There is not a one-size-fits-all approach for the transfer portal. Every coaching staff heads into the offseason with a plan in place. Part of that comes after some self-reflection.
You have to know the strengths and weaknesses of your roster. You have to take a look at the high school recruiting and what type of players are coming in. You also have to consider the connections that the staff has to players currently in the portal or who could be on the move very soon.
But the good programs are not afraid to completely ditch the original plan in the ever-changing portal. It’s never been easier to land talented, proven pieces. But they have to fit the culture that has been created. Their goals have to align with the coaching staff or friction is easy to envision.
Let’s dive into how each Power 6 team has attacked the transfer portal and what it says about the gameplan for both now and the future.
Louisville: New Cardinals coach Kenny Payne has already proven he’s going to be a heavy hitter. It didn’t take long at all for Payne to flex his muscles at Louisville, and it might be a sign that the Cardinals are going to be back as major contenders in the ACC soon. Adding Tennessee’s Brandon Huntley Hatfield was a big-time move. Louisville is a major player for the two highest-rated players in 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings: Memphis’ Emoni Bates and Iowa State’s Tyrese Hunter.
Florida State: UCF transfer Darin Green Jr. might be the most slept-on addition of the 2022 transfer portal cycle. Green averaged more than 13 points per game and drained 87 3-pointers. But the fact that Florida State has been very selective in the transfer portal tells you everything you need to know. Leonard Hamilton thinks Florida State is sitting on a monster bounce-back season from some of its young, budding stars. FSU had a year from hell last year with all the injuries. That won’t happen twice in a row.
Miami: The Hurricanes have capitalized off NIL and an Elite 8 run. Landing Kansas State’s Nijel Pack and Arkansas State’s Norchad Omier are two of the biggest additions in the 2022 cycle. Miami is going to be really good next year, barring something catastrophic. It also sets a standard that Miami could be a prime destination for transfers in the years to come.
Syracuse: Jim Boeheim has been very quiet in the transfer portal which seems like he’s banking on Joseph Girard III taking another step, Jesse Edwards building off a strong 2021-22 campaign and a breakout from Symir Torrence. Syracuse has some nice-looking freshmen coming in but when you lose scorers like Buddy Boeheim, Jimmy Boeheim and Cole Swider, it’s fair to expect Syracuse to make a little more noise in the portal because they have so many shots available. That hasn’t happened… Yet.
Boston College: The Eagles desperately needed more shooting. They shot just 30.9% from 3-point range last year which ranked 299th in the country, according to KenPom. Cincinnati transfer Mason Madsen shot 36% from downtown this past season. The sniper is just what the doctor ordered.
North Carolina: Patience is a virtue for Hubert Davis. The UNC coach can count scholarships. He can see that four starters are running it back from a team that was seconds away from winning a National Championship. He also can see that UNC has a hole at the 4 now that Brady Manek has departed. North Carolina will undoubtedly land an impact forward. They’re playing the waiting game very well and are positioned to land a big fish.
N.C. State: With everyone focused on the status of standout guards Terquavion Smith and Dereon SeabronNC State has quietly added three really nice pieces to rebuild its frontcourt. Dusan Mahorcic (Utah), DJ Burns Jr. (Winthrop) and Jack Clark (La Salle) all look like very nice additions.
notre dame: Mike Brey did not panic when star freshman Blake Wesley announced he was going to pursue the 2022 NBA Draft. With Dane Goodwin and Cormac Ryan returning, Notre Dame’s backcourt is going to be just fine. Niagara bucket-getting transfer Marcus Hammond should earn early playing time too. But prized 5-star JJ Starling is poised to step right into Wesley’s role.
Pittsburgh: Point guard was the biggest hole on the Pitt roster, but Colgate transfer Nelly Cummings should fill that void. Cummings honestly has all the tools to be a star at Pitt. Sure, he’s a little undersized. But he can get buckets from all over the floor, and Cummings plays with a passion and energy that you can’t help but respect.
