Free Agency Comes to College Basketball

The transfer season is already out of control. Will the next great team emerge from the transfer portal?

March 24, 2021

Tipoff

The 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game was an historic moment for the sport, but probably not for the reason you might think. We all remember the two-year storyline of the National Champion Virginia Cavaliers, the first team to lose to a 16-seed the year before. The National Runner-Up, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, were the harbinger of the new era, not the victorious Cavaliers. It was that Red Raiders team that explains the past 48 hours. They were the team that featured a pair of graduate transfers, Matt Mooney and Tariq Owens, in the starting lineup. Both had played 3 or more years at other schools before joining TTU for one last chance at glory. This new form of one-and-done roster construction showed that teams could be constructed on the fly and still reach the highest levels.

At the time of my writing, more than 120 players have entered their name in the transfer portal, according to the website Verbal Commits. The names include well-known players, such as freshman Walker Kessler, a highly-touted recruit coming out of high school that played for North Carolina this past season. There are many others that even dedicated fans would hardly recollect. By some counts, more than 700 players are in the transfer portal right now. The numbers could swell to more than 1,000 before the end of the summer. This free-for-all is tearing apart teams just as it creates new opportunities.

For every departing player, a roster spot opens. Players can transfer in when there is room to spare. Still, the pace of the transfer market is out of proportion to anything the sport has seen before. There are many reasons a player might transfer, including disagreement over coaching or style of play, a lack of playing time, being homesick, and more than can or will be theorized here. Perhaps the primary factors are the end of a difficult season played during the pandemic and the impending decision by the NCAA to institute a one-time transfer waiver. The waiver will allow players the ability to play right away instead of sitting out a year before being eligible again. This new transfer market is creating opportunities for savvy coaches. Will the next Texas Tech emerge from the rubble?

Sponsors

Bet Rivers: Promo code 250MATCH to get a $250 deposit bonus

DraftKings: Promo code FIELD68 to get a special offer to bet $4 and win $256

Manscaped: Promo code FIELD to get 20% off and free shipping

Prediction Strike: Promo code FIELD to get $10 free on your first deposit of $20 or more

Bracket Fanatics: Promo code MADNESS

Tournament Tracker

It’s The Big Dance! Let’s take a look at NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament action and what lies ahead.

NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament 2nd Round

  • #2 Maryland vs. #7 Alabama (1:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN2)

  • #3 Georgia vs. #6 Oregon (3:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN2)

  • #5 Missouri State vs. #13 Wright State (3:00 p.m. EDT on ESPNU)

  • #4 Indiana vs. #12 Belmont (5:00 p.m. EDT on ESPNU)

  • #2 Louisville vs. #7 Northwestern (5:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN2)

  • #3 Arizona vs. #11 BYU (7:00 p.m. EDT on ESPNU)

  • #2 Texas A&M vs. #7 Iowa State (7:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN2)

  • #3 UCLA vs. #6 Texas (9:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN2)

The Mixtape

The Field of 68 team puts out lots of great content each week. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights.

  • The Sweet 16 is upon us for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament! Robbie Hummel & Jeff Goodman break it down, beginning with a wake for the B1G. After the post-mortem, Robbie and Jeff take a look at the compelling matchups remaining. How far will Sister Jean’s faith propel Loyola-Chicago this year? Can Gonzaga - you know, the undefeated #1 team in the nation - go all the way? There’s a lot to love in this year’s Sweet 16.

  • On 68 Shining Moments, Jeff Goodman checks in with March legend Danny Manning of the miraculous Kansas Jayhawks team that won the 1988 National Championship. It was a run to remember for KU, which included a 5-game losing streak during the season before the historic run to the title. The team captivated the nation and Manning talks about the run that sealed his name and team in March history.

  • Everyone knew the B1G was the conference during the season and that the Pac-12 was, at best, an also-ran. Well, everyone was wrong. Why were we wrong about the Pac-12? Rob Dauster and Da’Sean Butler break it down and try to understand how 4 teams from the Pac-12 have broken through to the Sweet 16.