NCAA Basketball: 10 biggest offseason losers from 2022 transfer portal
The NCAA Basketball transfer portal can be both a rewarding or a disastrous experience for teams each offseason. Around 1,500 players enter the portal, some of whom are all-conference or even All-American caliber talent. Many are looking for more minutes, different roles, or the ability to play in the NCAA Tournament.
With so many different players moving in the offseason, some teams can greatly benefit. They can either get that missing piece needed to contend or land multiple players to fill voids on the roster. It can work the other way, with teams losing several starters and key pieces, or failing to land what they need to compete this upcoming season.
This piece will focus on teams that struggled to get better this offseason due to transfer decisions both ways.
Honorable Mention: Syracuse Orange
Despite losing three starters that combined to score nearly 50 ppg last season, the Orange landed just one player from the portal; a backup center that averaged just a couple of points and rebounds in Mounir Hima. He provides good depth in the frontcourt but there’s little proven offensive production besides Joe Girard now. If the incoming recruiting class isn’t very good, Syracuse has no hope of making the NCAA Tournament.
HM: Nevada Wolf Pack
To some degree, the roster being blown up isn’t a bad thing, considering how disastrous last season was for the Wolf Pack. But losing All-Mountain West guards, Grant Sherfield and Desmond Cambridge, as well as 7’0 center Warren Washington and the only quality incoming transfer being Jarod Lucas from Oregon State means that they certainly downgraded. But maybe the chemistry will be better.
HM: Clemson Tigers
The Tigers did have an early transfer pickup in Jaelin Llewellyn from Princeton but he ended up with Michigan. The ACC program got Boston College transfer Brevin Galloway, who goes from being the 4th-best guard there the possibly the best here. Clemson also didn’t get a backup big man either, so it’s hard to see how they improve after placing in the bottom-tier of the ACC last season.