Transfers are, for lack of a better term, the free agents of college basketball. Coaches who sign transfers gain the added advantage of having seen what these players can do against Division I competition. Players, typically, make the jump in search of more playing time. It's win-win, when it works.
There's a good chance it could indeed work out well in the following instances. Here are the 15 impact transfers to watch in 2018-19:
Kavell Bigby-Williams, LSU Tigers
Previous team: Oregon
The only transfer on this list who has played in a Final Four, 6-foot-11 Bigby-Williams will give LSU immediate rebounding credibility at both ends of the floor. Anything the London native can add on offense will be icing on that cake for Will Wade.
Evan Boudreaux, Purdue Boilermakers
Previous team: Dartmouth
Meet the rare graduate transfer who will actually have two years of eligibility remaining. Boudreaux graduated from Dartmouth after three years, during which time he played two seasons of basketball. The 6-8 scorer functioned as something of a stretch-5 in the Ivy League, and he'll give Matt Painter a valuable combination of 3-point range and proven rebounding chops.
C.J. Bryce, NC State Wolfpack
Previous team: UNC Wilmington
Bryce will be rejoining Kevin Keatts, who coached the 6-5 wing at UNC Wilmington. In his two seasons in Wilmington, Bryce showed a knack for scoring inside the arc and was a big reason the Seahawks reached back-to-back NCAA tournaments for the first time in 15 years. In Raleigh, the junior will team with fellow transfers Devon Daniels (from Utah) and, after the first semester, Blake Harris (Missouri).
Brandon Clarke, Gonzaga Bulldogs
Previous team: San Jose State
If all goes according to plan, Clarke could slide in alongside Rui Hachimura and Killian Tillie to form the latest in a long line of strong Gonzaga front lines. The 6-8 forward turned heads with a breakout sophomore season at San Jose State in 2016-17, one in which he led the Spartans in scoring, crashed the glass, blocked shots and even dished assists.
Rob Edwards, Arizona State Sun Devils
Previous team: Cleveland State
Give Edwards credit for good timing. He has become eligible in Tempe just as Tra Holder and Shannon Evans are leaving. That should mean minutes will be available in the backcourt for a 6-4 veteran next to Remy Martin, though freshmen Elias Valtonen and Luguentz Dort will also battle for playing time. As a sophomore at Cleveland State in 2016-17, Edwards led the Vikings in scoring and drew more than five fouls per 40 minutes.
Marcus Evans, VCU Rams
Previous team: Rice
Evans would have had to sit out last season anyway after transferring, but it turns out he needed that time to rehab from a torn Achilles he suffered last summer. Now healthy, he'll play once again for his former coach with the Owls, Mike Rhoades. A scoring point guard who drained 39 percent of his 3s as a sophomore, Evans is also adept at putting the ball on the floor and drawing contact.
Evan Fitzner, Indiana Hoosiers
Previous team: Saint Mary's
A two-year starter in Moraga, Fitzner chose to go the graduate transfer route for his final season after being relegated to a reserve role for most of 2017-18. At 6-10, he's a career 41 percent 3-point shooter (with an average of about three attempts per game) who holds his own on the defensive glass.
Dejon Jarreau, Houston Cougars
Previous team: Howard JC
As a 6-5 freshman at UMass in 2017, Jarreau started 26 games and averaged 10 points per contest. He transferred to Houston from Howard JC along with Brison Gresham, who also started his playing career with the Minutemen. Jarreau's 3-point stroke is a work in progress, but his ability to both attack the basket and, especially, distribute the ball from the wing could be just what Kelvin Sampson needs now that Rob Gray has completed his senior season.
Chase Jeter, Arizona Wildcats
Previous team: Duke
No player on this list was ranked higher coming out of high school than Jeter, who was rated the No. 11 prospect in the nation in the recruiting class of 2015. In saying yes to Duke that year, the 6-10 McDonald's All-American said no to Arizona, among others. Now, the Las Vegas product has changed his mind. Jeter made cameo appearances in 32 games as a freshman and entered his sophomore season as a starter in Durham, but he was benched before Thanksgiving and missed the Blue Devils' last 19 games because of a herniated disk.
Dedric Lawson, Kansas Jayhawks
Previous team: Memphis
Bill Self is making a specialty of signing transfers who were elite recruits out of high school. Last season, that role was filled by Malik Newman. In 2018-19, it will be Lawson who fits that description for Kansas. Lawson was the No. 26-ranked prospect nationally in the recruiting class of 2015, and the 6-9 forward was immediately given featured-scorer responsibilities at Memphis, first by Josh Pastner, then by Tubby Smith. The 3s didn't fall for Lawson when he was with the Tigers, but improvement in that department is likely for a career 73 percent shooter at the line who averages about three attempts per game from beyond the arc.
JaQuan Lyle, New Mexico Lobos
Previous team: Ohio State
In each of his two seasons in Columbus, 6-5 Lyle posted the highest assist rate on the roster. Not to mention that, as a sophomore, he hit 41 percent of his infrequent 3s while also lowering his turnover rate. He can give Paul Weir scoring and ballhandling.
Makai Mason, Baylor Bears
Previous team: Yale
When Yale upset Baylor in the 2016 round of 64, Mason scored 31 points. Now Scott Drew will have the 6-1 scoring point guard playing with him instead of against him. Mason will be joined on the Bears by fellow transfer Mario Kegler, who arrived in Waco by way of Mississippi State.
Charlie Moore, Kansas Jayhawks
Previous team: California
Moore logged one season as a high-usage 5-11 freshman point guard in a major conference, and that went about how you'd expect in terms of 2-point success rate (low). Still, the Chicago product hit a fair number of 3s and excelled at distributing the ball. Bottom line, Moore is a proven point guard on a team that's facing a new season without both Devonte' Graham and Frank Mason III for the first time in, seemingly, forever.
Marial Shayok, Iowa State Cyclones
Previous team: Virginia
Iowa State took a big step back last season on offense and defense, and Shayok will have every opportunity to show he can help the Cyclones on both sides of the ball. As a junior at Virginia in 2016-17, he was given a featured scorer's role, albeit as he alternated between starting and coming off the bench. The 6-5 wing will give Steve Prohm's rotation needed experience and a good wingspan on defense.
Nisre Zouzoua, Nevada Wolf Pack
Previous team: Bryant
Eric Musselman has signed a flock of quality transfers for next season, including Tre'Shawn Thurman (from Omaha), Corey Henson (Wagner) and Jazz Johnson (Portland). There's no rule that says only one of these new additions will stand out, but, what the heck, here's a fun fact on Zouzoua in particular. The 6-2 junior already has attempted 401 shots from beyond the arc in just two seasons. That, plus 79 percent shooting at the line says Zouzoua, much like Henson and Johnson, has some serious perimeter-scoring potential.