The Cincinnati Bearcats mascot waves the University of Cincinnati flag as the team is introduced before the first half of an NCAA men's college basketball game against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. Tulsa Golden Hurricane At Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball Jan 20 — © Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Kyle Washington, Tari Eason Named UC's Best Modern Incoming/Outgoing Transfers

The program has seen plenty of talented players take the court since joining the AAC.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Updated:
May 19, 2022 12:31 PM EDT

CINCINNATI — The transfer portal additions in the AAC are slowing down, so ESPN's John Gasaway took a look at each team's best incoming and outgoing transfers of the modern era.

Kyle Washington's switch from NC State to UC in 2015 took the top spot for best incoming player.

"Washington was a two-year starter for Mick Cronin at Cincinnati," Gasaway wrote. "A run that included a Bearcats squad that entered the 2018 NCAA tournament as a No. 2 seed at 30-4. As a senior, Washington averaged 11 points and ranked as the leading shot-blocker for a team that finished the season No. 2 in the nation for adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom. The 6-foot-9 native of Champlin, Minnesota, began his career with two seasons at NC State before finding his way to UC."

Washington posted 12.1 points and 6.1 rebounds across 72 games at Cincinnati. A player that recently left the program took the spot on the other end of this exercise. Tari Eason transferred to LSU after the 2020-21 season and it set him up to be a potential NBA lottery pick.

"Eason actually started more games in a pandemic-shortened season for UC in 2020-21 (eight) than he did last season for LSU (four)," Gasaway wrote. "As a Tiger coming off the bench, however, the 6-foot-8 power forward earned first-team all-conference honors as well as attracting a good deal of attention from the next level. Eason is currently projected to be picked in the middle of the first round in this summer's draft."

Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo has Eason going to the Atlanta Hawks with the 16th pick in his latest mock draft. That lands the former Bearcat just outside the lottery but still would be a huge accomplishment. He played elite defense off the bench for LSU last season and really improved as a shooter.

Eason averaged 16.9 points and 6.6 rebounds as the 2021-22 SEC Sixth Man of the Year. He increased his three-point shooting by 11.8% with the Tigers.

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