Sixteen teams still have hopes of winning a national championship at the end of the first weekend of the men’s NCAA Tournament.
For the other 348 in Division I, it’s officially portal season. College basketball’s transfer portal opened Monday in an odd twist to the sport’s postseason. While some schools are still playing and others are searching for a new head coach, players can begin to search for their next destination.
Not everyone loves it.
“The portal opening on Monday is the dumbest thing ever,” New Mexico coach Richard Pitino said Saturday, a day before his team lost to Michigan State in the second round. “There’s no logic behind it whatsoever. Why not do it in April because school doesn’t end until mid-May, so give them a month then.”
The portal will remain open until April 22, but there was a flurry of activity Monday. Here are some of the notable players looking for their next program.
Mackenzie Mgbako, Indiana
Position: ForwardYear in 2025-26: JuniorHeight: 6-foot-9Weight: 222 pounds2024-25 stats: 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds in 25.2 minutes per game
The co-Big Ten Rookie of the Year as a freshman, Mgbako didn’t make the sophomore leap you might expect from a former five-star recruit — but how much of that was due to the coaching turmoil in Bloomington this season? Regardless, fit will be crucial to maximizing Mgbako’s talent, from a program’s playing style to its support system. Mgbako’s counting stats this season prove he can be a productive high-major player, but considering he’s a career 32.8 percent shooter from 3-point range, he’s clearly better suited as a stretch-four than as a true wing shooter. Mgbako’s talent is clearly worth the gamble, but his inconsistent journey to this point also means he’ll be one of the more complicated evaluations this cycle. — Brendan Marks
Dailyn Swain, Xavier
Position: Guard/forwardYear in 2025-26: JuniorHeight: 6-foot-8Weight: 220 pounds2024-25 stats: 11 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists in 28.5 minutes per game
Swain blossomed in his second season with the Musketeers. The versatile forward and former four-star prospect emerged as a starter and double-digit scorer for Xavier. He converted just 25 percent from 3-point range on 3.5 attempts per game but shot better than 53 percent from the field and nearly 82 percent from the foul line. Swain, a native of Columbus, Ohio, will likely be a target for Ohio State, which recruited him heavily out of high school. He could also consider following former Xavier coach Sean Miller to Texas, or moving elsewhere in the Big East. Swain has multiple seasons of eligibility remaining. — Justin Williams
Isaac McKneely, Virginia
Isaac McKneely should be one of the most coveted 3-point shooters in the portal. (Ryan M. Kelly / Getty Images)
Position: GuardYear in 2025-26: SeniorHeight: 6-foot-4Weight: 195 pounds2024-25 stats: 14.4 points, 2.9 assists, 2.7 rebounds in 34.4 minutes per game
Everyone wants shooting, which is why McKneely should be one of the hottest commodities this cycle. The West Virginia native averaged a career-high in points per game this season for interim coach Ron Sanchez. He took the ninth-most 3-point attempts per game (7.5) of any high-major player and canned 41.2 percent of them, the eighth-best percentage of any high-major player who took at least five 3s per game, per CBB Analytics. McKneely is also a terrific free-throw shooter (81.4 percent) and solid perimeter defender, which should make him an ideal fit as an off-ball scorer at a high-major level. ACC teams familiar with McKneely’s perimeter scoring are already circling. — Marks
Langston Love, Baylor
Position: GuardYear in 2025-26: Redshirt seniorHeight: 6-foot-5Weight: 210 pounds2024-25 stats: 8.9 pounds, 2.8 rebounds in 26.4 minutes per game
The fourth-year junior took a step back with the Bears this past season, shooting just 32.6 percent from 3-point range over 20 games. That was after averaging 11 points and shooting 48 percent from deep over 24 games in 2023-24. Love was a top-50 prospect in the 2021 class, but injuries have derailed his four seasons in college. He redshirted as a true freshman due to an ACL injury and missed multiple games the past two years with various knocks. But the pedigree and shooting efficiency from two seasons ago will likely draw plenty of interest in the portal. TCU could be a potential fit if the Texas native wants to remain in the Big 12. — Williams
Amarion Dickerson, Robert Morris
Position: Guard/forwardYear in 2025-26: SeniorHeight: 6-foot-7Weight: 185 pounds2024-25 stats: 13.2 points, 5.9 rebounds in 29.2 minutes per game
Dickerson, the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year, earned a lot of attention — and money, probably — with his first-round NCAA Tournament performance against Alabama. The rangy guard scored a game-high 25 points along with nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks as the Colonials threatened to pull off the biggest upset of the first weekend as a 15-seed. The Cleveland native spent two years at Mineral Area College (juco) before his lone season at RMU and will have plenty of suitors thanks to his defense and big-game production. — Williams
Andrew Rohde, Virginia
Position: GuardYear in 2025-26: SeniorHeight: 6-foot-6Weight: 200 pounds2024-25 stats: 9.3 points, 4.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds in 30.9 minutes per game
Rohde was one of the most improved players in the ACC, as it took a year for him to adjust to the level after transferring from St. Thomas following his freshman year. He’s an exceptional passer — he led Virginia in assists per game — and his shooting is also a big draw, as he made 41.3 percent of his 3s this past season. Rohde is not a big-time scorer — his average jumped from 4.3 as a sophomore to 9.3 — but he should be a popular target because he’s a heady player who should not be hard to incorporate into a winning system. — C.J. Moore
Christoph Tilly, Santa Clara
With a dearth of quality bigs in the portal, Christoph Tilly should draw interest. (James Snook / Imagn Images)
Position: CenterYear in 2025-26: SeniorHeight: 7-footWeight: 240 pounds2024-25 stats: 12.5 points, 4.9 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game
Quality bigs are hard to find and seem to be the most expensive assets in the portal. Tilly will likely draw lots of attention because of his size and advanced numbers. The second-team All-West Coast Conference center has solid per-game averages, but his advanced numbers pop. He had a 117.8 offensive rating and a high free-throw rate, drawing 4.7 fouls per 40 minutes. He’s a skilled big who can score in the post and also step out and make a jumper (he made 17 3s this season). And he had some of his best games against Santa Clara’s best opponents: 17 points and eight boards against Saint Louis, 16 points against Stanford, 21 points against Bradley and 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting in an upset of Gonzaga. — Moore
(Top photo of Mgbako: Craig Strobeck / Imagn Images)
