Basketball Transfer Portal '25

[Bearcatattack]

Looks for 2 bigs here 1 on the coaching staff and 1 on the roster.

[GoBearcats31]

I should clarify that Thiam is not in the portal as of now. I'm hoping Bearcatattack is our own version of Trilly Donovan, having first mentioned Haynes here.

Per a friend who subscribes to the actual Trilly Donovan discord, Trilly said "Cincy is a team to watch" for Thiam.

That would be big -- 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 blocks as a freshman. Had 14 and 8 and 13 and 5 in two games versus UC. The 7'2 Senegal native seems to just be scratching the surface and I'd have to imagine would be an upgrade over Aziz. I wonder how he'd fit with Jalen Haynes, perhaps similar to when two seasons ago Wes picked up Jamille Reynolds and then later Aziz.

Also, here is me from February 6 -- maybe "unfortunate[ly]" was the wrong word choice. Potentially at least.

Really liked freshman big Moustapha Thiam, who had 14 points and 8 rebounds last night -- unfortunately for UCF, that's the type of player who will be poached away ($)

[Bearcatattack]

🤔

https://x.com/trillydonovan2/status/...EhTytKMvw&s=19

[GoBearcats31]

Chad Brendel didn't address all of the UC guys still in the portal, but he specifically said today that Dillon Mitchell definitely will not be back.

Mitchell is visiting Ole Miss apparently, coached by Chris Beard who was briefly his coach freshman year at UT before getting fired

I feel like Rayvon has a decent chance of returning. If he wants to play more, there are better opportunities out there. But I'd guess he could make more NIL deals locally.

Arrinten Page would seem to be gone unless there are no suitors for his services. He'd have to be comfortable busting his butt to come off the bench again next season at UC.

[swilsonsp4]

Three others left open the option to return.

Chad Brendel didn't address all of the UC guys still in the portal, but he specifically said today that Dillon Mitchell definitely will not be back.

[sedz]

The portal continues to swell. Up to 2200 now on VerbalCommits.

One of today's entrants is Sean Durugordon, a 6'6 elite rebounding wing from Old Dominion.

[GoBearcats31]

We've contacted Jadrian Tracey, 6'5 senior wing from Oregon. Posted a 4.4 BPM this year as a glue guy. He's an efficient low volume scorer and good defender without any major strengths or weaknesses. Just a solid all around game. Maybe a John Newman type.

VCU commit

[GoBearcats31]

G Mekhi Mason is the portal from UW. We’re in contact

Wake Forest

[longtimefan]

Hickman headed to College of Charleston to play for Chris Mack...if eligible


Yesterday, BearKatz said "Not a single Bearcat has committed as of today!" Well, that's now 3 in less than 24 hours

Three others left open the option to return.

[GoBearcats31]

Connor Hickman >>> Transfer Portal

Didn't see that one coming

Hickman headed to College of Charleston to play for Chris Mack...if eligible


Yesterday, BearKatz said "Not a single Bearcat has committed as of today!" Well, that's now 3 in less than 24 hours

[sedz]

Based on EvanMiya.com’s transfer rankings, just 19 of the top 100 players to enter the portal are uncommitted and don’t need a waiver for additional eligibility.

This tracks with what I'm seeing on Torvik. Only 17 players in the portal right now with a 5+ BPM, which is what you need to average at each position to be a top 16 team. Another 17 (34 total) are 4+ BPM, the target for a top 35 team, safe for an at large bid.

But there are still 87 2+ BPM players with strengths who can fill out a roster. And many unproven underclassmen with upside.

[GoBearcats31]

https://www.si.com/college-basketbal...-is-shaping-up

Based on EvanMiya.com’s transfer rankings, just 19 of the top 100 players to enter the portal are uncommitted and don’t need a waiver for additional eligibility.
...

Either way, the pool has shrunk to the point where high-major programs that have several spots left to fill have begun scrambling for additional options or are working their way back down the list of players they initially had held off on pursuing. And with that, agents representing players who otherwise might be on the fringes of earning a high-major roster spot are now in some cases holding off to maximize their leverage. Every year, there are a handful of players who capitalize on the desperation late in the market, and agents I’ve spoken to are happy to have their clients wait out the market as much as possible until that desperation hits. That’s a dangerous game, however, as doing so often limits the ability to be selective based on fit.

With options in the portal dwindling, the international market has heated up as an alternative, particularly in positions that are especially depleted in the portal like point guard and center. Expect a slew of high-level commitments coming over from European leagues in the coming weeks. You’ll see a mix of younger top prospects hoping to use college as a springboard to the NBA the way Egor Demin and Kasparas Jakucionis used it this year and older players (many of whom have been playing rotation minutes in high-level pro leagues) hunting a bigger payday in college than they can get in Europe.

[bearcatbret]

Where the Big 12 currently stands with the portal in the way too early polls. https://fanrecap.com/big-12-loaded-i...1UndA4XFASNFHA

[sedz]

A note on Baylor -- the entire roster from this past season is gone. Sure there were some seniors and VJ Edgecombe will be a lottery pick, but teams can hit a complete reset even without a coaching change or missing the NCAA Tournament.

Good point. Drew has already assembled a high level roster featuring elite offensive guards in Obi Agbim and JJ White, elite rebounding bigs in Juslin Bodo Bodo and Caden Powell, and 5 star freshman Tounde Yessoufou. Skillings will give them an experienced rebounder and slasher on the wing along with Michael Rataj. Baylor has all the pieces to compete for a protected seed.

[GoBearcats31]

Baylor has been a fixture in the NCAA tournament lately, winning a NC in 2021. Skillings should thrive at Baylor.

A note on Baylor -- the entire roster from this past season is gone. Sure there were some seniors and VJ Edgecombe will be a lottery pick, but teams can hit a complete reset even without a coaching change or missing the NCAA Tournament.