News/Commentary

NIL and the Transfer Portal - What a Headache

May 29, 2024 by CollegeFootballPoll.com Staff

October 15, 2018. A day that will be marked in infamy as the embarkation on the destruction of high school recruiting for any sport, but especially for basketball.

Why does that apply to NCAA basketball, more so than football? It's simply a matter of numbers. Instead of gambling your recruiting on a 16- or 17-year-old kid, you can pluck the best 19- to 23-year-olds out of the portal. You can fill holes that need to be filled immediately with exactly the type of player you're looking for. And in basketball, you generally only need to take this move with 2-4 players.

Good luck trying to predict where your team will finish in the 2024-25 season.

Furthermore, if you want to completely reshape your team, or just look to improve it the following year, you can go right back to the portal and essentially trade player for player. Blame Deion Sanders for this type of thinking, but it's quickly becoming widespread - either out of choice, or necessity.

Long gone are the days of recruiting a basketball player and honing their skills to the head coach's style of play over four years.

Unfortunately, the portal is flush with mid-level players who ill-advisedly jump ship, lose their scholarship, and drop off the radar entirely. We've taken the much more focused path of old-school recruiting and surrendered to a wild west form of gambling. In this casino, the players, the parents, and the head coaches are all playing at the same table. And NIL collectives are in the game, too, acting as agents to get the best deals for the top players. Fortunately in basketball, the players can move into the NBA Draft after a single season (one-and-done) so it doesn't really become the revolving door that we've seen with quarterbacks.

In college, it's become more of a numbers game, and a pain in the you-know-what. Here is a look at just one school's almost daily hassle of dealing with life in the days of the NIL and the transfer portal.

Since the end of the 2023-24 season in which Virginia Tech went 19-15 overall, and 10-10 in the ACC, coach Mike Young has had to first lament an exodus of players, and then pivot to land a much improved roster. While you're reading this list, taken from VTScoops on 247 Sports, see if you don't ask yourself the same question that we asked ourselves - why on Earth would you want to be a college basketball coach?

TRANSFER PORTAL TIMELINE

Saturday, May 11 -

  • Virginia Tech earns a commitment from Duke Transfer G Jaden Schutt

Monday, May 6 - 

  • Virginia Tech F John Camden commits to Delaware
  • Virginia Tech lands a commitment from three-star point guard Ben Hammond

Monday, April 29 - 

  • Virginia Tech G Jordan Ivy-Curry decommits

Friday, April 26 - 

  • Virginia Tech earns a commitment from VCU transfer F Tobi Lawal

Wednesday, April 24 - 

  • Virginia Tech earns a commitment from Temple transfer G Hysier Miller
  • Virginia Tech G Sean Pedulla commits to Ole Miss

Tuesday, April 23 - 

  • G Sean Pedulla announces he will not return to Virginia Tech next season.

Monday, April 15 - 

  • Virginia Tech earns a commitment from California transfer G Rodney Brown Jr.

Wednesday, April 10 -

  • Virginia Tech has contacted North Texas transfer CJ Noland (G 6-4, 215 | Jr. | 10.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.0 APG)
  • Temple transfer Hysier Miller will visit Virginia Tech on April 19
  • Former Virginia Tech Hokies G/F Tyler Nickel has committed to Vanderbilt

Tuesday, April 9 - 

  • Virginia Tech has contacted UC Irvine transfer Derin Saran (G 6-4, 190 | Fr. | 10.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.6 APG)
  • Virginia Tech has contacted High Point transfer Duke Miles (G 6-3, 182 | Jr. | 17.4 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.6 APG)
  • Virginia Tech has contacted Georgia transfer Jalen Deloach (F 6-9, 220 | Jr. | 3.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 0.7 APG)

Monday, April 8 - 

  • Virginia Tech has contacted Dayton transfer Kobe Elvis (G 6-2, 180 | Jr. | 9.4 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.5 APG)

Friday, April 5 - 

  • Virginia Tech Hokies Center Patrick Wessler announces he will be staying on the roster for next season

Wednesday, April 3 - 

  • Charleston Transfer Ben Burnham has committed to Virginia Tech 

Tuesday, April 2 - 

  • UTSA Transfer Jordan Ivy-Curry has committed to Virginia Tech
  • ECU transfer Brandon Johnson has Virginia Tech in his Top-6 (F 6-8, 210 | Jr. | 14.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.6 APG) *committed to Miami
  • Virginia Tech has contacted Iowa State transfer Jelani Hamilton (G 6-5, 195 | Fr. | DNP, Redshirt)
  • Virginia Tech has contacted Maryland transfer Jamie Kaiser Jr. (F 6-6, 205 | Fr. | 4.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.2 APG)
  • Virginia Tech has contacted Southern New Hampshire (D2) transfer Matt Becht (G 6-4, 185 | Gr. | 16.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.5 APG)
  • Virginia Tech has contacted Colorado - Mesa transfer Trevor Baskin (F 6-9, 200 | R-Jr. | 18.2 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.9 APG)
  • Temple transfer Hysier Miller listed Virginia Tech in his Top-4 (G 6-1, 190 | Jr. | 15.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.6 RPG)

