Tag: College Basketball Transfer Portal

Texas Basketball: Longhorns in the mix for two top transfer targets

Texas is among the top schools for two transfer portal targets. 

Texas basketball is among the top schools for two transfer portal targets.

Virginia center Kadin Shedrick has Texas in his top five schools, along with Duke, Kansas State, Missouri and Xavier. Rice point guard Quincy Olivari also named Texas as a finalist, with Auburn, Xavier and Miami in the running.

Shedrick played in 30 games for Virginia this past season, averaging 6.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-11 forward is fresh off a trip to Duke and is expected to visit Texas on April 18.

Olivari is an experienced guard with four seasons of college basketball under his belt. The Rice transfer is one of the top scoring threats in the portal, averaging 18.9 points per game.

Guard is a significant position of need entering the offseason. Texas lost Marcus Carr and Sir’Jabari Rice to graduation and awaits the status of Tyrese Hunter testing draft waters. Olivari fits the bill of what the Longhorns are looking for in its backcourt.

Rodney Terry is looking to capitalize off the momentum from this season and rebuild a roster ready to compete for a national title. Shedrick and Olivari are two players Terry believes can help the Longhorns in a significant way.

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Texas G Rowan Brumbaugh to enter transfer portal

Brumbaugh is the first Longhorn to hit the portal this offseason. 

Texas freshman guard Rowan Brumbaugh announced his intention to enter the NCAA transfer portal this week. He becomes the first Longhorn to hit the portal this offseason.

Brumbaugh is a former four-star prospect from the class of 2022. He spent his freshman season redshirting as Texas had a strong group of experienced guards ahead of him.

247Sports Composite listed Brumbaugh as the No. 89 player in the 2022 cycle. He was a late signing for Chris Beard and the Longhorns in Dec. of 2021 after flipping from Northwestern.

Brumbaugh entering the portal leaves Texas with Arterio Morris as the lone scholarship guard on the roster. Starting guard Tyrese Hunter is questionable to return as he tests NBA Draft waters. Rodney Terry will have to utilize the transfer portal and high school ranks to build his backcourt for next season.

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CBS Sports ranks the top basketball players in the transfer portal

The college basketball transfer portal is loaded with talent.

Texas head coach Rodney Terry has plenty of positions to fill following multiple departures from his Elite Eight roster. Fortunately for Terry, the transfer portal is not short on talented players looking for a change of scenery.

The Longhorns’ most pressing needs are well known. Texas needs scoring guards to replace the production Marcus Carr and Sir’Jabari Rice gave the team last year. In addition, they’ll need more height than the past two teams to combat the length of teams such as Purdue and Tennessee have had of late.

On Wednesday, CBS Sports gave an idea of some of the better players Texas could target in the portal. Here’s a look at their top 10 transfers for the 2023 offseason thus far.

Houston transfer guard Tramon Mark places Texas A&M in his list of final four schools

Houston transfer guard Tramon Mark has narrowed his list of schools down to the final four, and the Aggies are among the schools remaining.

The dust may have settled on the college basketball season, but for programs eyeing to cut down the nets in 2024, there is no rest for the weary. The transfer portal offers an opportunity for schools to bolster their roster and address any needs, and you can count Texas A&M among those set to be incredibly active.

The Aggies, in large part, will welcome back most of their roster and their starting five lineup that led them to a 25-10 record (15-3 SEC) last season. Of that five-man unit, only guard Dexter Dennis is confirmed to be departing following his final year of eligibility. Guard Tyrece “Boots” Radford hinted that the door for returning to College Station is still open, while Erik Pratt has reportedly entered the transfer portal.

The Maroon and White may be able to bolster their backcourt by welcoming the likes of Houston transfer guard Tramon Mark, who recently confirmed to On3 Sports that in addition to Arkansas, Florida, and Kansas State, the Aggies are among the list of his four remaining schools:

Mark spent three seasons with the Cougars and started all 37 games last season, averaging 10.1 PPG and 4.9 RPG on 39 percent shooting from the floor. He also displayed a knack for creating turnovers on the defensive end, as he averaged 1.0 steals per game in 2022.

