UNLV grad transfer Amauri Hardy contacted by Arizona

Scorers with immediate eligibility are a hot commodity on the transfer portal, and the Arizona Wildcats are on the prowl.

UNLV Runnin’ Rebels guard Amauri Hardy is the latest grad transfer to receive interest from Arizona according to Stadium’s Jeff Goodman.

Hardy averaged 14.5 points and shot 41% from the field and 33% from 3 as a junior.

The Detroit native has been contacted by over a dozen schools including Oregon, Arizona State and Washington State.

The Arizona coaching staff is likely putting in extra effort to land Hardy. That’s because Amauri’s younger brother, Jaden, is a five-star recruit in the 2021 class and a top priority for Sean Miller.

Though Amauri and Jaden probably wouldn’t play together in college, Amauri’s decision could very well influence where Jaden chooses to attend. Miller and assistant coach Danny Peters visited Coronado High School in Las Vegas last March to see Jaden, who visited Arizona in the fall.

Kentucky, Arizona’s stiffest competition in the recruitment of Jaden, has also expressed interest in Amauri.

Of all the transfer portal players on Arizona’s watchlist, none comes with bigger implications for both the present and future than Amauri Hardy.

Other transfers Arizona has been connected to include:

• Columbia grad transfer Mike Smith, the Ivy League’s leading scorer
• Virginia Tech’s Landers Nolley
• Wichita State’s Jamarius Burton and Erik Stevenson.
• Gardner-Webb transfer Nate Johnson, an elite shooter