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NCAA basketball rumors: Indiana, Houston battling for ACC scoring leader in transfer portal
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- NCAA basketball rumors: Indiana, Houston battling for ACC scoring leader in transfer portal
NCAA basketball rumors: Indiana, Houston battling for ACC scoring leader in transfer portal appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The transfer portal is starting to heat up in college basketball and some of the best available players in the country are beginning to come off the board. Houston basketball landed one of those players on Saturday when former UNLV and LSU point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. committed to play for Kelvin Sampson next season.
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Now, Houston is battling with Indiana for what it hopes can be Thomas' backcourt-mate next season. Both teams are in play to sign former Notre Dame star Markus Burton , one of the best scorers available, according to Joe Tipton of On3 Sports. However, given the magnitude of the Thomas commitment over the weekend, Indiana is emerging as the favorite.
"Houston and Indiana have been the two schools tied to (Burton)," Tipton wrote. "The Cougars landed LSU transfer PG Dedan Thomas Jr. over the weekend, so I like the Hoosiers chances."
Burton struggled with injuries during his junior season in South Bend, but he proved to be arguably the best scorer in the ACC when he was on the court. Despite playing in just 10 games this season, Burton averaged 18.5 points per game before going down. The year before, Burton finished the year with an ACC-leading 21.3 points per game thanks to an eye-popping 23.5 points per game in conference play.
Indiana will be looking for big-time scorers at guard after losing Tucker DeVries and Lamar Wilkerson , and Burton would certainly fit the bill. Indiana is also going after Alabama transfer Aiden Sherrell , so there is a chance that Darian DeVries can land them both.
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Sampson has made Houston into a national title contender thanks to a strong defensive identity and a heap of scoring guards. However, with Kingston Flemings , Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp all departing, there is a major need for Houston in the backcourt. Sampson has already reeled in Thomas, but adding Burton as well would be a solid attempt at restocking the guard room.
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