clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Monday’s ACC Portal And Player Movement News

There was a time when a Georgetown transfer would never have chosen Florida State.

By JD King
/ new
St. John’s v Georgetown
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 22: Primo Spears #1 of the Georgetown Hoyas dribbles up court during a college basketball game against the St. John’s Red Storm at the Capital One Arena on February 22, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

In today’s edition of ACC Portal And Player Movement News, Florida State picked up former Georgetown point guard Primo Spears.

We don’t know much about the future member of the ACC All-Name team, but understand he is a traditional point guard and not necessarily a great shooter. But since Leonard Hamilton has never been noted for great point guards, maybe Spears will be a great pickup.

No doubt he’ll be happy to be out of a flailing program: Georgetown finished 7-25 last season and 6-25 the year prior.

There just wasn’t much to hang on to there, and with Patrick Ewing gone, who knows what his role would be?

There is one concern, not about Spears personally, but about bringing in players from losing programs.

Look at UNC for instance, where the Tar Heels will bring in:

  • Cormac Ryan, Notre Dame: 11-21
  • Jae’Lyn Withers, Louisville: 4-28
  • Paxson Wojick, Brown: 14-13
  • Harrison Ingram, Stanford: 14-19

They're all getting out of bad situations obviously and the only one we have full confidence in, or maybe know enough to have an opinion about, is Ryan.

That could be less important if UNC weren’t coming off of a traumatic season. In nearly every sense, the program is rebooting.

For an easy if premature comparison, look at Virginia’s portal pickups:

  • Jake Groves, Oklahoma:15-17
  • Andrew Rhode, St Thomas: 19-14
  • Jordan Minor, Merrimack: 18-16
  • Dante Harris, Georgetown: (mid-season transfer)

Harris and Spears were Hoya teammates, but Harris has been practicing with Virginia for a semester and should understand the expectations and standards (Spears is joining a Florida State team that has really fallen off lately. Two seasons ago, FSU was 17-14, which was well off of off 2019’s 27-7 and last year, the ‘Noles started 1-9 before finishing 9-23. Toss in a 74-year old coach who is trying to rebuild and it’s a tough sell).

St. Thomas was a team that got to its conference finals and Merrimack did have a winning season.

UNC’s class is probably more talented but culture means a lot too. At the moment though, Virginia clearly has a winning culture and UNC’s is questionable. So our hunch is that Bennett & co. will incorporate their newcomers better than UNC will.

We will know for sure next spring.

More From Duke Basketball Report

Loading comments...