As the calendar flips to May, marking the deadline to enter the transfer portal and maintain eligibility, Saturday’s portal action saw a plethora of commitments and entrants. The Portal Report has the latest news and updates from today’s portal pledges and entrants.
Portal Entries
LSU transfer Xavier Pinson reopened his recruitment after narrowing down his list to Xavier and Mississippi State. Pinson recorded 9.8 points and 4.8 assists per game this past season. The Chicago native entered the portal after LSU parted ways with former head coach Will Wade. Pinson will exercise his extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former top-50 recruit and Michigan point guard Frankie Collins is testing the transfer portal waters after averaging 2.8 PPG and 1.7 RPG during his lone campaign in Ann-Arbor. Three years of eligibility remain for the Henderson, Nevada native.
Seton Hall witnessed two Pirates enter the portal on Saturday. The freshmen duo of Brandon Weston and Tyler Powell will play for a new program next season. Weston, a former top 100 recruit, redshirted during his freshman campaign, while Powell tallied 0.5 points and 0.8 rebounds in limited action for Kevin Willard’s former squad.
BYU’s Seneca Knight entered the portal for the third time in his career, previously playing at San Jose State for three seasons. The Lafayette, LA native transferred to LSU during the 2020-2021 season, but did not appear in a game in Baton Rouge before heading to Provo. The 6-foot-6 forward will have one year of eligibility remaining after tallying 7.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
After playing for three different schools in six years, New Mexico State transfer Donnie Tillman will spend his sixth and final season elsewhere. The Detroit, MI native began his career at Utah before spending on year at UNLV and two seasons in Las Cruces.
Commitments
Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers received the commitment of one of the best players in the portal in Johni Broome. The Morehead State transfer was a double-double machine, averaging 16.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per contest. Broome also tallied four blocks per game en route to the Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Former Arizona State guard Jay Heath announced his decision to play for the Georgetown Hoyas. The Arlington, Va. native finished his junior season averaging 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, while shooting 43% from three. Heath began his career at Boston College before transferring to Tempe in 2021, requiring a waiver to be eligible to play during the 2022-2023 season.
After three seasons in Evanston, Northwestern’s Ryan Young will spend the next chapter of his career in Durham as a Duke Blue Devil. The Stewartsville, N.J. native recorded 9.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game as key bench piece for the Wildcats. With three years of eligibility remaining, Young’s role could emulate that of Marquette transfer Theo John this past season.
Mississippi State received the commitment from Southeast Missouri State guard Eric Reed Jr. The junior guard will head to the SEC after averaging 16.1 points and 3.3 rebounds, while shooting 36 percent from beyond the arc.
Wofford transfer Max Klesmit became the second portal pledge from Wisconsin to join the Badgers, tallying 14.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per contest. The 6-foot-3 freshman chose Greg Gard and the Badgers over South Carolina, Clemson, Vanderbilt, and Colorado State.
The portal was kind to Mike White and the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, as two portal pledges are headed to Athens. North Texas transfer Mardrez McBride is exercising his extra year of eligibility after averaging 11.3 PPG and 3.0 RPG. McBride finished the season shooting 39 percent from three, providing the Mean Green with a scoring threat from beyond the arc.
Frank Anselem joined McBride is committing to the Georgia after spending two years at Syracuse. The 6-foot-10 center started six games for the Orange, contributing 2.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
While Wisconsin gained a portal pledge on Saturday, a former Badger found his new home. Ben Carlson is headed to Provo, where he’ll play for Mark Pope and the BYU Cougars. As a sophomore, the Woodbury, MN native scored 1.6 points and hauled in 2.0 rebounds per contest.
Maryland transfer James Graham III appeared in just eight games in College Park before entering the portal. The 6-foot-8 freshman will continue his career at Missouri State after earning a top-100 ranking in high school.