The transfer guard was a four-star prospect in the Class of 2020 per 247Sports, and his creativity as a playmaker, coupled with his length and wingspan, would make him an effective two-way player for the Aggies. The Maroon and White are sure to miss Dennis’ size and defensive prowess (6-5, 210 lbs, 1.2 SPG), but if they can bring in the likes of Mark it would give Buzz Williams a great pairing to All-SEC guard Wade Taylor IV in the backcourt.

Similar to how Dennis brought experience to this young Aggies team last season, Mark’s 76 total game appearances (46 starts) could be just the right dose of a veteran presence to boost this team to the next level. He also has 14 games of postseason experience under his belt, including eight NCAA tournament appearances (9.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG).

Mark will reportedly make his decision in the next few days, and here’s hoping he likes the look of donning the Maroon and White next season. Adding a talent such as him could boost this program to another level and spearhead a hopeful deep postseason run in 2024.

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

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Is Texas A&M a potential landing spot for transfer portal guard Max Abmas?

The college basketball transfer portal welcomed its biggest name yet in Oral Roberts guard Max Abmas. Could College Station become his next home?

On Monday, College basketball’s transfer portal welcomed its biggest name yet in Oral Roberts guard Max Abmas, who broke out two years ago as the star of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. It’s not a stretch to say that every school in the country will reach out to the fifth-year player.

Should we be including Texas A&M in the conversation as a potential fit?

The Aggies will welcome back most of their starting five and a large part of their roster after their successful 2022-23 campaign, in which they went 25-10 (15-3 SEC) and earned an invite to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. A&M also appeared in the SEC Championship game for the second consecutive season.

Still, this basketball team would be wise to bolster its roster with more depth whenever the opportunity presents itself. For returning big man Julius Marble, that may mean having Abmas don the Maroon and White next season:

As GigEm247‘s Carter Karels aptly notes, Marble and Abmas know each other well from their high school days playing ball at Jesuit. For Abmas, making the leap in playing against SEC competition could be a bit easier when you have a familiar face alongside you.

The accolades for Abmas alone make bringing him to College Station a no-brainer. In the 2020-21 season, he led the nation in scoring (24.5 PPG) while shooting at a 43% clip from beyond the arc. He’s an all-around playmaker, having averaged 3.2 assists per game in four years at Oral Roberts, and as a career 38% three-point shooter he would give this Aggies team a major boost in that category.

Last season, A&M shot just 32.6% as a team from three (256th in the country). By adding a sharpshooter to the roster, the Aggies would add another layer to an offense that is spearheaded by All-SEC guard Wade Taylor IV, who is liable to make defenses pay when he attacks the rim.

Can you imagine the open lanes he’ll have when opponents are preoccupied with keeping tabs on Abmas from deep? That would be a sight to behold for Aggies fans and an absolute nightmare for the rest of the SEC.

However, pairing Abmas with Taylor would give the Aggies a relatively small backcourt, as the Oral Roberts guard is listed at 6-1 while Taylor himself is 6-0. Thankfully the Aggies have a pair of enforcers in Marble and Henry Coleman who can guard the paint, but it would be smart to consider the effects of having a relatively undersized guard duo.

At the very least, expect Buzz Williams and the Aggies to reach out to Abmas in the near term, as every school should. Having a friendly face in Marble can’t hurt, and could very well move the needle for Abmas to consider making College Station his next home.

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

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Looking at a potential best-case lineup for Texas basketball next year

Texas could be primed for a massive portal haul. We project a possible lineup for the team.

The Texas Longhorns basketball program could be one player away from a trip back to the Elite Eight. What if I told you that player is a portal transfer from Northern Colorado?

On Thursday night, we learned that Texas had contacted 6-foot-6 Northern Colorado guard Dalton Knecht and shared their interest in bringing over the athletic talent.

