A dive into the NCAA men’s basketball transfer portal

Sophomore guard Isaiah Wong shoots during Miami's game against Duke on February 1 at the Watsco Center. Photo credit: Josh Halper
Sophomore guard Isaiah Wong shoots during Miami's game against Duke on February 1 at the Watsco Center.
Sophomore guard Isaiah Wong shoots during Miami’s game against Duke on February 1 at the Watsco Center. Photo credit: Josh Halper

The offseason has officially begun, and Miami may not have enough players to field a team.

Earlier in the season, Matt Cross announced he would be transferring to Louisville. Just several months later, some other key Hurricanes announced they would be entering the portal as well.

Graduate transfer Elijah Olaniyi announced recently that he will be returning to Stony Brook. Nysier Brooks also just announced that he will play his final season of college basketball at Ole Miss.

In addition to those players, highly touted freshmen Earl Timberlake as well as former starting point guard Chris Lykes have joined the over 1200 players in the transfer portal. Lykes announced on social media Wednesday that he has decided to transfer to Arkansas, a team that finished second in the SEC this past season. Timberlake will be transferring to Memphis.

With those five players, along with Isaiah Wong, Kam McGusty, Rodney Miller, and Deng Gak, who have yet to announce their intentions on next season, the Hurricanes will look to add more than just three freshmen to their roster.

It appears that the Hurricanes have been active in the transfer market thus far, as they should be.

The Hurricanes made Qudus Wahab’s final six before he committed to Maryland. They also made Tyson Walker’s final six before he announced he will be playing for Tom Izzo and the Spartans.

As a Hurricanes fan, it’s great to see Jim Larrañaga and the rest of the coaches active in recruiting. Here are some other players where Miami has shown interest:

Standing at just 6-foot-1, Marreon Jackson is one player that the Hurricanes have shown significant interest in. This past season at Toledo as a senior, he averaged 18.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. He managed to lead his team to a 21-9 finish, which included an appearance in the NIT.

Jackson is also considering Arkansas, Arizona State, and Georgetown in his final four. Perhaps Miami fans should root for Lykes joining Eric Musselman and the Razorbacks as that would potentially eliminate them in pursuing Jackson. Jackson would definitely help the Canes in order to compete with the top teams of the ACC.

Another guard that Miami has been linked to is Jordan Goldwire from Duke. Apparently, Miami has met with him, but it’s unsure if he has shown interest in playing in Coral Gables. Goldwire, who averaged 5.8 points and four assists per game, would provide veteran leadership to a team that currently has one player over the age of 20.

With two forwards set to return, Miami appears to be actively looking for forwards more than guards. One name, that has links to South Florida, is Toumani Camara from Georgia.

Several sources have noted that the Hurricanes are in a great position to land him. As a sophomore, the small forward averaged 12.8 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game. He would help immensely on the rebounding side.

Jayden Gardner is another name floating around. The 6-foot 7 junior forward averaged 18.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game at East Carolina. He would provide an enormous boost for the Canes.

Another player that has included Miami in his final list is 6-foot-8 junior forward Noah Gurley from Furman. This past season, he averaged 15.4 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, and 2.5 points per game. Other teams in contention for Gurley include Duke, Florida, Auburn, and more.

There are some other names that Miami has been linked to, but it will be really important these next few months for the Hurricanes to add to their already depleted roster. Let’s hope Miami can bring in some top guys in order to compete with the rest of the ACC, who looks to do the same.