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College Basketball Transfer Portal Updates: News from Opening Day – 247Sports
Monday signals the opening of college basketball’s transfer portal –– otherwise known as the sport’s Pandora’s box. Coaches throughout the country are juggling a ton of responsibility right now. Delegating a staff to retain top talent and scan the transfer portal for the right fit is a key priority for correct roster-building. Oh, and toss in the fact that 68 teams are preparing for the NCAA Tournament, 32 more are in the NIT and 16 others will compete in the CBI. A total of 116 coaching staffs have to handle the transfer portal while also prepping for March Madness.
For a comprehensive guide to the basketball transfer portal, check out colleague Isaac Trotter’s work here. And for a database-view update of players entering and how we view them, check that out here per 247Sports.
In this article, which will be replicated every day during this initial burst, we’re going to drop in the top-level portal entries of the day, along with news and notes.
From my friend Sherrell McMillan at the great Inside Carolina:
North Carolina freshman forward Tyler Nickel is entering the transfer portal, a source confirmed to Inside Carolina on Monday evening.
Nickel appeared in 25 games during UNC’s 2022-23 season, averaging 2.1 points (37.5 FG%, 22.2 3pt%) and 0.6 rebounds per game. He scored a career-high 16 points against The Citadel on Dec. 13, 2022. In UNC’s 22 games that followed, Nickel logged a total of 76 minutes and scored 18 combined points.
A 6-foot-7 wing from Elkton (Va.) East Rockingham, Nickel saw double-digit minutes in three other games this season.
Nickel was the No. 90 prospect in the 2022 class.
Senior Tar Heels forward Justin McCoy also entered the transfer portal on Monday evening.
Central Michigan freshman Reggie Bass has entered the transfer portal. A former Illinois commit, Bass was the MAC Freshman of the Year after averaging 12.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Bass is from Muncie, Indiana.
Robert Jennings, a former three-star recruit in the 2022 class, has entered the transfer portal, 247Sports has learned.
He is the third Red Raider to hit the portal since the departure of head coach Mark Adams.
In high school, Jennings committed to Texas Tech over Utah, another high major school that was in heavy pursuit.
He averaged 2.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.1 assists this season, seeing action in 30 games.
Texas Tech has now lost Jennings along with Fardaws Aimaq and Elijah Fisher to transfer.
From my colleague Eric Bossi:
“We don’t expect [top-rated] Notre Dame transfer guard JJ Starling to stay in the portal too long and a leader for his services has been emerging behind the scenes. In fact, I’m placing a Crystal Ball prediction in favor of Syracuse newly named head coach Adrian Autry.”
TCU big man Eddie Lampkin Jr. left the team last week and has officially hit the transfer portal. Lampkin averaged 6.3 point and 5.9 rebounds in 2022-23, a mildly disappointing season after a breakthrough effort for the 6-foot-11 prospect a year prior. We’ve given Lampkin an 89 rating.
JJ Starling, the No. 22 overall recruit in the 2022 class, has entered the transfer portal, 247Sports has learned.
Starling averaged 11.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists this season. He’s from Baldwinsville (NY) and previously committed to the Fighting Irish over Syracuse, Northwestern, Stanford and Duke.
We’ve given Starling a rating of 97, making him the best prospect in the portal — for now.
Even though Illinois’ season is still ongoing with a first-round date against Arkansas, former 4-star prospect Skyy Clark (No. 32 in the 2022 247Sports rankings) is in the transfer portal and is planning a visit to Louisville this weekend, a source tells 247Sports. Arkansas has also been in contact.
We’ve given Clark a 92 rating as a transfer. He averaged seven points as a freshman for Illinois.
Notre Dame wing Robby Carmody has entered the transfer portal. Carmody is the first transfer out of Notre Dame since departure of Mike Brey. The 6-foot-4 small forward did not make an impact on the court in the 2022-23 season.
Winthrop guard Toneari Lane has entered the transfer portal. Lane averaged 10.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists this season.
Two of the top three scorers for Central Arkansas have entered the transfer portal in Camren Hunter and Collin Cooper. Hunter averaged 16.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Cooper averaged 10.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists. That’s a lot of production!
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