year player is by far the best offensive big currently available in the portal. According to Evan Miya, he boasts a 28.8 projected OBPR next season—7.6 points higher than any other frontcourt player in the portal. He is the second-ranked transfer in Miya's database.

Add on 1.4 steals per game last year—along with an 89.1 defensive rating—and you get a complete player that can immediately sharpen the Cincinnati frontcourt.

Williams' former coach, Matt McMahon just took the head gig at LSU, prompting the senior to look elsewhere during his final year of eligibility.

Neal Quinn - Lafayette

Not much went right for the Lafayette Leopards this past season, and it prompted one of their best players to look elsewhere. Neal Quinn earned second-team All-Patriot League honors in 2021-22. He averaged 14.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and four assists.

He was the complete package in 2021-22—finishing top-four in the conference in rebounds (221) and assists (119). The 7-foot, 280-pound center can step in right away and be an offensive dynamo on the inside for Cincinnati while being arguably the team's best playmaker on Day One.

Quinn is no slouch on defense either, posting 1.4 blocks per game (second in Patriot League) while finishing 13th in defensive box +/-. His 27.7 Player Efficiency Rating ranked second in the conference last year. Evan Miya has the center ranked 24th in his database overall, and he sports the seventh-best projected OBPR among frontcourt portal names.

Fardaws Aimaq - Utah Valley

Arguably the best transfer center on the market, Fardaws Aimaq has plenty of big-name schools after him, but there's no reason Cincinnati shouldn't be interested. The senior checks every box at the position after posting 18.9 points per game, 13.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks this past season.

At 6-foot-11, 245 pounds, Aimaq is a brute force on the inside while adding in a nice shooting touch and some playmaking ability. He is Evan Miya's second-ranked center behind Mitchell in 2023 projected BPR (26.7)—offering a balanced impact on both ends of the court.

Aimaq can be the fulcrum of an offense while scoring inside and out. He posted a career-high 12.2% assist rate and true shooting mark (55.4%) in 2021-22. He also finished second in the WAC with 40 blocks, first in defensive win shares (three), and second in defensive rating (87.5).

For context, Abdul Ado was the anchor of Cincinnati's 2021-22 defense with an 88.9 defensive rating at the five. Aimaq would bring slightly more defensive impact while pouring in points from all over the floor.

He also boasts untapped shooting potential after hitting 43.5% of his 1.4 outside attempts per game. A 72.3% mark from the free-throw line is a strong indication that Aimaq has the touch to add more three-point volume and stay efficient.

The Utah Valley product is already getting calls from top programs across the country, but he'd completely change the outlook on Miller's second season if Cincinnati landed him.

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