Two 2019 Final Four teams were rewarded Tuesday when two of the most coveted transfer prospects in college basketball made their commitments.
Sam and Joey Hauser, who defected from Marquette to the surprise of most in mid-April, announced Tuesday afternoon where they were going.
Turns out, they'll be splitting up. The elder brother, Sam, is joining up with Virginia; he'll be sitting this season and will exhaust his final season of college eligibility in 2020-21. The younger Hauser, Joey, has three years of eligibility left; he announced that Michigan State is his destination. Like Sam, Joey will sit the 2019-20, per standard NCAA transfer protocol.
While we don't know what Virginia or Michigan State's rosters will look like 18 months from now, having the Hausers on board for 2020-21 should prove to be crucial, given what players are expected to leave each school a year from now. The Hausers are flexibile offensive players, each marksmen from 3-point range: Sam shot 40.2% from 3-point distance last season, on 219 shots; Joey was a 42.5% 3-point shooter on 106 attempts.
Sam Hauser grew into a big piece for Marquette the past two seasons, averaging 14.1 points as a sophomore and 14.9 as a junior. Joey, who just completed his freshman season, averaged 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds.
Michigan State and Virginia will get to tailor their new talents behind the scenes for a season, and remember: both squads are expecting big campaigns coming off the 2019 Final Four. The Spartans are ranked No. 1 in CBS Sports' Top 25 And 1 heading into the upcoming season. Reigning champs UVA are No. 8.