Malachi Palmer didn’t exactly rush to throw his name into the transfer portal.
The former Villanova guard waited a while after the portal opened before making his move, which usually means he gave the decision some real thought. It all but signals he has no desire to return to a team undergoing a massive roster overhaul with limited opportunities.
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According to Billy Heyen of The Sporting News, four teams are currently worth watching for his next move: Illinois, Kansas, Houston, and Georgia. And that’s a pretty telling group for a couple of reasons.
“He’s in the portal from Villanova after beginning his career at Maryland. And now, he’s looking for a third home in three seasons,” Heyen wrote.
“There’s at least some reason to wonder about landing spots at the likes of Illinois, Kansas, Houston and Georgia.
All four of those programs offered Palmer a scholarship when he was a high school recruit.”
These are programs that have known about Palmer for years, dating back to when he was a three-star recruit coming out of Baltimore, ranked No. 139 nationally and the No. 26 shooting guard in his class, according to 247Sports.
Still, it’s hard not to raise an eyebrow at three of those four schools.
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Illinois, Kansas, and Houston are teams that expect to be playing deep into March every year. That’s a different level of competition and, more importantly, a different level of pressure to contribute immediately. Confidence is everything, but is his minor sophomore jump enough to convince the coaching staffs of those schools that he’s capable of a significant junior jump?
Palmer saw his role grow significantly at Villanova, jumping from a limited 8.4 minutes per game during his freshman year at Maryland to 18.3 minutes per game this past season, both under Kevin Willard.
He averaged a solid 4.6 points per game while shooting an efficient 46.6 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from three. It wasn’t a breakout year by any means, but it was solid progress, especially when he stepped into a starting role and gave the Cats 8 points per game across four starts.
But the question shifts from who’s potentially interested to what Palmer actually wants — it feels like it’s court time.
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If it’s a bigger role, that conversation might look a little different from the four schools mentioned. Perhaps a smaller school in a smaller conference is the move. You know, big fish, small pond vibes.
He received plenty of other offers out of high school, including LSU, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Penn State, Texas Tech, Virginia Tech, New Mexico State, Creighton, DePaul, and Georgetown. Those feel a bit more his speed if the 6-foot-6 guard is looking for playing time.
He should have options, but he’ll need to move fast before the desirable landing spots go poof. With Villanova’s roster bare thin, a return to the Main Line isn’t completely off the table, although that feels very unlikely.
