Kentucky transfer Marcus Lee chooses Cal
After withdrawing his name from the 2016 NBA Draft, class of 2013 forward
Marcus Lee has decided to transfer and Cal is his destination. After weighing his options following visits to Cal and Washington, Lee committed to the Golden Bears, a program that recruited him while he was in high school. Lee visited Cal in October of 2012, but he ultimately felt like Kentucky would be the best place for him.
Lee had a sensational career at Deer Valley high school in Antioch, CA, earning a 5-star ranking from Rivals and also getting a spot on the 2013 McDonald’s All-American team. Lee will be reunited with Jabari Bird, who also competed for the West in the 2013 McDonald’s All-American game. However, they won’t be able to play together since per NCAA transfer rules, Lee will have to sit out a year before playing in the 2017 season.
Lee is a big get for Cal, and he’ll provide a much-needed post presence in the likely event that Ivan Rabb declares for the 2017 NBA Draft. Even though he won’t be playing this upcoming season, Lee will still be able to contribute to the 2016-17 team by pushing Rabb in practice.
What Lee brings to Cal is length, athleticism, energy, defense, and veteran leadership. When you watch Lee’s high school mixtapes, it’s not hard to see why he was rated as a 5-star recruit. He can leap out of the gym, protect the rim, and he has a great motor.
Lee should thrive in Cuonzo Martin’s system since it is predicated on defense and transition play. Charlie Moore will excel in the fast break with Lee running the floor as a target for alley-oops. Blocking a shot and then running the floor to throw it down on the other end is what Lee does best and he should get plenty of opportunities to do just that in Martin’s system.
In terms of veteran leadership, Lee will be more than just another upperclassman on the roster. He’s been to the Final Four twice and a national championship game once. He knows what it takes to go deep in the NCAA Tournament and Cal should really benefit from having a guy who has been there to show them the ropes and let them know what it takes to get to that next level. Perhaps, this is where he is most valuable. He’ll be able to mentor Rabb this upcoming season and also mentor the incoming freshmen in 2017.
Lee isn’t ready for the NBA yet, but he could really benefit from sitting out a season to polish his game. Plus, Cal will give him a chance to really showcase his skills in 2017 against some of the best players in the country. Lee could give his NBA Draft stock a nice boost and wind up being a 2nd round pick in 2018 as opposed to going undrafted.
Overall, Lee coming to Cal is a win-win deal for everybody involved. Lee gets a place to showcase his skills and prepare for the NBA while Cal gets a veteran big man to mentor their younger players who can also help keep them relevant after Ivan Rabb’s departure. With Jordan Mathews transferring, Lee becomes the 13th player on scholarship.