Transfer Portal 2026

[wmmmfan]

Mike's hasn't updated Osman or Outlaw yet, but he's been tracking things here: https://umasshoops.com/wiki/doku.php?id=season_2026-27

To add to 69's list, the potential returners are:
Carbuccia
Clerc
Damjanac
Ndjigue
Wimbley

So 1 day into the portal and the maximum number of returning players is 5 (scholarship, you can count Rollie and Engel if you want). I just don't know how Frank can succeed with so little returning experience unless he hits the jackpot in the portal.

This is the college sports world in present day unfortunately. Notre Dame has lost a significant portion of their roster in mbb and I believe I read yesterday Tennessee’s WBB has no returning players.

[eldonabe]

The gap between the have's and have not's is only going to grow unless something is done about this.

I saw a story about how people are in an uproar because Michigan's starting 5 were all 1st year transfers. Michigan did not break any rules, and just did it better than everyone else... get over it.

UMass is in a basketball wasteland now, much like approximately 300 other schools. This has little to nothing to do with the money part, it has everything to do with Transfer rules - there are none. Sure money drives a lot of the transfers, but without restrictions, any team in any year can just buy a successful season.


Suspend reality for a minute and follow along:

Let's say in December of 2025 Ryan Bamford announces that the 2026-2027 seasonal NIL spend on hoops is going to be $30M... Do you think we will have a highly competitive team? Do you think we will have 8 or 9 top tier transfers clamoring to come here - Regardless of MAC of B1G affiliation? Fast forward to December 2026 and RB announces that they will cut the NIL spend back to $5M.... UMass gets to the 2027 FF, then every player jumps again and e are gutted and back to a middling MAC team.

UMass will never do that, but they actually could if they wanted to - the "rules" allow it.




The Reality is that there are only about 30-40 schools who can afford to even try to play in that sandbox now. Not even all the P4 teams can afford it (see BC for example). Fewer schools horde all the top talent now. It used to be that 100-120 teams could get a stud or 2, now it is a 3rd of that as teams stockpile 4 or 5. That leaves 25% more mediocre schools fighting over the same mediocre talent pool.


Who does that hurt the most? Teams like UMass... we have coach who is 15 years past his prime and who's style no longer works. Outside of that top tier, coaching is just about the only differentiator - and our coach SUCKS in this new game. He needs stability in a time where stability does not exist and he need patience in a time where NOBODY has any patience. Not for nothing, but Frank acted just like he does now for years, but does anyone think that the new game has only amplified his antics... the pressure to do something / anything is only going to magnify what you are.


We need a modern day coach who can pull a reasonable team together quickly, we need to expect that person to be here no more than 3-5 years, and we need to adjust to 8 or 9 brand new players on our roster every year. That is College Basketball...

[UMass1991]

Funny thing is many schools can’t afford it, even the big boys. My memory is a little fuzzy, but I believe for all the $ Ohio St pays out in NIL, their overall athletic budget was deep in the red

[Juice Stand]

Mike's hasn't updated Osman or Outlaw yet, but he's been tracking things here: https://umasshoops.com/wiki/doku.php?id=season_2026-27

To add to 69's list, the potential returners are:
Carbuccia
Clerc
Damjanac
Ndjigue
Wimbley

So 1 day into the portal and the maximum number of returning players is 5 (scholarship, you can count Rollie and Engel if you want). I just don't know how Frank can succeed with so little returning experience unless he hits the jackpot in the portal.

This is the college sports world in present day unfortunately. Notre Dame has lost a significant portion of their roster in mbb and I believe I read yesterday Tennessee’s WBB has no returning players.

I understand that and I accept it. The point I was trying to make is that there are certain coaches that can adapt and thrive and others who can't. My comment was made specifically about Frank Martin and what he needs to be successful. 5 players, and not a lot of production from those 5 by the way, is not enough for him to succeed.

[Juice Stand]

...our coach SUCKS in this new game. He needs stability in a time where stability does not exist and he need patience in a time where NOBODY has any patience...

We need a modern day coach who can pull a reasonable team together quickly, we need to expect that person to be here no more than 3-5 years, and we need to adjust to 8 or 9 brand new players on our roster every year. That is College Basketball...

Bang on.

*edit, moved to another thread. Trying not to sidetrack this too much with non-transfer portal chit chat.

[eldonabe]

Funny thing is many schools can’t afford it, even the big boys. My memory is a little fuzzy, but I believe for all the $ Ohio St pays out in NIL, their overall athletic budget was deep in the red

Almost none of them can afford it (and those that do try it, can't sustain it on an annual basis), but they are stuck in a "keeping up with the Joneses" scenario. See Miami - they bought their FF run in 2023, then cut back and sucked ass the next two years. They upped their spend again into this past year and went 26-9.

If Ohio State did not dish out comparable money, they would be a middling team every year and that cake don't bake.


Until the NCAA establishes a hard Salary Cap and Transfer Limits, College basketball across all of D1 will suffer badly.

[Plano Minuteman]

Funny thing is many schools can’t afford it, even the big boys. My memory is a little fuzzy, but I believe for all the $ Ohio St pays out in NIL, their overall athletic budget was deep in the red

Almost none of them can afford it (and those that do try it, can't sustain it on an annual basis), but they are stuck in a "keeping up with the Joneses" scenario. See Miami - they bought their FF run in 2023, then cut back and sucked ass the next two years. They upped their spend again into this past year and went 26-9.

