With the departure of three-year starter Kalil Shabazz looming large for head coach Chris Gerlufsen heading into his second season in charge, San Francisco has reconstructed its roster through the transfer portal this offseason with several high profile pickups. In addition to Shabazz’s pursuit of a pro career, he’ll be followed by Tyrell Roberts while both Zane Meeks and Julian Rishwain left for power-5 minutes, joining Arizona State and Todd Golden’s Florida respectively.
To combat the loss of those four veteran pieces, Gerlufsen and Co. took advantage of the portal by recruiting perceived undervalued talent with loads of potential, initially receiving commitments from USC transfer Malik Thomas and former Missouri State forward Jonathan Mogbo.
Thomas, a former top-100 prospect, joins following two seasons with the Trojans where he didn’t start a single game but made 36 career appearances and averaged just 1.9 PPG. The 6-4 guard/wing arrives in search of consistent minutes and could be a future Shabazz substitute as he continues to develop.
Mogbo on the other hand, is a JUCO journeyman who spent time with two separate program’s before getting an opportunity at the Division I level this past season where the 6-8 forward averaged 8 PPG, 7 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.3 STLPG, and 1.1 BKPG as a defensive menace.
Rounding out San Francisco’s transfer class will be a pair of international recruits as former top-150 prospect and Serbia native Stefan Todorović and Mike “Mongolian Mike” Sharavjamts; who opted for a return to college after testing the NBA Draft process, will both join the Dons.
At 6-8, Todorović averaged just 5.5 PPG and 2.4 RPG for SMU over the previous campaign and has struggled for playing time during two seasons in Dallas. While Sharavjamts arrives from Dayton, a 6-8 forward himself and the son of former Harlem Globetrotter Sharavjamts Tserenjanhor, he averaged 5.6 PPG, 1.9 RPG, and 2.6 APG in his freshman season as a Flyer.
With all four additions potentially bolstering multiple years of eligibility, this Dons roster is oozing with talent that’s just waiting to be further developed and yet, each should benefit immediately from increased playing time under Gerlufsen.
While it’s always been tough to receive an at-large bid in a conference that’s been dominated by the likes of Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s, and is only getting stronger across the league, look for San Francisco to differentiate itself in the WCC in 2023-24 with this youthful and potential latent roster.
