Over 100 college basketball players flood transfer portal in chaotic March Madness sideshow
There’s another type of madness under way and it doesn’t involve brackets.
nypost.com
There’s another type of madness under way and it doesn’t involve brackets.
The NCAA transfer portal opened Monday, less than 24 hours after the revealing of the 68-team field, and the list has already surpassed 100 entrants.
College basketball insider Jeff Goodman reported that 125 players had already entered the portal as of noon Monday.
Some of the top players already declaring their intent to transfer include, via On3: Stanford’s Andrej Stojakovic, a former top-25 recruit and son of former Kings sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic; Michigan guard Dug McDaniel, who averaged 16.3 points this past season; and Hofstra’s Darlinstone Dubar, who averaged 17.8 points while shooting nearly 40 percent from deep.
The transfer portal has essentially become free agency for college athletics, with players leaving for more playing time and lucrative NIL deals.
Some teams use the portal to supplement recruiting classes or fill holes, while some rely on the available pool to entirely remark their roster.
Overall No. 1 seed UConn would not be a juggernaut if not for the additions of two transfers in former East Carolina guard Tristan Newton and former Rutgers deep threat Cam Spencer.
The timing of the transfer portal, though, has come under scrutiny.
Teams that have already had their season ended — like St. John’s — can immediately start focusing on next year’s roster and devote all their attention to these efforts.
That, of course, puts the teams still in the tournament at a disadvantage as they are focusing their efforts on trying to advance in the big dance.
Wrote Goodman: “The NCAA really needs to move this back 2 weeks — at least until after the Elite 8. Just cut down the window from 45 days to 30 days.”
Fox’s John Fanta had stronger words.
“Let me be clear: it’s an absolute travesty that the transfer portal in college basketball opens tomorrow. It takes away from literally the best week of the year in the sport,” Fanta wrote Sunday. “At least give it a week and let the tournament have our undivided attention. The portal is toxic. Enough!
