Texas Basketball: 3 transfers to target after missing on Fardaws Aimaq

Efton Reid, C

Update as of May 2, Reid has committed to Gonzaga

I wanted to include some different routes that Beard and the Longhorns staff could take to round out the frontcourt unit in the transfer portal this offseason. This particular route for the Longhorns would mean adding a younger and more raw big man in the former LSU Tigers freshman center and elite five-star recruit Efton Reid.

The 6-foot-11 and 240-pound Reid entered the transfer portal after spending just one season with the Tigers. But there was a mass exodus among LSU players into the portal this spring following the departure of former Tigers head coach Will Wade.

Reid was just one of the many casualties that the LSU basketball program took in the wake of this mass exodus of players into the portal in the last couple of months.

Moreover, Reid has a very high ceiling with an NBA-caliber skill set. But he will be more of a project that would take patience from Beard and the Longhorns staff.

Reid is a high-level athlete that could be a tremendous rebounder and rim protector. That is evident given his wingspan which is north of seven feet and his gifted vertical ability. He also flashed the ability to become an elite inside presence last season when he registered three blocks in just 18 minutes on the floor in an upset win over the Kentucky Wildcats back in January.

Reid also sparked the LSU frontcourt when he put up a solid nine rebounds, three blocks, a dozen points, and one steal, in a convincing win over Belmont back in November.

While Reid is still a raw big man that will require a lot of development from the Longhorns staff, the risk he brings to the table comes with a high reward. If Reid can make some necessary strides with his footwork, inside scoring, and defensive positioning in the paint, he could start to become one of the more potent big men in the entire country.