Heading into the weekend, both Power 5 conferences and some Mid-Major programs received commitments from transfer portal entrants and announced returns to school for potential future NBA Prospects. The Portal Report has you covered on all the latest news and highlights from Friday’s transfer portal.
Commitments
After two seasons at West Virginia and five months with Coastal Carolina, Taj Thweatt entered the portal again and this time wound up with Temple marking the Owls’ third transfer addition this offseason. Thweatt averaged just .6 PPG and .6 RPG in two seasons with the Mountaineers but was a highly regarded recruit out of high school and comes equipped with NCAA Tournament experience featuring in a victory over Morehead State in 2021.
Following head coach Kevin Willard to Maryland will be 6-foot-5 guard Jahari Long who announced his transfer from Seton Hall earlier this afternoon. In 24 appearances for the Pirates, Long averaged just 1 PPG and .7 APG but is a versatile guard who will provide much-needed backcourt depth for the Terrapins next season.
Former South Carolina standout Keyshawn Bryant will be exiting the transfer portal to join South Florida, a return home for the Winter Haven, Florida native. Bryant averaged 9.9 PPG and 4.3 RPG in four seasons as a Gamecocks with the 6-foot-5 guard/ making 98 career appearances and using his final year of eligibility to sign with the Bulls.
The transfer portal giveth, the transfer portal taketh away as South Florida will be losing two-year starter and former top-100 prospect Caleb Murphy to the Big East and DePaul. Murphy averaged 11.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 3.4 APG last season, leading the Bulls in scoring and assists while shooting 41% from the floor.
5-foot-10 guard Mark Freeman will transfer for a second time in his career following stints with Tennessee State and Illinois State to join Morehead State for his senior season. Freeman has averaged 10.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 4 APG for his collegiate career with his best season coming in 2020-21 when he averaged 17. 1 PPG and earned All-OVC honors. During this offseason, Freeman was heavily recruited by Wichita State, Hampton, and Stephen F. Austin, as well as the Eagles.
Returnees
Dayton’s Toumani Camara will be withdrawing his name from the NBA Draft and returning to Ohio ahead of next season, the Belgium native announced this morning. Camara spent two years at Georgia before transferring to Dayton prior to last season and averaged 10.9 PPG and 6.9 RPG with his return putting the Flyers promptly in the early conversation for best A-10 team.
In other news for the A-10, the nation’s leader in assists will be back at Saint Louis as Yuri Collins also announced he would be withdrawing from the NBA Draft and returning to school. The 2021-22 All-A-10 and All-A-10 Defensive selection originally declared he would transfer from Saint Louis but is now set for another season playing for the Billikens after averaging 11.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 7.9 APG last year.
After announcing a transfer to Xavier from UTEP a few weeks ago, Souley Boum will also be returning to school having now officially withdrawn his name from the NBA Draft conversation. A two-time All-CUSA selection, Boum averaged 19.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 2.9 APG last season with the Miners and is the program’s 8th all-time leading scorer after just three seasons in El Paso.
Indiana received a big update today as former top-100 prospect and three-time All-Big Ten honoree Trayce Jackson-Davis announced he would be back with the Hoosiers for another season, not entering the NBA Draft. Jackson-Davis averaged 18.3 PPG and 8.1 RPG last year helping Indiana to the NCAA Tournament and will undoubtedly play an important role in keeping Mike Woodson’s squad high up in the Big East standings next season.
