Villanova, Gonzaga strike it rich in college basketball transfer portal
Offseason? What offseason? There's no such thing in college basketball.
More than a month removed from UConn cutting down the nets, the drama on the court was replaced by — if not exceeded by — drama in the ever-changing and fluid transfer portal season.
This spring, more than 1,500 names have appeared in the transfer portal, with the majority of the big-name stars — Hunter Dickinson (Michigan to Kansas), Ryan Nembhard (Creighton to Gonzaga) and Jesse Edwards (Syracuse to West Virginia) — already having chosen their next destinations.
There are still some talented names available, from Ivy League Player of the Year Jordan Dingle (Penn) to veteran big man Olivier Nkamhoua (Tennessee) and 7-foot-1 shot blocker Moussa Cisse (Oklahoma State).
It bears noting that any remaining players looking to transfer to another school must have their name entered by Thursday, May 11, as part of the NCAA's new 60-day window enacted this season. Sources tell FOX Sports that there will be at least one power conference player who's testing the draft waters but will enter the portal this week to ensure he has the option to head somewhere else if he does return to college.
In other words, there's still some drama to come in portal season, but for the moment, here are some of the biggest winners and losers from this year's flurry of roster movement across the sport.
Gonzaga — Winner
Everything changed for Mark Few and the Zags on the morning of Friday, April 21. Just over an hour separated by one another, two of the top-30 players in the portal announced they were Spokane-bound.
Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year Graham Ike started the day with his announcement. The 6-foot-9 Wyoming transfer, who averaged 19.5 points on 51% shooting from the floor, to go along with 9.6 rebounds per game, will fill the void for the Zags at center as Drew Timme heads to the pro ranks.
With one major need filled, another question still existed for the Bulldogs: How would Few address the point guard position?
That question didn't last long, because Creighton's Ryan Nembhard, one of the top available players, announced that he was also heading to the Zags for his third year of college basketball. Nembhard, whose brother Andrew transferred from Florida to Gonzaga and played in Spokane from 2020-22, was rumored to be heading to Arizona to play for Tommy Lloyd. It was Lloyd, after all, who helped recruit Andrew Nembhard while a Gonzaga assistant.
Instead, Ryan Nembhard decided to follow his brother to Gonzaga, where he will be a key player on the perimeter. Averaging 12.1 points, 4.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game this past season, Nembhard can do more than just run the point, and he's got high leadership skills along with IQ. If Malachi Smith comes back to Gonzaga for an additional season, look for Nembhard to work with him as well as Nolan Hickman.
On top of Ike and Nembhard, Gonzaga also brought in Eastern Washington transfer Steele Venters, a 6-foot-7 wing who will be a candidate to start at the wing. Venters averaged 15.3 PPG last season and is a career 40% 3-point shooter. With a point guard in Nembhard to set him up, the setup is there for the Zags to have another quality offense in 2023-24. Few showed in this portal season that even with some staff members recently moving on to new head coaching opportunities, Gonzaga isn't moving from the heavyweight ranks as long as he's around.
Vanderbilt — Loser
After winning 12 of their last 15 games, including a run to the SEC Tournament semifinals and a quarterfinal surge in the NIT, it looked like the Commodores had some momentum heading into the offseason. But that strong close has led to quite the opposite for Jerry Stackhouse and his staff. They knew 7-footer Liam Robbins was off to the NBA, but what's ensued is an eyebrow raiser:
Seven(!) players have transferred out of the program.
- Guard Tyrin Lawrence (13.1 PPG): TBD
- Guard Jordan Wright (10.6 PPG): LSU
- Wing Myles Stute (8.4 PPG): South Carolina
- Guard Trey Thomas (5.8 PPG): Bowling Green
- Guard Noah Shelby (3.7 PPG): Rice
- Forward Quentin Millora-Brown (3.5 PPG): The Citadel
- Forward Malik Dia (2.6 PPG): Belmont
The Commodores' incoming recruiting class has five freshmen — none of whom are above a three-star prospect — and a Lehigh transfer in wing Evan Taylor. It will be a rebuilding season in Nashville, and as Stackhouse enters Year 5 without an NCAA Tournament berth, he's got to show some signs that this group has upside while also retaining some of these pieces. Heavy roster overhaul isn't a formula for success.
Tennessee — Winner
Rick Barnes has reloaded, and the Volunteers look like a top-10 team heading into next season. After reaching as high as No. 2 in the rankings this past season, the Vols lost star guard Zakai Zeigler to a torn ACL and bowed out in the Sweet 16. With significant roster questions up in the air surrounding NBA Draft combine invitees Josiah Jordan-James, Julian Phillips and Uros Plavsic, along with the transfer portal entry of standout Olivier Nkamhoua, there were holes for Barnes and his staff to fill. They know they have Santiago Vescovi coming back and Zeigler returning from injury at some point, but filling out the rotation with other impact pieces was the goal, and it has happened.
The biggest splash came from Chris Ledlum, a 6-6 Harvard transfer who chose the Volunteers over Indiana. Ledlum averaged 18.8 points and a league-leading 8.5 rebounds per contest last season and should add pop to an offense that needs it. He is also a solid defender. On the perimeter, the Vols reeled in USC Upstate transfer Jordan Gainey, the son of Tennessee associate head coach Jeff Gainey. He'll fill a role on the perimeter and has some upside after averaging 15.2 PPG last season.
Speaking of shooting and versatility, that really seemed to be the theme for Barnes in addressing his roster needs. That's seen in the addition of 6-6 Northern Colorado transfer Dalton Knecht. The leading scorer in the Big Sky, Knecht averaged 20.2 PPG on 48% shooting from the floor. He's also a solid rebounder and should be able to give the Vols another solid piece to their rotation that can score in bunches.
