Purdue Boilermaker Matt Haarms is entering the transfer portal as his time in West Lafayette comes to an end. The fourth leading shot blocker in Boilermaker history, Haarms will be a hot commodity on the transfer market as a 7-foot-3-inch big man with range to shoot from deep and defend the paint. Purdue SID Chris Forman announced the transfer news on his Twitter account.
ROSTER NOTE: Purdue senior center Matt Haarms has entered the transfer portal. pic.twitter.com/kzG8o44QBJ
— ? Chris Forman (@Forman) April 6, 2020
Last season, Haarms was able to generate offense while remaining a stalwart on defense. This season, although cut short, saw Haarms minutes shrinking and his role diminishing. This was in large part to the emergence of Trevion Williams as the season progressed. Williams averaged 11.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game this season and will look to continue expanding his role with Purdue next season.
There are of course numerous schools that Haarms could land at and contribute as soon as he is eligible. A team such as Kentucky may be thin in the paint next season just as they were the last two seaons, and a guy like Haarms could be a big help down low. Coach Calipari has taken two grad transfers in back-to-back years to bolster his 3-5 positions with Reid Travis (2018-19) and Nate Sestina (2019-20) and Haarms could continue the trend. For now, the process is still early and it will be exciting to see where Haarms does eventually land.
