PJ Haggerty Is Now at His Fifth School in Five Years After Committing to Texas A&M
PJ Haggerty has made transferring into a hobby. He just committed to his fifth school in five seasons.
The former Kansas State guard committed to Texas A&M on Tuesday, completing one of the most unusual journeys in modern college basketball. Haggerty has now suited up at TCU, Tulsa, Memphis, Kansas State, and starting next season, Texas A&M. Five schools. Five years. One season of eligibility left to figure out where he actually wants to be.
The strange part is that he was excellent last season. Haggerty averaged 23.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game for K-State as a junior. He shot 45 percent from the floor and finished as one of the most productive guards in the Big 12. He was on every preseason award watch list. He was supposed to be the face of the K-State program for the next two seasons. Instead, he is on the move again.
This is what the modern transfer portal has produced. A high-major guard with national exposure can effectively become a free agent every year. NIL collectives at major programs are willing to spend serious money on proven talent. The portal is open. The trip is fast. Coaches are accustomed to the churn. There is no longer any social or professional penalty for being a player who refuses to settle.
Haggerty redshirted as a true freshman at TCU in 2022-23 before transferring to Tulsa, where he had a breakout season as a freshman by averaging 21.2 points per game. He then went to Memphis and put up 21.7 points and 4.3 assists per game on a Penny Hardaway team that made the NCAA Tournament. After that he went to K-State and had his best statistical season. Now he is going to Texas A&M.
The A&M fit is interesting. Buzz Williams is one of the best in-game coaches in the SEC. His teams play hard, defend, and rebound. Haggerty has not always been known as a defensive player, but Williams has a track record of getting his guards to commit on that end. If Haggerty buys in, the Aggies are an immediate Sweet 16 contender.
The numbers say he should buy in. He is 22 years old now. He is running out of eligibility. The next stop after Texas A&M is the NBA draft or a career in Europe. He needs a strong final college season to convince scouts he is more than a high-volume scorer on bad teams.
The NBA evaluation on Haggerty has always been complicated. He scores in bunches. He gets to the line. He has decent vision. He is not a great shooter from 3, though he has improved every year. He is undersized at 6-foot-3. His defensive intensity has been inconsistent. If he was a couple of inches taller, he would be a guaranteed second-round pick. As it is, he is fighting for a roster spot in Summer League if he goes pro.
Texas A&M is gambling that Haggerty’s last year is his best year. That is a reasonable bet given his trajectory. He has gotten better every season. He has handled four different coaching staffs. He has been the leading scorer on three of his four previous teams. He knows what it takes to put up numbers in college basketball.
If you are an SEC opponent, the scouting report on Texas A&M just got a lot more complicated. The Aggies were already going to be tough. Now they have a 23-point-per-game scorer running the show.
One thing is certain. This will not be Haggerty’s sixth school. He is out of eligibility after this season. Whatever happens at Texas A&M is the end of his college career. Time to make it count.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
