The portal is closed

That sound you heard late last night? It was college hoops coaches and reporters kicking back now that the transfer portal’s spring window closed.

So let’s dive into Wednesday’s news.

1. The transfer portal closes with whimper

Nearly 1,900 players entered college basketball’s transfer portal over the last 45 days. Did it seem like more?

Wednesday didn’t even have a flood of last-second additions.

Per Jeff Borzello, only 45 players added their names, bringing the grand total to roughly 1,878 players in the portal (including walk-ons). That’s up slightly from last year’s 1,815 total.

Still, that number could grow because of how players can enter the portal. As Matt Norlander noted, players need only tell someone in the athletic department that they want to transfer. Doesn’t have to be a coach or even a compliance officer. They just need a digital timestamp noting their intent.

And of course, we’ll see players commit over the new few months. No deadline for choosing a program.

Notably, only five programs — Kansas, Marquette, Army, Navy and Binghamton — didn’t have a player enter the transfer portal. (That’s quite the 180 for Kansas, which had seven players enter last season; and no, I’m not counting Arterio Morris as a Kansas transfer.)

There was one last-minute Wednesday addition that caught my eye, and that was Samford forward Achor Achor. Check that timestamp.

The 6-9 junior was a do-everything player for the Bulldogs, averaging 16.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.8 bpg, not to mention shooting 43.,5% beyond the arc. He also can guard three positions.

Achor was perfect for Buckyball. He’d also be a massive asset in just about any other program.

Other notable additions to the portal:

• Cam Christie, Minnesota sophomore guard (11.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.2 apg)

• Trevon Brazile, Arkansas junior forward (8.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.2 bpg)

• Ven-Allen Lubin, Vanderbilt sophomore forward (12.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg)

• Kaden Cooper, Oklahoma freshman guard (former Top 75 recruit)

• Matt & Ryan Bewley, Chicago State forwards (did not play in 2023-24)

• August Mahoney, Yale senior guard (10.3 ppg, 45% on 3s)

• Chisom Okpara, Yale sophomore forward (16.5 ppg, 5 rpg)

• Sion James, Tulane junior guard (14 ppg, 5.4 rpg)

• Chris Ledlum*, St. John’s senior guard (9.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg)

*Ledlum’s suing the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility

2. Kentucky adds a shooter, and a gunner

What do you get when a 43.4% career 3-point shooter — who hit 49.8% on six attempts per game this season — plays in an offensive scheme where half of its overall field-goal attempts were from beyond the arc?

We’re about to find out.

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