Buffalo Bulls Basketball Preview: Will Torian Graham Be The Next Star For UB?

Background Info - Torian Graham is a 6'4" shooting guard, originally from Durham, North Carolina, transferring from University of Houston. While in high school, Graham was ranked 91 on ESPN's Top 100 High School Players list, earning him offers from schools such as Louisville and Arizona.

Off- Court Issues - While at his junior college, Chipola, Torian as well as other teammates were suspended from the team after an arrest. The players were arrested for an incident involving marijuana and tampering with evidence. While in high school, Torian came close to being academically ineligible, which scared off a few schools.

How He'll Fit In - Due to the departure of Shannon Evans, there is now an open spot at the starting shooting guard position. Now it's unsure if that's his or not, that will probably be decided as we approach the start of the season, but he's a standout candidate for it.

Why He Could Succeed - While at Chipola, Torian was one of the top players in the JUCO system. He gained a lot of attention from top D1 schools (including Kentucky) because of his scoring ability.  First off, Graham has ridiculous athleticism and knows how to use it. He uses a combination of his speed, verticle and quickness to get in the paint and attack the basket; arguably his biggest strength. Graham also has a good jump shot to accommodate this. He's exceptional in the fastbreak game and we've seen him have the ability to get he shots he wants using a variety of dribble and off-ball moves, making him a complete scorer.

Why He Could Fail - As I mentioned earlier, Torian has had some off-court problems. While it's unfair to him to assume he'd get in any trouble at UB, we can say that maturity has been an issue in the past for him. There have been many players over the years in college ball that have hurt their careers because of legal issues and/or academic issues. Hopefully he looks at this opportunity as a fresh start and can stay focused what's necessary.

Overall- I think Torian will excel at UB. He's a terrific talent and has the potential to make a name for himself on a national level. I'd assume he takes over the starting position at some point during the season, if not at the start. He's too talented and too skilled not to succeed. I don't expect him to have anymore issues at UB because he's at a place where he wants to play and knows what's at stake. Maybe he doesn't make a huge splash at the start because he's new to everything, but down the line, we'll see how valuable Torian Graham is.

Watch his highlight reels, they're awesome I promise.