Category: Men’s college basketball

With Hunter Dickinson’s return, Kansas has college basketball’s best roster

Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks have made key additions in the transfer portal, and Hunter Dickinson’s return makes them the top team in the sport.

Kansas basketball star Hunter Dickinson confirmed on social media Friday he will return to the Jayhawks for the 2024-25 college basketball season, his final year of eligibility.

Dickinson was an All-American second teamer last year after averaging 17.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in Lawrence, having spent the previous three seasons at Michigan.

Kansas was bounced prior to the Sweet 16 by Gonzaga in March, but they are now set to return four of their six leading scorers – Dickinson, KJ Adams, Dajuan Harris, and Elmarko Jackson – and have already made major transfer portal additions.

The most notable is Wisconsin guard AJ Storr, a potential All-American brought in to help replace Kevin McCullar Jr, but Bill Self also went out and landed Riley Kugel from Florida, Zeke Mayo from South Dakota State, and most recently Rylan Griffen from Alabama.

The Jayhawks have a fantastic group of talented players on paper, but putting all the pieces together will be Self’s responsibility to ensure this team reaches their full potential – especially with Baylor, Houston, and Iowa State all boasting incredibly talented rosters of their own.

One thing is for sure: Big 12 basketball will once again be the cream of the crop in the 2024-25 season.

Latest trend proves this skill is most coveted in college basketball transfer portal

The pursuit of Mason Gillis and Koby Brea in the transfer portal proves college basketball’s three point revolution is in full swing.

For the majority of college basketball’s history, a four-year role player in the Big Ten who never averaged more than seven points per game wouldn’t be praised as a big time addition for the Duke Blue Devils.

Likewise, a guard who didn’t start in the A-10 wouldn’t get the opportunity to choose between the following five schools for his final year of eligibility: Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, and UConn.

However, both Mason Gillis and Koby Brea possess a skill so valuable in today’s game that it feels like we are looking at college basketball’s ‘Moneyball’ moment:

“They hit three point shots”.

Gillis is a 6’6 forward who drilled 40.7% of his three point attempts over four years at Purdue, including knocking them down at a 46.8% clip last season, and he will come in and provide much needed floor spacing, veteran experience, and toughness for this Duke team as they prepare to build around Tyrese Proctor and freshman Cooper Flagg in 2024-25.

Meanwhile, Brea averaged 11.1 points on blistering hot 49.8% shooting from beyond the arc last year at Dayton, attempting over six threes per game. He is now choosing between five of the sports bluest blue bloods, and regardless of where he ends up he will be a key piece for one of the most recognizable teams in college basketball – all because of his ability to hit the three ball.

The NBA has embraced the three point revolution and many college programs are catching on, and as long as this trend continues players who can consistently stretch the floor and hit open threes will remain hot commodities in the transfer portal and NIL era.

Wisconsin basketball in heavy pursuit of former four-star recruit

Wisconsin basketball in heavy pursuit of former four-star recruit

Wisconsin basketball is in heavy pursuit of former UMass guard Matt Cross, according to Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68.

Wisconsin is among the programs Cross is hearing the most from at this stage of recruitment along with Iowa, TCU and USC. Cross recently elected to enter the transfer portal on the April 16.

Related: Tracking Wisconsin basketball’s reported transfer portal visits and targets

The Beverly, Massachusetts native played his freshman campaign at the University of Miami where he shot 40% from downtown in 14 appearances for the Hurricanes. 

After transferring to Louisville for his sophomore season, Cross then landed at UMass for his junior year — where he has been a staple for the past two years. The nation’s former No. 86 recruit in ESPN 100 earned Atlantic 10 First-Team and NABC All-District Selections for a stellar senior performance. 

His 15.3-point, 8.3-rebound marks this past season vaulted him into the No. 36 small forward spot on 247sports transfer rankings. 

Outside UMass, Cross originally received offers from UConn, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Miami and Tulane following his final year at Brewster Academy. He left high school as 247Sports’ No. 5 prospect in Massachusetts. 

With the departures of AJ Storr, Chucky Hepburn, Tyler Wahl and Conor Essegian, Wisconsin is certainly in need of a replacement at power forward. Cross’s length and veteran savvy could bridge that gap.

Cross is yet to make any transfer decision.

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Oregon named as top school for Villanova transfer guard TJ Bamba

TJ Bamba, a fifth-year senior guard in the transfer portal, has named the Oregon Ducks as one of his top six schools.

After losing several key rotation players to the transfer portal, Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team now have a chance to bring in a key piece from the portal. According to a report from 24/7 High School Hoops, TJ Bamba, a fifth-year senior guard, has narrowed his search to six schools, one of which is Oregon.