Knecht averaged 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds over the last season. He commands a list of suitors that includes Texas, Arkansas, Gonzaga, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon and UCLA.

The largely unknown talent scores in a handful of ways. Knecht connects on step back long range baskets like former BYU star Jimmer Fredette and throws down highlight dunks like Mac McClung. And while it’s often unlikely that a team is one transfer away from contention, the mid-major star might fit that billing for Texas.

Here’s a look at a potential best-case lineup for Texas.

Texas basketball reaches out to former five-star center Kel’el Ware

Rodney Terry and company hit up a big-time post player initiating Day 1 of new era.

Texas needs big men on its basketball roster for next season. Rodney Terry understands the assignment. Continue reading “Texas basketball reaches out to former five-star center Kel’el Ware”

Five players for Texas A&M to target in the 2023 college basketball portal

Texas A&M could have a handful of departures next season, which means they’ll need to target these names in the basketball transfer portal.

While fans may still be recovering from Texas A&M‘s NCAA Tournament opening-round loss to Penn State, the wheels are already turning toward what will be a pivotal offseason for the Aggies.

A&M made a tremendous turnaround in the latter half of the season that illustrates a promising foundation built by Buzz Williams. Still, the manner in which the season ended revealed there is plenty of room for growth; a reality that is underscored by some key roster vacancies next year.

Three of the Aggies’ starting five are slated to return for the 2023-24 season, which means that they’ll have the advantage of continuity in their back pocket. The returnees include Wade Taylor IV, Henry Coleman III, and Julius Marble. Guard Dexter Dennis will not return next season after wrapping up his final year of eligibility.

Manny Obaseki, Andersson Garcia, and Solomon Washington are among those expected to shoulder more responsibility after playing key roles off the bench this year.

The initial belief was that Tyrece “Boots” Radford would be among the departures following this season. However, he recently hinted that with an extra year of eligibility remaining, the door for returning to College Station may still be open as he’s yet to make a decision on his future.

Even with a relatively small volume of departures, there is always room for growth and that means it’s time to bolster the foundation that is brewing in College Station.

Enter the 2023 college basketball portal, where A&M should start by keying in on these five players:

Texas basketball might need to act fast for one transfer portal center

Texas may have to contend with Providence and Memphis to land one transfer portal big man.

College basketball free agency is underway just before the NCAA Tournament. It appears two Tournament participants are targeting TCU transfer center Eddie Lampkin for next season.

It would appear Providence head coach Ed Cooley and Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway are working to bring Lampkin to their respective teams. Albeit, it’s fair to question to which team Ed Cooley is recruiting Lampkin.

Cooley has been rumored as a possibility to fill the head coaching vacancy for the legendary basketball program at Georgetown. Regardless of where he coaches, Cooley has a strong pitch that will be difficult to beat.

It’s apparent that Texas will need bigs next season. The Longhorns could bring back Dylan Mitchell to pair with elite Duncanville talent Ron Holland. Even so, neither would give the team the defensive post presence it needs.

With Dylan Disu’s return uncertain and Christian Bishop departing, Texas could use a taller player or two through the transfer portal. Whether or not Lampkin is a priority, that position is a pressing need.

Texas’ search for post players will be worth monitoring over the summer.

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Get to know new Michigan State transfer PG Tyson Walker

Let’s get a closer look at the newest Spartan and how he can impact Michigan State next season in a positive way.

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Michigan State is unfortunately no longer playing in the NCAA Tournament, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t pick up a huge win on Saturday.

Tyson Walker — who is one of the most prized point guards in the transfer portal — announced on Saturday that he is heading to Michigan State next season. Walker played the past two seasons for Northeastern of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), where he was a dominant offensive and defensive player for the Huskies. Walker is expected to make an instant impact for the Spartans next season.

With Walker being such a big addition, let’s get a closer look at the newest Spartan and how he can impact Michigan State next season in a positive way: