Portal Combat: The Transfer Commitments with the Largest Impact Thus Far
Amid the madness of the NCAA Tournament, the college basketball transfer portal opened on Monday, March 24th. A record 899 players entered their names on the first day, and the number increased exponentially throughout the week. The portal opening up during March Madness has been a source of controversy, as it’s given eliminated teams an edge in recruiting early, high-level entries while surviving teams maintained their focus on winning. So far, there have been numerous transfer commitments that project to have a large impact on the landscape of college basketball.
Mountain West Player of the Year Donovan Dent entering the portal was no surprise, after an incredible three years at New Mexico, including multiple tournament appearances and one win. With numerous top-tier programs lining up for Dent’s services, he returned home to Los Angeles and committed to Mick Cronin and the UCLA Bruins. Dent’s athletic prowess and creativity have made him an intriguing NBA prospect who has dominated at the collegiate level. He projects as a lead playmaker, slicing apart defenses with crisp passes, with six assists a game. There’s a concern with his decision-making, often making risky passes and overdribbling. Turning the ball over four times a game in a non-power five conference is alarming, but in a scaled-down role, that number should go down. His finishing ability has drastically improved, converting at the rim with either hand and finesse. Dent’s commitment will make him the most talented player to suit up for the Bruins since Jaime Jaquez Jr.
One of the first and most impactful transfer commitments was from guard Bennett Stirtz. The former Division II star continued to follow his coach, Ben McCollum, from Drake to Iowa. Stirtz led the Bulldogs to their best season in program history, winning 31 out of 35 games and averaging 19.2 points, five assists, and four rebounds a game. Additionally, he led Drake to one of the few upset wins this March over Missouri in a highly anticipated matchup. The decision to transfer and commit without testing the NBA Draft waters was a surprise, as Stirtz built himself up as a legitimate NBA prospect, with some even mocking the junior in the first round. He’s established himself as a crafty and cerebral guard capable of running an offense. There weren’t a lot of players in the country that displayed the shooting ability Stirtz did, shooting 39.5% from deep, with smooth mechanics. His body control and footwork allow Stirtz to create adequate separation, leading to him creating for himself and teammates. Iowa is going through a program reset with the firing of Fran McCaffery and hiring of McCollum, and having the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year spearheading the roster should allow for a smooth transition, especially in a highly competitive BIG 10 conference.
St. John’s coach Rick Pitino has become notorious for weaponizing the portal to build competitive teams, landing one of the best guards, Kadary Richmond, last season. Pitino and the Johnnies remained consistent with last offseason, landing forward Bryce Hopkins from Providence. This was Hopkins' third time in the portal, with him looking to obtain a medical red-shirt after missing the 2024-25 season with a knee injury. When healthy, Hopkins does an incredible job using his size and length to bruise on the inside and punish opponents downhill, shooting 64.5% at the rim in the 2023-24 season. He’s a hard-nosed rebounder who uses his physical advantage to box out and snag boards. His outside shooting has been wildly inconsistent, going from a three-point percentage of 36.4% in 2023 to 18.9% in 2024. St John's looks like it will have an all-conference frontcourt next season, pairing Hopkins with star center Zuby Ejiofor. If Hopkins can return to his 2023-24 form, he will have one of the largest impacts out of any transfer.