Since the end of the 2023-24 season, the Ducks have lost guards Kario Oquendo and Brennan Risgby to the transfer portal, and Vyctorious Miller, an incoming recruit, was released from his letter of intent. Oregon is also losing star guard Jermaine Couisnard this offseason since he is out of eligibility, leaving the Ducks without much guard depth.

Bamba has experience playing on the West Coast. Before transferring to Villanova last season, Bamba played three seasons with the Washington State Cougars. With the Wildcats last year, Bamba was second in scoring, averaging 10.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. All four years of Bamba’s college career have been full seasons, leaving him with just his Covid-year of eligibility.

At 6’5″ and 208 lbs., Bamba has good size for a guard, which helps him get downhill and finish through contact at the rim. Bamba also shoots the ball efficiently from the perimeter, especially when moving off the ball, looking for catch-and-shoot attempts.

One of the guards who is returning for Oregon in the fall is Jackson Shelstad, who already seems like the Ducks’ next star. As a freshman, Shelstad averaged 12.8 points per game and scored 20+ points five times. If Bamba chooses Oregon, he and Shelstad could be a dangerous duo in the backcourt, especially with Bamba’s affinity for moving off the ball to get open for threes.

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Kansas adds third marquee transfer in former Wisconsin guard AJ Storr

The Kansas Jayhawks added Wisconsin transfer guard AJ Storr to an already elite transfer portal class for Bill Self.

An early exit in the NCAA Tournament, along with a handful of NBA departures, had the Kansas Jayhawks a bit in flux at the conclusion of the 2023-24 college basketball season.

However, the rebuild has swiftly gotten underway. After already securing portal commitments from Florida guard Riley Kugel and South Dakota State’s Zeke Mayo, Bill Self’s team landed a huge fish in Wisconsin guard AJ Storr, thought by many to be the top player in the portal, who committed to the Jayhawks on Thursday afternoon.

Storr began his college career at St. John’s in 2022-23, averaging 8.8 points while shooting 40.4% from three, but after a coaching change Storr entered the portal and landed at Wisconsin for his sophomore year – where he exploded as a scorer by averaging 16.8 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 48.3% on twos and 32% from the three point line.

The 6’6 wing is now on his third college program after playing at four different high schools, but the talent is undeniable and he should help the Jayhawks replace both Kevin McCullar Jr and Johnny Furphy, who are headed to the NBA.

Zvonimir Ivisic first transfer portal addition for John Calipari at Arkansas

Former Kentucky sophomore big man Zvonimir Ivisic is transferring to Arkansas to follow coach John Calipari.

The first big domino of the Kentucky coaching change fell on Monday afternoon when Croatian big man Zvonimir Ivisic announced he is transferring to Arkansas to follow coach John Calipari.

Ivisic entered the transfer portal over the weekend and has now become the first player to leave the Wildcats following the hiring of Mark Pope as head coach, and the first Kentucky player to officially follow Calipari to Fayetteville.

“I made the lifetime decision to come to college for [a] few reasons,” Ivisic wrote on social media. “Main ones to win a national championship and go to the NBA. Monumental part of that decision was coach Cal, and no one does both of those at the same time than him. That’s why I am excited to announce that I am committing to coach Cal and Arkansas Razorbacks.”

‘Big Z’ didn’t suit up for Kentucky until January 20 due to NCAA issues, but in his first five minutes of college basketball action the 7’2 big man dropped 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two blocks while going 3/3 from the three point line against Georgia.

He never quite found that level of dominance again, finishing his freshman campaign averaging 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks.

It’s no surprise to see Ivisic follow Calipari, who recruited him overseas and tirelessly worked to get him eligible last year. He becomes Cal’s first addition at Arkansas and should play a big role for the Hogs in his second season.

Meanwhile, Kentucky continues to see defections following Calipari’s departure and the hiring of Pope, although the new coach has been active in trying to rebuild a roster that earned a three seed last year before once again losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Former New Jersey five-star DJ Wagner is in the transfer portal

Former five-star Dj Wagner is set to enter the transfer portal after one season at Kentucky.

DJ Wagner entered the transfer portal on Monday following one season at Kentucky. The loss of Wagner is the latest exodus from Kentucky following John Calipari’s departure from the program.

Calipari, the head coach who recruited Wagner to Kentucky, left last week to become head coach at Arkansas. The legendary Calipari recruited Wagner, a five-star guard from Camden High School (Camden, New Jersey).

He was the sixth-ranked recruit in the nation in the class of 2023 per Rivals.

