Memphis landed another transfer portal commitment Monday afternoon after it was reported that SEMO transfer Luke Almodovar committed to Penny Hardaway and the Tigers. Almodovar became the second player to commit after Jayden Reid committed earlier in the day.
Almodovar started his collegiate career at NAIA St. Francis before transferring to Southeast Missouri State for his junior season. At the NAIA level, the guard shot better than 40 percent from three in both seasons.
At SEMO, Almodovar averaged 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and a steal per game, but he only shot 31.6 percent. While he didn’t have a great three-point percentage, he made two threes on 6.3 attempts per game.
The guard has the three-point shooting ability, but he also flashes a ton of athleticism and can finish at the rim. Almodovar was featured on “SportsCenter Top 10” several times last season after his posterizing dunks.
Almodovar finished the season in the 91st percentile in fast break points per 40 minutes and the 80th percentile in paint points per 40 minutes.
The guard was used a lot in SEMO’s offense, ending the season with a 25.1 percent usage rate, and he averaged only one turnover per game. While he won’t be a primary ball handler, he has shown that he doesn’t turn the ball over despite being a primary option in the offense.
The guard is known for what he can bring offensively, but he can also make a positive impact on the defensive end of the court. Almodovar had a positive defensive regularized plus-minus last season, meaning he won’t be a liability on the defensive end of the court.
He had a true shooting percentage of 57 percent, and it’ll be interesting to see how the Tigers will use him next season. He can hurt opposing teams with his three-point shot, in transition or attacking the rim from the perimeter.
The guard started in 23 games last season for SEMO, and it appears he could be a nice spark off the bench for Memphis next season.
Almodovar is the fifth player the Tigers have landed from the transfer portal this offseason, and he’s the 10th player committed to next season’s team. Memphis has five roster spots available if it intends to fill all 15.
The Tigers are currently hosting Texas A&M point guard Josh Holloway on a visit, and they’re still waiting on commitments from Southern Miss’ Tylik Weeks and North Alabama’s Corneilous Williams.