One of the biggest offseason storylines to occur in NCAA Basketball just so happened to come at the very end, with Hall of Fame head coach Tony Bennett deciding to suddenly retire. It's huge news that not only affects the ACC but potentially the entire sport. That's because the decision to leave the Cavaliers by Bennett trigged a 30-day window for any player on the roster to enter the transfer portal without restriction.
Now, due to the season fast approaching, it wasn't known if anyone would actually decide to leave the Cavaliers. Any player who leaves would have to sit out the first half of the season and not be able to play under the winter semester. However, one player decided to make the decision to depart.
BREAKING: Virginia guard Jalen Warley has entered his name into the transfer portal, he tells @On3sports.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) October 29, 2024
The 6-7 senior and former top-50 recruit transferred to UVA this offseason after spending the first three years of his career at Florida State. Averaged 7.5 PPG last… pic.twitter.com/dwcRFbQk3M
Jalen Warley was one of the more notable newcomers on the UVA roster, a 6'6 combo guard from Eastern Pennsylvania. He spent his first three years at Florida State, coming off his first season as a full-time starter. The veteran guard posted career-highs of 7.5 ppg and 2.8 apg, making 42% of his shot attempts.
It's important to note that Warley won't be playing this season, electing to redshirt and preserving his last year of eligibility. This makes him the unofficial first entrant to the 2025 NCAA Basketball transfer portal.
The latest update in the recruitment for Warley is that three teams have emerged, all of which will need guards a team from now. Here's a closer look at how he'd fit with each situation.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
As shown early on in the season in wins over Baylor and Arizona State, Gonzaga has one of the best backcourts in the country. However, Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman, and Khalif Battle will all be gone after this season, leaving Dusty Stromer and Braeden Smith, the transfer from Colgate who is already sitting out this year for the team. Former FSU assistant RJ Barsh is now with the Bulldogs and that connection could prove to be big in this recruitment, though it would be far from a guarantee that Warley would start here. But could a 15-20 mpg role in the rotation work?
Iowa State Cyclones
Among the seniors that'll be leaving the Cyclones after this season is Keshon Gilbert, Nate Heise, and Curtis Jones. There's also the chance that starting point guard Tamin Lipsey doesn't return for his senior year and goes pro instead. However, if he is back, then Warley will have to play exclusively off the ball. And with three 2025 guard commits and Nojus Indrušaitis getting minutes as a freshman early on, Iowa State may not have as much of a need for Warley.
Texas A&M Aggies
The entire guard rotation for the Aggies this year are seniors, including Wade Taylor and CJ Wilcher. So compared to the other two options, Warley wouldn't have to worry about any kind of role with the SEC program. However, with all of the seniors gone, the team will have to rebuild and the 2025-26 roster will have many more questions compared to Gonzaga or Iowa State.
If these are the three main options, Warley will have to decide between the most available minutes such as Texas A&M or the best chance at winning in March such as Gonzaga. If he wants the best of both worlds, then maybe Iowa State is the ideal pick.