The Oklahoma Transfer Brings Scoring and Tenacity
Javian McCollum announced his plans to transfer to Georgia Tech on his visit to campus this weekend. The small guard was Oklahoma’s top scorer last year and was consistently ranked in the top-100 transfers. He played two years at Siena before that and has one year of eligibility remaining.
McCollum is a good player. He is a solid offensive player who can create his own shot and finish inside the arc. He doesn’t draw a ton of fouls for a guy that takes 25% of the team’s shots when he’s on the floor, but last year he shot 94.3% from the line. His three point shooting was streaky ending the season at 31.4% from deep on high volume. He can distribute the ball, but it’s not his strength although Porter Moser’s offensive system might contribute to that. He is seen as a hard worker behind the scenes and tenacious on the floor.
There are some things to worry about. I, like many GT fans, was excited for the rise of Naithan George and am looking forward to him taking an even bigger role this year. McCollum is an undersized, ball dominant guard. Much like George. They can probably play together, particularly if Miles Kelly leaves, but the fit does give me a little worry. The other big worry is that McCollum seemed to flag as the season went on. In the early season he was putting up big scoring numbers on good efficiency in wins against major conference teams. By the end of the Big 12 season he was not making a strong offensive difference every game like he was at the beginning of the season. I don’t know if he was banged up (he is small) or if teams were keying in on him more or if his shot stopped falling and he lost confidence. I think he’ll get back on track next season, but it’s something to consider.
McCollum is a big get for Damon Stoudamire who already is bringing in excellent recruiting class. I’m excited for his time on the Flats and I think his shot creation will make a difference for the team next year. McCollum’s transfer means 11 scholarships are accounted for with Miles Kelly still possible for the 12th. With one or two transfers remaining I expect Stoudamire to focus on getting some size. There are plenty of big men on the roster, but only Baye Ndongo is proven at the collegiate level.