The NCAA Transfer Portal Opens Monday - Let the Chaos Begin
James Malachowski, Sports Columnist
The NCAA Transfer Portal Opens Monday - Let the Chaos Begin
It will not take long for URI head coach Archie Miller to find out what players will put their names into the transfer portal. In a move that doesn’t make sense, the NCAA has set a date for the transfer portal for undergraduates to begin the day after Selection Sunday.* That means on Monday, March 18th, the fun begins.
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Teams will still be playing when the transfer portal opens
Over 100 teams will still be playing in the NCAA March Madness tournament (68 teams), the NIT (32 teams), and the CBI Tournament (16 teams). Players can enter the portal before their season ends and while still playing. Imagine walking into your locker room for practice or a game, and your teammates and coaches know you have put your name in to explore transfer opportunities!
Coach Miller hopes a significant portion of the team stays
After being eliminated in the first round of the A-10 Tournament, URI Coach Archie Miller said, “We need to bring back a significant portion of this roster that are about the right things, and we need our fans to start to grow with them a little bit.”
URI currently has 13 scholarship players, the maximum number allowed. Every one of them has at least one year of eligibility left. Miller has signed two high school recruits (Ben Hammond and Tyonne Farrell) who will be freshmen in September. Therefore, two existing scholarship players must leave to make room for the incoming freshmen. Miller has recruited 19 players in two years. There is a strong likelihood he will have to recruit more players for next year.
With the portal and no transfer restrictions, players today have more mobility than has ever existed in college athletics. Last year, approximately 20% of all Division I players put their names in the transfer portal. A higher percentage may do so this year. NIL payments will significantly affect how this will all play out.
Can a player come back after they enter the transfer portal?
By entering the portal, players give up their roster spot and scholarship. They can return to their current team only if the coach allows them to and there is an open roster spot. A coach can make a bold move and tell his players that if they enter the portal, there is no coming back. This would prevent players from testing the transfer portal waters and playing one side against the other in negotiations over NIL money. There is high-stakes gambling on both sides.
Reasons for entering the portal include making more NIL money, having the opportunity to play in a higher-rated conference to get more exposure, seeking more playing time, dissatisfaction with the current program or coach, getting on a team with a better chance of making the NCAA Tournament, and some may leave because Miller sat them down and suggested they leave.
Defense, some big men, and gritty players are the primary needs
Miller will be looking for players who can play defense. Apparently, he will be giving recruits DNA tests, as partway through the year, he said this current group of players just doesn’t have it in their DNA to play defense. Geneticists may have yet to be aware of a gene connected with playing defense in basketball.
Getting a big man to play underneath is high on Miller’s portal recruiting list. The 6’10” Josephat Bilau is an experienced player, a good rebounder, and a strong defender. Losing him to injury for all but two games deeply hurt the Rams this past year. Freshman David Fuchs had to move to the center position, and at 6’9”, he was too short and struggled on defense against the many talented and taller centers and power forwards in the A-10. Fuchs is a strong and physical player but has not mastered the ability to bump and bang an opponent with the ball down low to disrupt their rhythm without fouling.
Interior defense, guarding a strong power forward, and protecting the rim were problems all year. Bilau, having redshirted his freshman year, is now 24 years old. He may want to continue playing college basketball or return to France to begin a professional career.
It has been reported that the 6’10” Jeremy Foumena has already said he is considering putting his name into the transfer portal. URI could find itself with no height in the frontcourt.
Miller also needs to recruit a couple of tough, gritty players who can play defense. Covering an opponent’s power forward who is a scorer was a problem all year.
The transfer portal is a supermarket for players
The transfer portal is like a supermarket for basketball players. There is an aisle for point guards, an aisle for shooting guards, athletic forwards, defensive specialists, etc. Like in every market, you cannot shop for basketball players without money. And yes, inflation has hit this market as well. The center you bought last year will cost you more this year.
Coaches now are also General Managers
Coaches have a budget that is determined by how much the associated NIL Collective can raise in a year. This dollar amount is like the salary cap that professional sports teams deal with. College coaches must now also serve as General Managers. If they prioritize and spend a good portion of their budget on a center, they have less to spend on the other players. They must manage a very fluid situation and fit all the puzzle pieces together.
In 2022-23, the Rams played hard but could not throw the ball into the ocean. They finished last in the A-10 in scoring and 8th in defense. Miller effectively used the portal to bring in players skilled on the offensive side of the ball. This year’s team finished ninth in the league in scoring but slipped to 13th in defense.
* Graduate students who have another year of eligibility due to the COVID rule can enter the portal at any time and many have already done so.