Wagner was a McDonald’s All-American in high school. He averaged 9.9 points and 3.3 assists per game last year as a freshman at Kentucky.

There is certainly speculation that Wagner could join Calipari at Arkansas, a natural fit it would seem for both parties.

A 6-foot-4 combo guard, Wagner is a good distributor of the ball and an effective shooter. He shot 40.5 percent from the floor as a freshman.

As for Rutgers, it is doubtful there would be much interest. With a five-star guard coming in and Rutgers boasting a deep backcourt that includes Jeremiah Williams and Eastern Michigan transfer Tyson Acuff (21.7 points per game last year, which ranks eighth in the nation).

Dylan Harper, a five-star guard fresh off being Co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game, is expected to start for Rutgers this season.

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And there is also Jamichael Davis, who flashed plenty of times as a true freshman, scoring 5.6 points per game in 31 appearances.

Wagner was not offered by Rutgers coming out of high school.

Kentucky loses multiple commitments following Calipari departure

Kentucky’s 2024 class looks a bit different today than it did a week ago.

To keep things simple, this past week has certainly been a crazy one for the Kentucky Wildcats basketball program.

After news broke Sunday night that long-time head coach John Calipari was leaving Kentucky for the same position with the Arkansas Razorbacks, the attention then turned to the Wildcats 2023-24 roster, which has begun to change as well.

This has included star freshman Rob Dillingham declaring for the 2024 NBA draft, while forward Aaron Bradshaw has since entered the transfer portal.

However, where Calipari’s departure has likely been felt most is with the Wildcats 2024 recruiting class, which certainly looks significantly different now than it did a week ago.

Kentucky’s 2024 class entered the week among the best in college basketball, but have seen three signees – Jayden Quaintance, Karter Knox, and Somto Cyril – be granted their releases from NLIs to re-open their recruitments. All three are considered as top 50 prospects in the class, with Quaintance and Knox both being rated as five-star recruits.

As for what remains in Kentucky’s class, the Wildcats still have two signees in Boogie Fland and Travis Perry, as well as another commitment in Billy Richmond. Of the three, both Fland and Richmond are considered as five-star prospects.

Will the departures continue for the Wildcats, and if so, could some of these names potentially follow Calipari to Arkansas?

Former Texas A&M men’s basketball player becomes back-to-back national champion at UConn

Hassan Diarra officially hit the individual jackpot by parlaying a spot on the Aggies bench into becoming a back-to-back national champion.

On Monday night in Arizona, a former Texas A&M men’s basketball player officially hit the individual jackpot by parlaying a spot on the Aggies bench into becoming a back-to-back national champion.

After two seasons in College Station, guard Hassan Diarra entered the transfer portal in 2022 and eventually chose the University of Connecticut as his next home. Choosing to play for Dan Hurley and the Huskies was ultimately a wise one as Diarra won his second consecutive title earlier this week.

In 13 minutes of action, Diarra tallied 9 points on 4-of-6 field goal attempts and 1-of-2 from 3-point range with 2 rebounds. In a battle of top seeds, UConn beat Purdue 75-60.

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Despite being in his fourth collegiate season, Diarra has the option to return to school for one more year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It appears very likely that he joins his peer, women’s hoops star Paige Bueckers, in coming back for one more year with the Huskies.

Diarra’s most memorable moment in Aggieland came during the 2022 SEC Tournament second round when he hit an overtime game-winner against Florida.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

John Calipari officially announced as new Arkansas head coach

The Arkansas Razorbacks have officially named their new head coach.

After news broke a few nights ago that he would be leaving Lexington for Fayetteville, John Calipari has now been officially named the newest head basketball coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Calipari, who comes from the Kentucky Wildcats, replaces former Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman, who left Fayetteville for the same position with the USC Trojans earlier this month.

The long-time Kentucky coach has spent the past 15 seasons in Lexington where he held a combined 533-410 record as the head coach of the Wildcats. During that span, Calipari was a multi-time SEC Coach of the Year and won a national championship in 2011-12 season.

However, Calipari has struggled in recent years when it comes to the NCAA Tournament, even despite having made the Big Dance each of the last three years. This has included a pair of round of 64 exits, as well as once in the round of 32.

Calipari is also coming off a 2023-24 season in which he led the Wildcats to a 23-10 record. They were bounced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Oakland.

Looking ahead, Calipari now takes over an Arkansas program that finished this past season at 16-17 overall and 6-12 in SEC play. Arkansas has also made the NCAA Tournament three of the last four years, headlined by Elite Eight appearances in two of those seasons.

Will John Calipari now bring his past success on both the basketball court and recruiting trail to Fayetteville?