Monday, April 1 - 

  • Virginia Tech has contacted Texas Tech transfer Robert Jennings (F 6-7, 225 | So. | 4.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 0.5 APG)

Sunday, March 31 - 

  • Virginia Tech has contacted Appalachian State transfer Terence Harcum (G 6-3, 190 | Jr. | 12.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.0 APG)

Saturday, March 30 - 

  • Mylyjael Poteat announces he has withdrawn from the transfer portal and will return to Virginia Tech 

Friday, March 29 - 

  • Virginia Tech has contacted Central-Arkansas transfer Tucker Anderson (F 6-9, 190 | Fr. | 14.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.5 APG)

Thursday, March 28 - 

  • Center/Forward Lynn Kidd has committed to Miami
  • Guard/Forward Tyler Nickel has officially entered the NCAA Transfer Portal
  • Virginia Tech has contacted/set up a Zoom with UTSA transfer Jordan Ivy-Curry (G 6-3, 175 | Jr. | 17.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.0 APG)*commited to VT
  • Virginia Tech has contacted UC San Diego transfer Bryce Pope (G 6-3, 185 | Sr. | 18.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.9 APG)
  • Virginia Tech has contacted Iowa transfer Tony Perkins (G 6-4, 205 | Sr. | 14.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.6 APG)
  • Virginia Tech has contacted Belmont transfer Cade Tyson (G/F 6-7, 205 | So. | 16.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.6 APG)
  • Virginia Tech has contacted San Diego transfer Wayne McKinney (G 6-0, 190 | Jr. | 13.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.9 APG)

Wednesday, March 27 - 

  • Guard Sean Pedulla is entering the NCAA Transfer Portal
  • Guard MJ Collins has officially entered the NCAA Transfer Portal
  • Forward Mylyjael Poteat has officially entered the NCAA Transfer Portal
  • Virginia Tech has contacted Arizona State transfer Frankie Collins (G 6-1, 185 | Jr. | 13.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.2 APG)
  • Virginia Tech has contacted Chattanoga transfer Sam Alexis (F 6-9, 230 | So. | 10.8 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.8 APG)
  • Virginia Tech has contacted Northern Kentucky transfer Marques Warrick (G 6-2, 185 | Sr. | 19.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.4 APG)
  • Virginia Tech has contacted Vanderbilt transfer Jason Rivera Torres (G 6-6, 180 | Fr. | 6.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.6 APG)

Tuesday, March 26 - 

  • Forward John Camden has officially entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.
  • Center/Forward Lynn Kidd has officially entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.
  • Virginia Tech has contacted Toldeo transfer Dante Maddox (G 6-2, 195 | Jr. | 15.6PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.8 APG)
  • Virginia Tech has contacted ECU transfer Brandon Johnson (F 6-8, 210 | Jr. | 14.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.6 APG)
  • Virginia Tech has contacted Hofstra transfer Jaquan Carlos (G 6-0, 170 | Jr. | 10.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 6.3 APG)
  • Virginia Tech has contacted Miami transfer Michael Nwoko (C 6-10, 245 | Fr. | 2.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.1 APG)

Monday, March 25 - 

  • Virginia Tech has contacted Kent State transfer Voncameron Davis (F 6-5, 229 | Jr. | 13.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.4 APG)

Sunday, March 24 - 

  • Former Virginia Tech guard Rodney Rice commits to Maryland

Saturday, March 23 - 

  • Virginia Tech has contacted St. Louis transfer Gibson Jimerson (G 6-5, 215 | Jr. | 15.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.1 APG)
  • Virginia Tech has contacted Furman transfer JP Pegues (G 6-1, 185 | Jr. | 18.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 4.8 APG)

Tuesday, March 19 - 

  • Virginia Tech has contacted Belmont transfer Ja'Kobi Gillespie (G 6-1, 180 | So. | 17.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 4.2 APG) *Committed to Maryland 3/27/24

Monday, March 18 -

  • Virginia Tech Guard Rodney Rice officially enters the NCAA Transfer Portal
  • The Transfer Portal Window officially opens.
  • Virginia Tech has contacted Coastal Carolina transfer Jacob Meyer (G 6-2, 195 | Fr. | 15.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.6 APG)

Sunday, March 17 - 

  • Virginia Tech has contacted Central Arkansas transfer Camren Hunter (G 6-3, 200 | Jr. | 16.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.9 APG)

Saturday, March 16 - 

  • Virginia Tech has contacted UT Martin transfer Jacob Crews (F 6-8, 210 | Jr. | 19.1 PPG, 8.2 RPG)
  • Virginia Tech has contacted Furman transfer Marcus Foster (G 6-4, 200 | R-Sr. | 17.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG) *Committed to Xavier 3/27/24

Friday, March 15 -

  • G Rodney Rice announces intention to enter NCAA Transfer Portal.