The best of the college basketball transfer portal, volume 2

Exploring another relatively quiet week in the college basketball transfer portal.

The madness of “free agency” has mostly died down after months of rapid activity in the college basketball transfer portal. Although Chris Mack and the Louisville basketball program still have two scholarships remaining, most teams at the power level have filled most of their scholarships. That’s left players entering the portal with fewer choices to pick from, thus leading to fewer commitments and fewer transfers.

There was still movement this week worth keeping an eye on as a few players made final decisions on the NBA Draft, cut their final list of schools, entered the portal, or even re-entered the portal.

Fans are beginning to ask a few more questions of Mack regarding the vacant assistant coaching position, while continue to wonder about how the final two spots will be used. There are a ton of questions that need answering including, who will the hire be? Will he have recruiting ties to a player available? Will Mack even use the scholarships? Can Louisville land a guard or big man?

Hopefully, this is the week we get some answers. But until then, here’s the updated transfer portal big board for those interested in keeping up with who is available.

Tier 1 –

1. Remy Martin – Arizona State (New)
2. Tre Mitchell – UMass
3. Bryce Thompson – Kansas
4. Quincy Guerrier – Syracuse (New)
5. Marcus Bagley – Arizona State (New)
6. Bryce Hamilton – UNLV (Up 1)

Dropped from top 5: Marcus Carr (NBA Draft)

New additions: Remy Martin (Arizona State), Quincy Guerrier (Syracuse), Marcus Bagley (Arizona State), Bryce Hamilton (UNLV)

**Updated @ 2:30 PM, 5/11/21**

• “Hurry up and publish this before anything changes” is what I said before something changed. Shortly after sharing with the masses, there was big news that will shake up the portal once again. After three seasons as an All-Pac-12 guard, Remy Martin of Arizona State is looking for a new home. The only thing better than Martin’s lettuce is his game. For the second season in a row, Martin averaged over 19 points and 3 assists per game, leading the Sun Devils in both categories. Martin instantly becomes the top player available. Does Louisville get involved? Probably not. Louisville seems locked in with Jarrod West and El Ellis at point guard. Should they? Easy answer – yes. Losing Carlik Jones is a big deal. Remy Martin would be an equal replacement or even an upgrade. My early prediction is Kansas.

• Guerrier and Bagley were both in the portal when I wrote last week’s college basketball transfer portal, but I seemingly glossed over them. Guerrier is a guy Louisville fans are familiar with having played two seasons at Syracuse, averaging 13 and 8 this past season. He’s hearing from a ton of big schools, including the fellas down the street. Bagley is a former five-star recruit and the younger brother of former Dukie, Marvin Bagley III. The freshman averaged 11 points and 6 rebounds but only played in 12 games total. He’s another guy who has a toe in both waters, testing the NBA Draft and entering his name in the portal. Just to be clear, Louisville won’t have interest in either guy simply because of the log jam at the three and four positions.

• There was no significant news in tier one until Marcus Carr announced he was staying in the NBA Draft and hiring an agent. That moves Tre Mitchell to the top spot. Mitchell and Bryce Thompson’s recruitment seems to have gone quiet. Spots are filling up quickly so it’ll be interesting to see what happens with the three top players remaining. Bryce Hamilton of UNLV also moves into the top tier and is continuing to field offers from a variety of programs. Don’t think Louisville gets involved with anyone here.

• Arizona State didn’t make the tournament in 2020 with a five star guard and two of the top available players in the portal. Hurley is without question entering the season on the hot seat.

Tier 2 –

1. Shavir Wheeler – Georgia (Up 1)
2. Michael Durr – South Florida/Virginia Tech (New)
3. Brandon Mahan – Central Florida (New)
4. Alterique Gilbert – Wichita State (Down 1)
5. Darryl Morsell – Maryland (Down 1)
6. Brandon Johnson – Minnesota (Down 1)

Dropped from top: Bryce Hamilton – UNLV (Moved to tier 1)

New additions: Michael Durr (Va Tech decommit), Brandon Mahan (Central Florida)

• There were no commitments from guys in “tier 2,” but we did see Georgia point guard Sahvir Wheeler cut his list to four schools and a commitment is imminent. Not to make this a UK thing, but it seems like they are either going to land Wheeler or five-star 2021 recruit TyTy Washington soon. We also saw an ACC big man transfer go back into the transfer portal, backing off his initial commitment.

• Michael Durr’s decommitment from Virginia Tech may be the “biggest” news out of the college transfer portal this week. After pledging to play for Mike White and Va Tech a few weeks back, Durr said thanks, but no thanks, and will once again look for a new home. Up until his commitment, I thought Durr was the most reasonable big man target for a team that still may need another capable big. At 7’0, he reminds me of a bigger Steven Enoch. He’s a big who can run the floor AND score around the rim with his back to the basket. And he’s also a really nice offensive rebounder. Yes, post moves still matter and Durr is a guy capable of scoring at the ACC level in a 4-out-1-in style of offense.

