Rivals Roundtable: Breaking down the spring transfer portal window
After weeks of chaos and activity, the transfer portal is officially closed. That means it’s as good a time to take stock of what transpired as well as what’s ahead as it relates to college basketball’s most talked-about roster construction tool. This week in the Rivals Roundtable, analysts Rob Cassidy and Jason Jordan discuss three topics related to the portal and share their opinions on a number of matters.
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1. WHICH TEAM DO YOU THINK DID THE BEST JOB OF RETAINING ITS ROSTER THIS PORTAL SEASON?
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Cassidy: I think we should toast Marquette and head coach Shaka Smart. Smart has long been known as a player’s coach for whom kids love playing. The fact that Golden Eagles didn’t lose a single player to the portal this cycle simply reinforces that. It’s especially impressive because the program signed a pair of top-100 high school prospects in Damarius Owens and Royce Parham this cycle. Some veterans could have been spooked by such an occurrence, but that’s clearly not the case here. Recruiting your own roster is a vital skill in modern coaching, and doing so on the heels of a 27-10 season is beyond impressive, especially when you consider last year’s roster featured just two seniors. Marquette also managed to retain all but three members of its roster a year ago, so this is becoming an encouraging trend for Smart and his staff.
Jordan: I was impressed with what Micah Shrewsberry was able to retain at Notre Dame, hanging on to his top three scorers: Markus Burton, Braeden Shrewsberry and Tae Davis. That in and of itself is almost unheard of in this day and age of college basketball for a team that finished 13-20 this past season. That core coupled with Princeton transfer Matt Allocco and incoming freshmen like Sir Mohammed and Cole Certa that should be able to contribute right away should put the Irish in a stronger position to compete and win next season.
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2. WHICH PLAYER STILL IN THE PORTAL DO YOU VIEW AS THE MOST POTENTIALLY IMPACTFUL?
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Cassidy: With elite big men in relatively short supply, I think the obvious answer is Cliff Omoruyi. The former Rutgers star averaged 10 points and eight rebounds per game in the Big Ten a season ago and has made strides from a skill standpoint in each of his four years in college. His skill set along with the premium placed on his position means that he’s the type of player that could elevate a program from good to great and put them in the hunt for a title. Programs such as North Carolina and Alabama, both of which he has visited and could help push over the edge as a serious player next March.
Jordan: I think Oumar Ballo should have the biggest impact of all the transfers because of his size, experience and ability to impact the game on both ends. The 7-footer spent five seasons between Gonzaga and then Arizona. In three seasons in Tucson, he posted 11.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks a game. Ballo was super efficient in the paint too, connecting on 64.6 percent from the field during that span. Mike Woodson will rely heavily on Ballo’s production in the paint this season as the anchor for the Hoosiers.
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3. WHICH PLAYER THAT DECLINED TO HIT THE PORTAL DO YOU THINK WILL BENEFIT FROM STAYING PUT?
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Cassidy: It would have been really easy for Michigan State’s Xavier Booker to been jaded by sporadic playing time last season and hit the portal in search of a different situation, but the former five-star recruit is going to stay the course, trust the process and remain in the hands of one of the sport’s most proven coaches for another season. I’m of the opinion that his decision is poised to pay off big time. Booker has some incredible physical tools and continuity can sometimes be vital to development, especially for bigs with hopes of playing at the next level. I think you’ll see him take a massive step forward this year, as his per-40-minute stats from last season suggest he’s capable of being an impact player as he is right now. There’s plenty of reason to believe Booker and Tom Izzo see eye-to-eye about the long-term plan, and I think Booker will see things start to click during his sophomore campaign in East Lansing.
Jordan: Caleb Foster at Duke. There was a lot of buzz around what he could potentially do at the end of the season with the uncertainty surrounding so many of his teammates, but when Jeremy Roach bolted for Baylor, Foster’s importance shot through the roof for Jon Scheyer next season. Foster showed lots of flashes of potential stardom this season and will be heavily relied upon in the backcourt as a playmaker and a perimeter threat.
