Virginia Commonwealth big man Marcus Santos-Silva (6-7/250) has decided to transfer to Texas Tech. This is absolutely huge and we’ll get to the eligibility chart here in a minute, but let’s spend some time focusing on Santos-Silva.

Santos-Silva averaged 12.8 points a game last year for the Rams, 8.9 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 1.1 steals, while shooting 57% from the floor and 55% from the line. Santos-Silva is an elite rebounder and he has been since he was a freshman, both on the offensive side of the ball and defensive. And you could make an argument that Santos-Silva was an even better rebounder as a sophomore than a junior, but he was elite either way.

Additionally, Santos-Silva is a high level shot-blocker, blocking shots at 5.3% per possessions, while that doesn’t sound like a ton, that’s actually very good. Shooting the ball, Santos-Silva is a fantastic shooter in and around the rim, which means that he creates and scores in and around the rim. Santos-Silva didn’t shoot one three-pointer all year and Santos-Silva needs to improve at the free throw line and that’s the only issue here. That’s it.

RedRaiderSports’ Brandon Soliz talked with Santos-Silva about what he hopes to bring to the team:

“What will help is my experience just being in college basketball already,” Santos-Silva said. “I can show them things that I’ve learned and help them when that adversity comes because it will. Our team now knows our whole goal is to win a national championship. I feel like we can do this with everything we have.”

Eligibility Chart

As you’ll note, Santos-Silva adds one more spot to the 2020-21 team and now that group is one over the limit of 13 per year.

13 scholarships each year | Black Box = Scholarship Year | Red Box = Redshirt Year | HS = Playing high school | JC = Playing junior college | TR = Transfer | NBA = Declared for NBA Draft | NA = No Longer Attending | *Transfer from UNLV | *!* Transfer from Wichita State | *@* Transfer from Virginia Commonwealth | # Enters transfer portal | $ Declares for NBA Draft