It's no secret the Red Raiders want to add an experienced forward to an already talented 2020-21 roster. Enter VCU transfer Marcus Santos-Silva. Santos-Silva entered the transfer portal last week and the Red Raiders immediately prioritized the grad transfer forward.
With TJ Holyfield off to graduation and big man Russel Tchewa in the transfer portal, there is an immediate need for a player of Santos-Silva's caliber with playing time available in the front court.
What makes Santos-Silva so intriguing for the Red Raiders is his production, experience and toughness. At 6-foot-7 Santos-Silva has a 7-foot-1 wingspan, which helps him on both ends of the court.
Offensively, Santos-Silva is a load around the block. He has a career field goal percentage of .573, showing his strength in finishing down low. He averaged 8.9 rebounds per game in 2019-20, his second straight season averaging at least 7.4 boards.
Santos-Silva specializes in offensive rebounding, with 193 offensive rebounds combined as a sophomore and junior. His toughness on the glass is exactly what the Red Raiders need, playing next to explosive shot-blocking athletes such as former 4-star Tyreek Smith and JUCO addition Esahia Nyiwe.
Texas Tech has had plenty of success with transfers under Chris Beard. The two highlights of that group are Matt Mooney and Tariq Owens, who helped lead the Red Raiders to a Big 12 championship and the National Championship game in big roles.
After coming over from South Dakota and St. John's respectively, both Mooney and Owens are now on NBA rosters at the next level. Mooney is with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Owens is with the Phoenix Suns.
Along with his elite rebounding, Santos-Silva has also pitched in more than 10 points per game in each of the last two seasons, and his 7-foot-1 wingspan allows him to contest shots on defense too, averaging over a block per game in each of the last two years.
His versatile game fits in with what the Red Raiders want to do, as Beard looks to build the ultimate position-less team, capable of beating anyone in the country.
Santos-Silva could be the finishing piece on a team that's already projected to be a top 10 team in 2020-21. NBC Sports' Rob Dauster released his way-too-early top 25 earlier today, and had the Red Raiders ranked No. 7 in the country.
While playing at VCU, Santos-Silva showed an ability to step up in big games, putting up the following stat lines against high major teams:
- vs LSU: 17 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, 2 blocks
- vs Purdue: 19 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
- vs Tennessee: 22 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block
VCU also played Dayton twice this year, who ended the season ranked No. 3 in the country. In those two games, Santos-Silva averaged 12 points, 13 rebounds, 0.5 steals and 1.5 blocks.
