Bluejay Blues

Looks like we've got our first hit to the Way Too Early Top 25.

But before we dive into that, a programming note: The Daily will be on hiatus next week. We needed a week off from posting about the portal, coaching moves and all that. See you on April 17.

1. Creighton's Ryan Nembhard enters the portal

The portal is filled with impact point guards. And it just added a big name and perhaps the best point guard of the bunch.

The sophomore playmaker was good on the big stage, too. He had 30 points in the Round of 32 win over Baylor and had seven games of at least seven assists this past season. The 6-0 guard was the lead engine that spurred the Creighton offense; the Jays ended one basket short of the Final Four. 

There are two programs that have immediate ties with Nembhard: Gonzaga and Arizona.

His brother, Ryan, spent two seasons at Florida, then thrived in 2021 with the Zags. He went to the national title game and averaged 10.5 points and 5.1 assists. He's now playing a key role for the Pacers. The Bulldogs lose starting guard Rasir Bolton (eligibility), and if Malachi Smith doesn't take an optional fifth year, they will only have Nolan Hickman on the perimeter. Nembhard could easily follow his older brother's footsteps and be in Spokane.

Meanwhile, Arizona just lost starting point guard Kerr Kriisa to West Virginia. The Wildcats retain Kylan Boswell and bring in 4-star commit KJ Lewis, but Nembhard would be an upgrade over both.

If Nembhard joins, does it encourage Ažuolas Tubelis to stay? Pairing those two with big man Oumar Ballo and wing Pelle Larsson would solidify Arizona as a Top 10 team.

Other notable portal entrants

• Fresno State guard Jemarl Baker

• Oklahoma State forward Kalib Boone

• Northwestern forward Robbie Beran

• Louisville guard El Ellis

• UC-Davis guard DJ Davis

• Cincinnati guard Jeremiah Davenport

• Arizona State wing Devan Cambridge

• Utah State guard Steven Ashworth

2. More portal moves: Minutemen get MASSive pickup

Josh Cohen has been a two-year standout in the Northeast Conference and was the POY this last season after averaging 21.8 ppg (10th nationally), along with 8.3 rpg for St. Francis (PA).

He'll now have a chance to star on a bigger stage.

The 6-11 forward scored in double figures in all 31 games this past season and hit 40 against Lehigh and Hawaii. He chose UMass over Penn State and Iowa.

It's a big commitment for the Minutemen, a program that has suffered a giant talent drain this offseason. RJ Luis (11.5 ppg), TJ Weeks (8.8 ppg), Noah Fernandes (13.4 ppg), and Tafara Gapare (3.4 ppg) have transferred. Cohen, along with returning forward Matt Cross, will comprise one of the Atlantic 10's top frontcourts.

And Cohen sees the opportunity, telling Joe Tipton of On3: "I chose UMass because of the vision Frank Martin has for this program. We want to turn this ship around and bring this program to the NCAA tournament." 

Other portal commitments from Thursday:

• Former Michigan wing Isaiah Barnes chose Tulsa.

• Ex-Minnesota forward Jamison Battle is off to Ohio State.

3. Top 5 matchups in the Big 12-Big East Battle

There's no doubt which conference challenge will be the one to watch next season. Just look at these Big 12-Big East Battle matchups:

Big 12 newcomers BYU, Cincinnati, and UCF aren't in the field this time. With the constant roster movement this early in the offseason, it's hard to tell which will be the most entertaining games to watch. But we still got some storylines in the works already. Here are the Top 5 compelling games to look towards too.

5. Xavier vs. Houston: It's the first season in the Big 12 for the Cougars, and their strength of schedule is going up a few notches. That makes the road battle at Xavier fascinating, as the Musketeers will likely lose their entire starting lineup this offseason. After a promising first year under Sean Miller, they'll look to get a big win early in non-con play.

4. Villanova vs. Kansas State: Coach Jerome Tang had an incredible inaugural campaign with the Wildcats, but how will they do without Markquis Nowell and (likely) Keyontae Johnson next season? He goes up against Kyle Neptune, who struggled in the first year post-Jay Wright. With Justin Moore back, Villanova should rebound.

3. St. John's vs. West Virginia: It's a battle of former Big East schools and coaches, as Rick Pitino joins the Red Storm to rebuild the program. The roster will finalize in weeks but expect it to be competitive. That's what West Virginia aims for after landing Arizona transfer, Kerr Kriisa. Watching his interactions with Bob Huggins will be must-see TV.

2. Texas vs. Marquette: It's all about Shaka Smart in this game, as he fared better in Year 2 with the Golden Eagles than he did the entire six years with the Longhorns. And now, Coach Smart can return the whole rotation from this season's 29-win team. He goes up against Rodney Terry, who earned the full-time coaching gig after taking Texas to the Elite Eight. Both coaches will have pressure next season for different reasons.

1. UConn vs. Kansas: The last two teams to win a national title face-off, as both programs have a great shot at being preseason favorites in their respective conferences next season. The Jayhawks will look different on offense without Jalen Wilson and Gradey Dick, while the Huskies will have some roster moves to make after winning it all.

Houston highlights

And now, The Field of 68's version of One Shining Moment.

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Links as you try to understand how someone from the 2017 class is still eligible.

• St. Bonaventure assistant Steve Curren will join Tony Skinn's new staff at George Mason.

• Utah Valley officially announced Todd Philips as its new coach.

• Pac-12 Player of the Year and UCLA forward Jaime Jaquez will be going pro.

• We're in for at least another month of Pac-12 media deal updates.

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