The transfer portal is officially a week old and is still rolling, adding players every hour, even during the NCAA tournament games. After two light days in the portal, the Friday entrants turned a lot of heads and will have many coaches calling to inquire. Many talented players have entered the transfer portal in the last 24 hours.
Friday wasn’t just a day for players to enter the transfer portal but for some to come out of it and begin their careers with their new teams. Donovan Dent just committed to UCLA, which means there will be a new number 1 in the transfer portal. That player entered the portal on Friday.
Coaches are moving fast this year to try and get everything squared away before revenue sharing takes hold in July, when most Division 1 teams will have a larger pool of money to work with. There will be commitments coming fast.
Day 5 of the transfer portal saw many power conference starters enter the portal. If they were not power conference starters, they were big-time recruits or stars in the low-major ranks. Today, there are a lot of individual accolades on the portal. Here are the 10 best players who entered the Portal on Friday.
No. 10 Carmelo Pacheco - Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers
9.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists
It is a shame the Pacheco didn’t play during the Mount’s two NCAA tournament games. Not only would it have been an excellent way for him to showcase his abilities on the sport's biggest stage. It would have also provided information to everyone on what they could get in the transfer portal.
The Mountaineers didn’t have a star; they had a lot of guys who could all defend and score. Pacheco has the highest ceiling of any former Mountaineers in the portal. The sophomore guard is an intriguing option out of the portal because of his ability to shoot the ball.
Pacheco is one of the best three-point shooters in the country. He shot 47% from deep and made 77 out of 166 attempts. Everyone needs that kind of shooting. Pacheco won’t provide much else on either end, but it doesn’t matter when you can shoot like he can.
No. 9 Melvin Council - Saint Bonaventure Bonnies
14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists
It has been two seasons and two different schools for Council, but coaches will have a pretty good idea of what they will get. They will get a tough point guard who can find shooters, rarely turns the ball over, and can score when he gets to the rim and finishes through contact. Council averaged over four assists per night and just under two turnovers per game.
Look at the point guard’s career numbers. He makes tough baskets, tough rebounds, and good passing. It won’t hurt his chances knowing that he played at Wagner. They play slowly at Wagner, and offense comes second to ensure the other team doesn’t score. Council isn’t a great shooter but can do everything else. The question now is, can he do it at a power conference school?
No. 8 Josh Bascoe - Bucknell Bison
15.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists
Bucknell had two of the best players in the Patriot League, both in the transfer portal. Bascoe is not as accomplished as his teammate, who won the Patriot League Player of the Year. Bascoe was the point guard who distributed the ball to the star. Without Bascoe, the Bison may not have had the conference Player of the Year.
The point guard just finished his fourth season at Bucknell, and this season was his best. He took off and finally reached his full potential. Bascoe shot 40% from deep and showcased his ability as an elite passer. The senior is only 6’0” tall, and hopefully, that doesn’t turn teams off because he will make a difference wherever he ends up.
No. 7 Abdi Bashir Jr. - Monmouth Hawks
20.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists
Bashir Jr. is likely to be controversial for many people who read this. Bashir was the best player on a bad Monmouth team and had to turn into a considerable volume shooter. The guard shot under 40% from the floor but made 127 threes. That number led the nation. Bashir doesn’t provide much else, but you couldn't have the best transfer list without the country's three-point leader.
It is hard to say where Bashir Jr. will end up. There is a consensus that the guard isn't good enough to play in a power conference. That may be true, but when you have a natural knack for scoring, there will always be a spot for you somewhere—something to keep in mind: his brother just committed to play at Auburn next year.
No. 6 Parsa Fallah - Oregon State Beavers
12.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists
It is refreshing to watch old-school big men work in the paint. Fallah fits into the category. He is part of the Oregon State frontcourt who never left the paint and locked it down on offense and defense. Fallah also became the second member of the Oregon State frontcourt to enter the transfer portal this week.
The teams after the Iranian big man will be limited because Fallah is limited. He is not limited in his post moves, but he doesn’t shoot threes and won’t take any shots that are not right at the rim. He is also limited in his ability to rebound and protect the rim. He is excellent on the offensive end but limited.
No. 5 Vyctorious MIller - LSU Tigers
8.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists
LSU has not been good under head coach Matt McMahon, but he is trying to build a competitive roster. Losing players like Miller is not going to help. The freshman didn’t have a great season, but he has a high ceiling and is exceptionally talented.
Miller was a starter for the Tigers and had the usual ups and downs that freshmen have. Like so many other young players, he had some tough nights in the SEC. Miller was a high recruit coming out of high school. A new team will do him well and help him meet his lofty expectations.
No. 4 Ryan Conwell - Xavier Musketeers
16.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists
We have all seen it before, right? A team makes the tournament, and their coach leaves for a better job. Players decide that a mass exodus is the right decision. That is what happened at Xavier this year. Head coach Sean Miller got them to the Tournament and left to take the Texas job.
Conwell was a big reason the Musketeers made the tournament. He was one of the best shooters in the Big East and shot over 40% from deep. Conwell developed into coach Miller's second-leading scorer and can dominate a game and take it over. He entered the portal with a do-not contact, which makes me wonder if he will end up in Texas.
No. 3 Morez Johnson - Illinois Fighting Illini
7.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, .3 assists
It has been a weird week for Johnson. After Illinois lost in the NCAA Tournament, the big man announced he would return. As many speculated, he has decided to enter the transfer portal. Reports were that Johnson’s entry into the portal was because of a falling out with head coach Brad Underwood.
Ignore the numbers with Johnson. He is going to be a dominant big man because he is an elite rebounder because of his ability to lock down the paint on offense. The right team will turn the big man into a lottery pick. He is an athletically gifted kid who can do many things in the post that many can’t. There will be a long list for Johnson.
No. 2 Jason Edwards - Vanderbilt Commodores
17.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Coaches have watched almost every transfer in the portal play, but when coaches watched Edwards play, I don’t know if you don’t leave amazed. He is a pure athlete who can score from anywhere on the floor. Edwards has a knack for knocking down a clutch three.
He knocked down a ton of clutch shots all year long. Those shots got Vanderbilt back to the NCAA Tournament and almost got the Commodores a win. The guard has it, and he always makes a big play. I am not worried about him performing at his next school at all. He will put up huge numbers, and that team will win a lot.
No. 1 Keyshawn Hall - UCF Knights
18.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists
UCF had some big wins this year. They beat Kansas, and they beat Texas A&M. Hall was at the center of those wins and was a star in the Big 12 all year long. UCF was a bubble team all season long but faded at the end of the year to not make it. That is now three straight seasons that Hall has not been in the NCAA Tournament.
The guard is one of the top-ranked transfers in the country. He shoots over 35% from deep in his career and is one of the best rebounders in the country from the wing position. Everything he does contributes to winning games, and he elevates the play of his team every year he is in college. The only downside is that this will be his fourth different school in four years.