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The college basketball transfer portal may have closed Tuesday night, but that doesn't mean the movement has stopped or gotten less interesting.
- Guard Taj DeGourville transfers from San Diego State to Nebraska. I know nothing of this player but am intrigued because Fred Hoiberg has added him.
- Forward Okku Federiko transfers from Drake to Northwestern. I remember this name on Ben McCollum's last Drake team.
- Forward Jalen Reed transfers from LSU to Michigan. This move likely signals Morez Johnson is going pro. J.P. Estrella and Reed are not as foreboding as last season's Michigan frontline, though Dusty May will make it work quite well.
- Guard Curtis Givens transfers from Memphis to Ohio State. Buckeyes' Head Coach Jake Diebler has added a lot this portal offseason. It shall be interesting to see how good Ohio State is next season.
- UNLV guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn transfers from UNLV to Texas Tech. Here are my thoughts about the former Illini's latest move.
- Guard Pop Isaacs transfers from Texas A & M to Oklahoma. How many schools has Isaacs played for? How does he have any eligibility remaining?
- Guard Jalen Cox transfers from Colgate to USC. Certain Illinois fans wanted Brad Underwood to pivot off John Blackwell and add Cox, who will be a foe in the Big Ten now.
- Center Anton Bonke transfer from Charlotte to Michigan State. The 7'2'' big should be the replacement for Carson Cooper, unless he comes back via the "Five for Five."
- Guard LeJuan Watts transfers from Texas Tech to Washington. I feel like I've seen Watts' name in the portal the last three offseasons. This seems like a nice add for Danny Sprinkle, a coach I really like, who is in a tough spot at Washington.
- Guard Michael O'Connell enters the portal from N.C. State. O'Connell played in the G-League last season so I am not sure how this absurdity works. Don't get me wrong. I liked O'Connel at Stanford and N.C. State, where he helped lead the Wolfpack to a surprising Final Four run in 2024.
- Center Ernest Udeh Jr. enters the portal from Miami FL. I liked what I saw of Udeh and the Hurricanes in general during the NCAA Tournament. I believe Udeh is a guy hoping for a fifth-year of eligibility. If he gets it, he will be a great depth piece, though I am sure he is looking for more.
- Center Malick Diallo transfers from Kansas State to Loyola Chicago. Diallo only played one game for the Wildcats after suffering an ACL injury this season, though this seems like an intriguing addition for the Ramblers.
- Guard T.O. Barrett transfers from Missouri to Vanderbilt. Like Hoiberg, Mark Byington is a coach I trust when it comes to adding players.
- Power forward Taylor Bol Bowen transfers from Alabama to Oregon. Bol Bowen started for Alabama during the NCAA Tournament. This seems like a downward move for the forward. I just don't see Oregon as a place at the moment to get the best out of talented yet inconsistent players like Bol Bowen.
- Guard Jamarques Lawrence enters the portal from Nebraska. After leaving Nebraska for a season and returning last season, Lawrence was a key cog for the Cornhuskers. Does he have eligibility left?
- Forward Alvaro Folgueiras transfers from Iowa to Louisville. Folgueiras certainly had his March moments, but this seems like Louisiville is trying to just assemble names and see how it works.
- Forward Malique Ewin enters the portal from Arkansas. Ewin intrigued me during the NCAA Tournament, though he will need a waiver to play next year.
- Forward Paulius Murauskas transfers from St. Mary's to Arizona State. Randy Bennett got his former Gael after all, one of the top players in the entire portal.
- Guard John Blackwell transfers from Wisconsin to Duke. I saw this coming from Day One. Here are my thoughts in relation to the Illini.
- Forward Sebastian Williams-Adams transfers from Auburn to Vanderbilt. I feel like I am repeating myself, but I trust Byington's identification of talent.
- Guard Matt Able transfers from N.C. State to North Carolina. The Tar Heels get revenge for N.C. State taking Ven-Allen Lubin last season. UNC has made some interesting additions since hiring Mike Malone. I must admit that I like that the Tar Heels are not necessarily trying to just hit home runs but settling for doubles, with the additions of Able, Maxim Logue from FAU, and Terrence Brown from Utah very smart moves in my opinion.
- More seniors flood the portal hoping for the "Five for Five" to be alive. Jayden Epps from Mississippi State. Jalen Washington from Vanderbilt. RJ Godfrey from Clemson. Riley Kugel from UCF. Chendall Weaver and Jordan Pope from Texas. The aforementioned Ven-Allen Lubin from N.C. State.
- Forward Donnie Freeman transfers from Syracuse to St. John's. Rick Pitino sticks a dagger in the back of his former player Mark Pope, the embattled Kentucky Head Coach who was hoping to add Freeman.
- Luke Hunger transfers from George Washington to Boston College. Formerly of Northwestern, Hunger is going to a Boston College program that has added a lot in the portal under first-year Head Coach Luke Murray, the former UCONN assistant whom I think was one of the best coaching hires this cycle.
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