Why Is The Transfer Portal So Active So Soon?
With college basketball just finishing a week ago, we have already seen a handful of guys decide to opt out of their current schools in favor of a new one. The most notable being Texas Tech guard, Mac McClung. McClung announced his decision to leave Texas Tech shortly after head coach Chris Beard left for Texas.
McClung, however, has decided to focus on the NBA and prepare for the draft. He won’t sign an agent, making him eligible to return to college for next season. But he definitely won’t be returning to Texas Tech.
— mac mcclung (@McclungMac) April 11, 2021
Outside of the high profile McClung, Tony Bennett and Virginia have been extremely active – both losing and gaining talent. Virginia will add ECU guard/forward Jayden Gardner but will lose guards Casey Morsell (NC State), Justin McKoy (UNC), and Jabri Abdur-Rahim (Georgia).
Morsell and McKoy are going to hurt Virginia come next season. Despite their lack of scoring, both Morsell and McKoy were high minute guys who contributed to every game this season. Abdur-Rahim only appeared in eight games. Their addition of Gardner will bring a stud who averaged 18 ppg and 8 rebounds a game. Gardner’s 8 rebounds will be an immediate impact and 18 ppg will go along nicely with UVA’s offense.
The Transfer Portal is a very big deal now. I wrote about it last season and it continues to be a big push for college basketball. Why? Who knows. I don’t always believe the grass is greener elsewhere. I think a lot of these players think about one thing and one thing only – the NBA. Maybe they didn’t think they have to fight for their spot. I am not sure if transferring from Virginia to UNC or NC State is a better academic or basketball move. Virginia has been the best basketball school in the country the last 5 seasons in my opinion. They are there every single year, and to throw that away for a chance to maybe play a few more minutes is bizarre to me. Like last year, this won’t be the end of the transfers and it will only get crazier.
-John (Uncle_mac4)