[lawrence-newsletter][lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1362]Transfers in college basketball have become the new recruiting battle in college basketball. According to 247sports, a one-time immediate eligibility rule is expected to pass for transfers when the NCAA votes on May 20th. That change would likely increase what has already become a massive pool of talent in the transfer portal due to those players gaining immediate eligibility with no questions asked.
You only need to look around the Big Ten to see what the madness of transfer season creates. Look no further than the Ohio State Buckeyes as an example. Two-year starter Luther Muhammad has transferred out of the Buckeye program along with D.J. Carton and Alonzo Gaffney. On the flip side, Ohio State has brought in Harvard transfer Seth Towns and just yesterday it was announced that Utah State point guard Abel Porter would use his graduate year of eligibility to join OSU. All of a sudden, in a matter of two weeks, an entire Big Ten roster sees itself flipped. It almost feels like an NBA offseason.
The Badgers had enough transfer drama during the year. Now they can sit back and watch everything unfold. When Kobe King transferred out in the middle of the Big Ten season, and then a few weeks later committed to Nebraska, the Badgers were able to face adversity on the fly. They bonded together as a unit during the second half of the season. The best news? That unit is coming back.
The Badgers only lose one significant contributor in terms of minutes, that being Brevin Pritzl. With 88% of the minutes coming back to Madison, and nobody leaving in the transfer madness, Wisconsin can stay out of what has already been a wild off-season for multiple Big Ten programs. Even more important for UW, a returning core that has played with each other for a full year (and more in most cases) has built the chemistry that only comes with time.
Turnover in transfer season may be fun for fans, and if the NCAA vote on May 20th grants immediate, one-time eligibility that would be a major win for the players. Staying out of the entire process as a team, however, will likely translate to consistency and wins. Take two teams of relatively similar talent. One of those teams has three new significant pieces while three players have departed. The other has the same solid nine players that made up last year’s foundation. Who would you take?
Wisconsin basketball not only has the luxury of depth, but also a foundation of players who are not going through the grinds of a Big Ten season for the first time. While the transfer portal may feel like a fun, shiny new car, the Badgers have a steady ride that will not break down in 2021.