We gonna show em what out the mud looks like! 😤 @mikeprobound #respecttheprocess💪🏾‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/9CpWt4NlEz

— Coach J Holland (@j___holland) April 16, 2020

• The second “new” addition to the board is former Central Florida guard Brandon Mahan. He entered the portal last week after two seasons, earning third-team All-AAC this past year. He averaged 12 points per game (second to Darius Perry) and 5 rebounds (led the team) and scored an incredible 32-points against FSU early in the season. He’s more of a traditional wing than he is a guard, so it’s unlikely to see Louisville get involved. However, he can play the two and at 6’5 he’d give the Cards another big, versatile guard. Also, can’t forget to mention he’s a 37% career 3point shooter.

Tier 3 –

1. Te’Jon Lucas – Milwaukee
2. Rocket Watts – Michigan State
3. Sardaar Calhoun – Florida State (New)
4. Aaron Cook – Gonzaga (Down 1)
5. Collin Smith – Central Florida (Down 1)
6. Steffon Mitchell – Boston College (Down 1)

Dropped from top: n/a

New additions: Sardaar Calhoun (FSU)

• There is one new addition to the tier 3 group this week and no new commits. BC big man Steffon Mitchell was the only player to present a list of finalists, meaning a commitment could be soon. Though he wasn’t on the list last week, Pelle Larsson would’ve been this week if not for committing to Arizona following entering the college basketball transfer portal. Presley wrote about why he would’ve been such a great fit.

• I still find it so hard to believe that Rocket Watts is still out there. I know a number of schools are waiting to see what happens with the big fish like Carr, Thompson, Hamilton, and others. He was a hot commodity coming out of high school, and though things didn’t go great at Michigan State, you’d think he’d be wanted by coaches. I still say he’d be a nice fit here.

• The new addition comes by way of the ACC. Sardaar Calhoun was a JUCO All-American at Missouri State-West Plains before transferring into Florida State. In one season as a Seminole, Calhoun was relegated to a bench role but was a consistent contributor. The stats aren’t great – as he averaged just 5..3 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game. However, he was easily FSU’s best defender in the backcourt and made multiple highlight plays that showed just how good he could be. Thanks to the NCAA’s waiver, Calhoun will get two more seasons and could be a star at his next landing spot. His athleticism, toughness, size, length, 3-point shooting (Shot 40% at FSU), versatility, and defensive capabilities could make him a prime target for Mack. We talk a lot about transfers and who UofL should get. But if you’re just looking at a prototypical Mack guard – Calhoun fits the description. He’s entered the NBA Draft, has the ability to return to FSU, and is in the portal, so this may be a waiting game.

Sardaar Calhoun's dunks 😤 😤

Malik Osborne's reaction 😂 😂 pic.twitter.com/8NKPXXHVuC

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) January 28, 2021

New: The high school and JUCO ranks

We’ve talked a lot about the college basketball transfer portal here while completely neglecting who is left in the high school and JUCO ranks. Last season Mack landed Gabe Wiznitzer late in the process after his prep-school team cancelled their season. While the circumstances will 100% look different, Mack may surprise us all and go the high school route or even look at JUCO players.

1. TyTy Washington – Chandler, AZ – Five Star (Creighton decommit)
2. Nolan Hickman – Mount Pleasant, UT – Four Star (Kentucky decommit)
3. Trey Alexander – Oklahoma CIty, OK – Four Star (Auburn decommit)

• After Marcus Carr declared for the NBA Draft it appears the path is set for five-star guard and Creighton decommit, TyTy Washington to commit to Kentucky.

• Nolan Hickman and Trey Alexander theoretically are two four-star guards UofL could express interest in. Hickman was a Kentucky decommit (at the time it seemed strange, now it makes more sense), who is starting to see his recruitment gain steam again. By all accounts, he was a stand-out at the Iverson Classic. It appears a commitment is coming soon and my guess would be Gonzaga, Washington, or even Kansas after his dad said he “thinks” he’ll stay local.

• Alexander is another recent decommit, who said he backed off his Auburn pledge because the staff “didn’t keep their word.” He is the #1 player in the state of Oklahoma and was a dynamic scorer last season, averaging over 23 points a game. Louisville could use another guard with Carlik Jones officially leaving for the NBA and two upper-classmen being brought it. Alexander is a 6’4 combo guard who is a more than capable scorer. In terms of what’s on the roster, I personally believe he’d be a better fit than Bobby Pettiford, who recently de-committed from Louisville and chose Kansas. I have zero understanding of what Mack wants to do, whether it be adding an experienced player or a development piece. Maybe someday we’ll find out.