If Ohio State did not dish out comparable money, they would be a middling team every year and that cake don't bake.


Until the NCAA establishes a hard Salary Cap and Transfer Limits, College basketball across all of D1 will suffer badly.

I think if you significantly outspend your conference mates AND know what you're doing, I think hoops can have a good ROI, especially if your conference tourney format is significantly skewed to the favorites. Can probably get away with just shelling out $ for 3-4 players who far exceed the talent in the conference, and then just recruit role players to fill the gaps.

I think we just need to sh!t can Bamford and Frank and re-emphasize basketball as priority 1.

[PreecherJenkins]

Mike's hasn't updated Osman or Outlaw yet, but he's been tracking things here: https://umasshoops.com/wiki/doku.php?id=season_2026-27

To add to 69's list, the potential returners are:
Carbuccia
Clerc
Damjanac
Ndjigue
Wimbley

So 1 day into the portal and the maximum number of returning players is 5 (scholarship, you can count Rollie and Engel if you want). I just don't know how Frank can succeed with so little returning experience unless he hits the jackpot in the portal.

This is the college sports world in present day unfortunately. Notre Dame has lost a significant portion of their roster in mbb and I believe I read yesterday Tennessee’s WBB has no returning players.

Tennessee women's basketball is a dumpster fire.

[eldonabe]

I think if you significantly outspend your conference mates AND know what you're doing, I think hoops can have a good ROI, especially if your conference tourney format is significantly skewed to the favorites. Can probably get away with just shelling out $ for 3-4 players who far exceed the talent in the conference, and then just recruit role players to fill the gaps.

I think we just need to sh!t can Bamford and Frank and re-emphasize basketball as priority 1.

That ship has officially sailed....

The only way that could possibly happen is if they relegated football to FCS (and moved back up in conference affiliation). Uprooting to MAC all but killed basketball from any shot at legitimate and sustained D1 relevancy for the foreseeable future.

I am not against football, but I (and most) are against embarrassingly bad football - and all but 2 of the last 15 years have been embarrassingly bad. Those 2 outliers were just marginally bad football.

[eldonabe]

Fucking shoot me for saying this, but we should follow UConn's blueprint.

[69MG]

If we have space, I would take a shot at this guy. I still want an experienced center as a starter, but he might be better than Luka or Clerc. He was recruited by FSU and switched to Villanova when FSU had a coaching change. He didn't play last year so he has 4 years left (not that I expect to keep anyone for 4 years).

Villanova
A promising interior presence with ample raw tools … Will need to sharpen his skills as he adjusts to the college level.

2025-26 Highlights
Did not see any game action though he practiced with the Wildcats throughout the season.

Long Island Lutheran High School
After spending part of his high school career playing in Europe, came to the United States to the high school in Glen Head, N.Y. … Long Island Lutheran was ranked No. 2 in New York State in 2024-25 … Signed a letter of intent to attend Florida State in November 2024 before gaining his release in the spring following a coaching change.

Kevin Willard: “Nico is a space-eater, an old-school style center with the kind of tools needed to compete inside in the Big East. He has range to 17 feet , can shoot the hook shot with both hands and does a good job on screen and rolls. We’re eager to get to work to help Nico transition to the speed of the college game and continue to develop his skills.”

https://247sports.com/player/nico-onyek ... ol-324484/

[Merlin Samuels]

I think if you significantly outspend your conference mates AND know what you're doing, I think hoops can have a good ROI, especially if your conference tourney format is significantly skewed to the favorites. Can probably get away with just shelling out $ for 3-4 players who far exceed the talent in the conference, and then just recruit role players to fill the gaps.

I think we just need to sh!t can Bamford and Frank and re-emphasize basketball as priority 1.

That ship has officially sailed....

The only way that could possibly happen is if they relegated football to FCS (and moved back up in conference affiliation). Uprooting to MAC all but killed basketball from any shot at legitimate and sustained D1 relevancy for the foreseeable future.

I am not against football, but I (and most) are against embarrassingly bad football - and all but 2 of the last 15 years have been embarrassingly bad. Those 2 outliers were just marginally bad football.

The MAC had two teams go to the tourney and one was nationally ranked. The MAC isn’t holding us back.

[inthescoop]

Fucking shoot me for saying this, but we should follow UConn's blueprint.

Hire a URI coach?

All jokes aside, I'm surprised URI kept Archie Miller around. Hasn't finished better than 10th in the A10 after 4 seasons and has a 55-71 record. David Cox was fired after 4 seasons after having a 64-55 record.

[Plano Minuteman]

I've seen this guy play a lot - can catch pretty much anything you throw his way around the hoop. Can step out and knock down a 3. Was just buried deep in the rotation because his defense at CSU was abysmal. He'd probably score 15ppg with Danny feeding him though.

https://247sports.com/player/nikola-dja ... ge-358267/

[Quann]

I used to really care about the ncaa tourney even though UMass has been irrelevant for 25+ years with regards to it but I really don’t care about it now. It’s just mercenaries wearing different laundry every year. It was so much fun watching freshmen stars play with the same school for 3-4 years if they didn’t enter the draft. That first weekend used to be appointment sports tv. Give me all 4 major sports playoffs before any college sports now. Hopefully this school hopping gets fixed because this is just boring.