How the transfer portal is affecting college basketball in 2023

Back in the good ole days, college basketball was all about finding the perfect fit for you. If you were a fast-paced point guard who loved to push the ball after made and/or missed baskets, you were on the lookout for up-tempo systems that strayed away from playing offensive basketball at a snail’s pace. If you were a guard that liked to play at a slower pace, you were seeking systems that enjoyed operating in half-court settings. Nowadays, though, fit is irrelevant during the recruiting process for one major reason. You see, with schools having the ability to lure transfers in with enticing NIL proposals, following the money seems to be the most important objective in college basketball.

Take Nijel Pack for instance, did you really think that the Kansas State transfer would turn down $800,000 over two years even if Miami wasn’t an ideal fit? No, of course you didn’t, because you comprehend that not every Division 1 basketball player is guaranteed to land a professional contract after college. So, if you have the opportunity to earn a nice chunk of change as an amateur, why wouldn’t you take advantage of it? Well, you probably would, which is why you can’t blame transfers for accepting “pay for play” deals that won’t require them to achieve any specific milestones.

The only problem is, well, less high school recruits are receiving scholarships due to the growing obsession with “getting older” in the transfer portal. What did Pittsburgh do after finishing 10 games below .500 in 2021-22? Well, they added various 4th/5th year players and reached the Round of 32 for the first time since 2014. Kansas State added graduate transfer, Keyontae Johnson, prior to the start of the 2022-23 season and were three wins away from hoisting the NCAA championship trophy. Arizona State picked up Nevada graduate transfer, Desmond Cambridge Jr., and performed well above expectations this past season. If you didn’t already know, times are changing in the college basketball world, as there is less emphasis on developing young, unproven players in today’s game. This explains why more high school athletes have no choice but to go the juco route after graduating. It’s certainly unfortunate to say the least, but as long as coaches continue to build teams full of upperclassmen and/or graduate transfers, high school players will suffer year in and year out.