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NCAA Basketball: Why Grant Nelson is most impactful player in transfer portal

By Bryan Mauro

Mar 8, 2022; Sioux Falls, SD, USA; North Dakota State Bison forward Grant Nelson (4) looks to pass against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits in the second half at Denny Sanford Premier Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2022; Sioux Falls, SD, USA; North Dakota State Bison forward Grant Nelson (4) looks to pass against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits in the second half at Denny Sanford Premier Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /
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NCAA Basketball North Dakota State Bison forward Grant Nelson Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
NCAA Basketball North Dakota State Bison forward Grant Nelson Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /

The Summit League has been the talk of the transfer portal for the last two seasons. That league has produced three of the highest-rated transfers in the portal over the last two offseasons and all of them have been productive players at their Summit League schools and all are going to be productive at their new schools. The league may be overmatched when it comes to power schools but the league does have a ton of individual talent and the success of the players who have decided to leave the league is evidence of that.

Kevin Obanor formed one half of the duo at Oral Roberts when the Golden Eagles made a run to the Sweet 16. Obanor decided to transfer to Texas Tech where he was an integral part of the rotation while he was in Lubbock. Sam Griesel had a ton of success at North Dakota State and then decided to go back home to Lincoln, NE and play his last season for Nebraska. While at Nebraska he led the team to a 16-16 record, which was the best record under head coach Fred Hoiberg.

Baylor Scheierman was one of the biggest names to hit the portal a season ago and when he landed at Creighton the talks of a Bluejays National Title were real. Scheierman helped Creighton to their best finish ever in the Elite Eight. More on Scheierman to come. Then this offseason the league has already seen a ton of players transfer out, but none is more high profile than Oral Roberts superstar Max Abmas. The second-leading scorer in the country led one of the best offenses in the country. He can score from everywhere and that earned him a shot to go back home and finish up his last year of College at the University of Texas.

None of those players are better than those who entered the portal today. It won’t happen because everyone is currently enamored with Hunter Dickinson and where he decides to go, but Grant Nelson, formerly from the North Dakota State Bison, should instantly be at the top of everyone’s list of transfers. The list will be long and with just nine days to go until the portal closes for the year it is going to be hard to find a player who is going to have the impact as large as Nelson hopes to make.