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One of the most prolific scorers on the college basketball transfer list is officially off the market.
With help from a Mother's Day commitment party and a bevy of celebratory Twitter posts, former San Francisco star Devin Watson officially announced his intention to transfer to San Diego State on Sunday, ending a four-way recruiting battle for the dynamic guard. Watson will have to sit out the 2016-2017 season per NCAA rules but will have two years of eligibility remaining after that. The 6' 1" guard chose the Aztecs over California, Kansas and UNLV.
A wide range of factors went into Watson's original decision to leave USF, the most prevalent of these beginning with San Francisco's firing of head coach Rex Walters after the 2015-2016 season. Watson was said to have a healthy relationship with Walters and after his departure, the sophomore stated that he "felt it was important to move on to the next chapter of my life". It was also speculated that Watson was interested in transferring closer to his family in Oceanside, California, which sits just about forty minutes up the road from the San Diego State's campus.
Watson's initial interest in the Aztecs program stems back to his high school days where Watson strongly considered the Mountain West school during his first recruiting process. After first committing to Oregon State before they signed Gary Payton II, Watson eventually de-comitted from the Pac-12 school and settled on San Francisco. However, the Aztecs never stayed too far from his mind. The only campus visit that Watson took during his transfer recruiting process was to San Diego State and just like that, the deal was done.
The addition of Watson to the Aztecs' roster for the 2017-2018 season could be a massive haul for Steve Fisher, with speculation already swirling that standout guard Trey Kell could try and jump to the NBA, pending an impressive junior campaign. Watson's unique mix of effortless scoring and versatile backcourt skills should help him to become a featured player in the conference from the day he becomes eligible.