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The Arizona Wildcats have reached out to a pair of prolific transfers, including one with west coast ties.
Arizona is one of three schools to express interest in Cincinnati transfer Tari Eason according to StockRisers. The Wildcats are also one of several programs to reach out to Penn State transfer Myreon Jones per 247Sports.
Arizona, Virginia, Virginia Tech have also inquired in Cincinnati transfer Tari Eason, he told @Stockrisers. Very intriguing name that will continue to draw suitors. https://t.co/QgXqqTQeci
— Jake (@jakeweingarten) March 18, 2021
Houston, Maryland, Detroit, Auburn, USC, TCU, LSU, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, NC St, St. Johns
— Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) March 18, 2021
UCF, Arizona, UAB, Washington St,
Western Kentucky, Colorado, and Oklahoma are the latest schools to reach out to Penn State transfer Myreon Jones sources tell @247Sports. pic.twitter.com/w2Wh7xlLvQ
Eason, a 6-foot-8 forward out of Seattle, played one season at Cincinnati before announcing he would enter the transfer portal. He averaged 7.3 points and 5.9 rebounds for the Bearcats on 46.2 percent shooting.
Eason recorded a career high 20 points and 13 rebounds in a late February win over Tulane. Though born in Virginia, Eason moved to Seattle growing up and attended Garfield High School as a senior, where he led the varsity team to a state championship. At Garfield he was coached by former NBA All-Star Brandon Roy.
Eason played his junior year at Federal Way High School, the same school that UA great Michael Dickerson attended.
Eason could become the second Seattle-grown player to transfer to Arizona since the Wildcats hired Seattle legend Jason Terry as assistant coach in May 2020.
Terry was instrumental in bringing in Terrell Brown Jr. as a Seattle University grad transfer a year ago. Brown announced yesterday he would again enter the transfer portal after one season at Arizona.
Arizona also appears to be in the mix for Jones, who hails from Birmingham, Alabama.
A 6-foot-3 guard, Jones averaged 15.3 points a game for the Nittany Lions as a junior. He shot approximately 40% from three-point range in his last two seasons with Penn State.
Jones scored double figures in all but two games this past season.
The obvious connection here is UA graduate manager Justin Coleman, who also grew up in Birmingham, played three seasons and redshirted one year at Samford and then was recruited to Arizona as a grad transfer.
Jones would give Arizona’s backcourt significant experience and scoring ability. Labeled a combo-guard, Jones would likely be asked to play off the ball alongside James Akinjo at point.
The Wildcats coaching staff seems to be going after a mix of guards and forwards to round out the 2021-2022 roster. Arizona has been linked to at least three other players in the transfer portal, as well as former Creighton commit Ty Ty Washington.