Georgia Tech: Josh Pastner is really betting on his player-development program. Pastner believes that his young guys can step up and replace do-everything guards Michael Devoe and Jordan Usher.
Duke: For the second year in a row, Duke has been really selective in the portal and opted to add veteran role players. Northwestern’s Ryan Young and Harvard’s Kale Catchings will likely not start, but they’re going to be just fine with providing a veteran presence behind a bunch of star-studded freshman. Those good culture role players are invaluable to winning teams.
Clemson: The Tigers are really going to be funneling to do-it-all forwards PJ Hall and Hunter Tyson. Clemson has expressed interest in plenty of guys in the transfer portal, but they’ve only landed Boston College’s Brevin Galloway. Princeton transfer Jaelin Llewellyn did commit to Clemson before pivoting to Michigan shortly afterward. That’s a really huge loss. That Clemson backcourt desperately needs someone to step up and be a star after Al Amir Dawes and Nick Honor transferred away.
Virginia: Tony Bennett really only needed one piece out of the transfer portal. A versatile big man who can score, defend and rebound would’ve been perfect. Oh, good thing they found that in Ohio’s Ben Vander Plas. Virginia’s lack of movement in the portal should not be super surprising with Jayden GardnerAarmaan Franklin, Kihei Clark, Reece Beekman and Kadin Shedrick running it back.
Virginia Tech: The Hokies backcourt is pretty much set with Darius MaddoxHunter Cattier and Sean Pedullabut Mike Young desperately needed to find a Keve Aluma replacement. I dont think he’s found one guy who can be Keve Aluma 2.0, but Wright State transfer Grant Basile can add a scoring punch.
Wake Forest: Steve Forbes clearly had a sell in the transfer portal that worked this past season with Jake La Ravia, Alondes Williams and Dallas Walton. Florida transfer Tyree Appleby could step right into the same type of scoring role that Williams had this past season. Forbes’ vision is on full display, but Wake Forest’s ceiling will really be determined by if LaRavia runs it back.
Butler: New Butler coach Thad Matta took one look at his roster and knew that he was not very far away from competing. He didn’t find superstars in the transfer portal, but Manny Bates, Ali Ali, Jalen Thomas and Eric Hunter Jr. could all be top-8 players on the team immediately. Bates and Hunter have the biggest names, but Ali was a stud at Akron and could transition to the Big East effortlessly.
Creighton: One star away. That’s what Creighton believed heading into the offseason after a hard-fought, second-round exit to eventual National Champion Kansas. Creighton has found its potential stud in South Dakota State transfer Baylor Scheierman. Now, let’s see if the Bluejays can live up to the offseason hype.
DePaul: Tony Stubblefield must really like his young guys because DePaul’s inactivity after losing studs like Javon Freeman-Liberty and David Jones makes little to no sense on paper.
Georgetown: There’s a real sense of desperation for Patrick Ewing and Georgetown. And honestly, it’s refreshing. Ewing hired LSU assistant Kevin Nickleberry and that helped the Hoyas land prized LSU transfer Brandon Murray. They’ve also added other difference-making transfers like Jay Heath, Akok AkokWayne Bristol Jr. Bradley Ezewiro and Amir Spears. Georgetown’s roster will look very different next year and Ewing is hoping the changes pay off.
UConn: Dan Hurley would never mention it publicly, but there’s a real chance UConn’s backcourt is improved despite losing RJ Cole and Tyrese Martin. That’s how good transfers Tristen Newton (East Carolina) and Nahiem Alleyne (Virginia Tech) could be together. They both compliment each other flawlessly.
Marquette: Even though Marquette has lost some talented pieces like Darryl Morsell, Greg Elliott and Justin Lewis (a return from the 2022 NBA Draft is not out of the cards), there’s been no panic from Shaka Smart and the Marquette coaching staff. Kam JonesTyler Kolek, Oso Ighodaro and Olivier-Maxence Prosper were always supposed to be the stars next year. The plan is very much underway.
Providence: The Friars were good last year, but I think Ed Cooley has upgraded his roster. There’s more high-end talent…
Source: 247sports.com