Just look at Tennessee the last two seasons in KenPom offense and defense:
- Offensive rank: 64th in 2023, 35th in 2022.
- Defensive rank: First in 2023, third in 2022.
It would appear Barnes is recognizing some of those offensive areas for growth in the way he's picked up some high-level scorers who are leveling up in conference.
Oklahoma State — Loser
It's been a challenging offseason for Mike Boynton as he heads into Year 7 in Stillwater. Losing two of your three double-figure scorers from a team that was No. 161 in KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency is not ideal, but that's been the case for the Cowboys. Standout guard Avery Anderson III (11.1 PPG, 3.4 APG) elected to leave Oklahoma State and stay in the Big 12, heading to TCU. Forward Kaleb Boone (10.6 PPG) is off to UNLV. Both of those players will be entering their fifth season of college basketball, so you're not only talking about a pair of impact players but experienced ones, the best trait for March.
Then, there's 7-1 rim protector Moussa Cisse, who has totaled 162 blocks over the last three seasons — two rejections per game — and changed the Cowboys' defense. Role players Tyreek Smith (SMU) and Woody Newton (George Mason) are also off to new destinations.
Yes, Oklahoma State brings in a top-15 recruiting class with four-star prospects Brandon Garrison (center), Eric Dailey (forward) and Justin McBride (forward) headlining the five-member group, but it's always difficult to gauge what first-year college players are going to do.
Boynton did bring in Jacksonville big man Mike Marsh (10.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 55% FG) and East Carolina point guard Javon Small (15.8 PPG, 5.6 APG, 4.8 RPG).
That said, the loss of established weapons in the Big 12 is noteworthy and comes as a bit of a surprise for a Cowboys team that came off a 20-win season and had unfinished business.
Villanova — Winner
After missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012, Kyle Neptune and his staff had to hit the ground running with some impactful pickups in the portal. The way things have trended, don't be surprised if you see Villanova with a number next to its name next season, and the Wildcats back as a contender in the Big East.
Neptune has picked up not one, but two starters in Washington State transfer TJ Bamba and Maryland transfer Hakim Hart.
In Bamba, the Wildcats are getting a 6-5 guard from New York who averaged 15.8 PPG as a junior, hitting multiple 3s in nine of his final 10 games. He should step right in and join fifth-year senior Justin Moore to headline the Villanova backcourt.
Meanwhile, Hart enters his fifth season of college basketball, bringing a wealth of experience. At 6-8, he can cause matchup issues alongside Eric Dixon in Villanova's frontcourt and will start at the 4 for the Wildcats. Hart was a key part of a Maryland team that surprised many in the Big Ten, averaging 11.4 points on 48% from the field, along with close to three assists per game. The next step for Hart would be his perimeter shot and building on his rebounding figures. Hart only shot 33% from beyond the arc this past season, a mark he's sat at the last three years.
For a Wildcats team that is hoping for continued growth from likely starting guard Mark Armstrong, as well as Jordan Longino and Brendan Hausen, among others, there was a clear need for some starting caliber talent to join Moore and Dixon. Villanova has gotten that, and there's a good chance Neptune isn't done yet.
Louisville — Loser
Seven scholarship players transferred out, and look at the destinations for some of them: El Ellis, who averaged 17.7 points per game, is off to Arkansas. Forward Jae'Lyn Withers is heading to Hubert Davis and North Carolina, while Kamari Lands is heading across the country to Arizona State. Yes, Kenny Payne brings in a highly touted recruiting class with five-star wing Trentyn Flowers headlining the nation's No. 6 ranked group, but losing a guy in Ellis who knew what to expect from Payne heading into Year 2 is challenging. The Cardinals will once again be relying on mostly new faces in a crucial year for the staff.
Arkansas — Winner
It's become a foregone conclusion that the Razorbacks will be an offseason winner because Eric Musselman is as strong of a roster constructor as anybody in college basketball. There will be no shortage of backcourt options in Fayetteville, with Houston's Tramon Mark, Washington's Keyon Menifield, Temple's Khalif Battle, Louisville's Ellis and Cincinnati's Jeremiah Davenport all committing to the Hogs for next season.
And just think: we aren't even sure yet whether or not Davonte Davis and Jordan Walsh will return to Arkansas. If that pair comes back, with highly ranked freshman big man Baye Fall in the fold, the Hogs will once again be a preseason top-15 team.
West Virginia — Up in the Air …
Monitoring the Mountaineers throughout the coming days and weeks is going to be a storyline in college basketball.
This comes after head coach Bob Huggins used a homophobic slur while referring to Xavier fans in a local radio interview conducted on Cincinnati station 700 WLW on Monday. Huggins issued an apology, and West Virginia stated that the university was reviewing the matter.
While that situation remains as of now unresolved, from a player standpoint, West Virginia has added significant pieces to its roster.
The Mountaineers secured a commitment from one of the best players in the portal with All-ACC selection Jesse Edwards from Syracuse. The 6-11 star totaled 14.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game this past season, and chose the Mountaineers over Kansas and Gonzaga, among others.
In the backcourt, West Virginia added a point guard in Kerr Kriisa, who averaged 9.9 points and 5.1 assists per game this past year at Arizona, and a rising senior in Montana State transfer Raequan Battle, a 6-foot-5 multidimensional guard who totaled close to 18 points per game this past season.
The Mountaineers should be improved, but the future of their head coach is in jeopardy following Monday's news.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.
