Mid-Major Monday: Taevion Kinsey and Betting on Yourself
The following isn’t another voice joining the cacophony of wails decrying transfers in college basketball. Even those arguments made in good faith come off as misguided, while some of the hand-wringing is peak amateur sports hypocrisy.
That said, I do enjoy witnessing the progression of a player through the same program, particularly at the mid-major level. One of my favorite stories from the past basketball season was that of Matt Lewis, the senior leader of a young but talented James Madison bunch.
Lewis remained at JMU despite an offseason coaching change and emerged as the Colonial’s Player of the Year, while the Dukes won the CAA regular season championship. Lewis established himself as an intriguing second-round NBA draft prospect, and I suspect we’ll see him get two-way run next season in a vein similar to fellow mid-major product Grant Riller.
Taevion Kinsey’s story is perhaps even more remarkable.
The institution of the new, one-time transfer rule and the retention of an addition year of eligibility due to COVID-19 produced produced the most crowded transfer market ever, most notably with some of the top mid-major players moving to power-conference programs.
Among the notables are Kaiden Rice (The Citadel to Georgetown), Michael Flowers (South Alabama to Washington State), and Tyson Walker (Northeastern to Michigan State). All three have NBA potential that should benefit from the more prominent stage offered in the more visible (and, more resource-rich) conferences.
Taevion Kinsey could have justifiably made a similar move. His pro stock is arguably the most intriguing of any mid-major program player outside of Gonzaga — which has essentially transcended mid-major status as it is.
Kinsey could have gone pro in this class and could be a late first-round selection. He’s an explosive scorer who excels at creating own shot, attacks the rim fearlessly, and while not a high-volume shooter, hits at an accurate enough clip to suggest he could develop into a consistent 3-point threat.
Kinsey reminds me of Donte DiVincenzo, who leveraged an outstanding 2018 NCAA Tournament into a near-lottery pick. Kinsey’s decision to return for another season could, and I suspect will, similarly boost his draft stock for 2022.
In his press conference last month announcing the decision, Kinsey said: “It was a very stressful process, don’t get me wrong: having the ability to change my life” — the crux of any NBA-capable player’s decision to move on, the option to earn a living from the game — “and also having the ability to come back, betting on myself.”
I’m excited to see how the gamble Kinsey is taking pays out compared to the gamble mid-major transfers on placing on themselves by going to power programs.
Should the Thundering Herd get to the NCAA Tournament and Kinsey’s afforded the ultimate stage a few months before the draft, it will decidedly be on his shoulders with backcourt mate Jarrod West gone for Louisville.
His experience could be a fascinating case study that influences future prospects considering a power-conference transfer.