Big Ten Makes Early Portal Splash
Maryland and Iowa make big adds, while Michigan and Wisconsin subtract
I apologize for lying to you the past few weeks, but I decided to push back the Hoopla 40 because the transfer portal has become too notable in this conference to not talk about. The Hoopla 40 will be here next week, but let’s talk portal today.
Last Week’s Hoopla:
**Transfer numbers and information are from two main sources: The Next Hoops and WBB Blog, both of which do excellent up-to-date work with this type of stuff**
As of the writing of this Hoopla, exactly 50 players from current Big Ten schools (including the four new entries) have entered the portal. These same teams have already brought in 19 transfers this offseason, and there is still a long way to go.
Despite plenty of time, and players, remaining for this offseason to resolve, some big shifts have already taken place that felt like they needed to be discussed. Here are the teams that have made those largest shifts as we near the end of April:
Maryland
Out (4): Summer Bostock, Hawa Dombouya, Faith Masonius, Riley Nelson
In (4): Saylor Poffenbarger (Arkansas), Kaylene Smikle (Rutgers), Sarah Te-Biasu (VCU), Mayé Touré (Rhode Island)
The Terrapins have dominated the early days of the transfer portal and it’s not even close. No other team has more additions in the Big Ten, and that was also true as of this morning before Maryland added Poffenbarger at about 11:15 a.m. today.
Of the four losses, Masonius and Nelson are the most significant, the former as a consistent veteran role player and the latter as a five-star prospect leaving after one injury-shortened season. Considering the down year Maryland had for its standards, there was reason to be concerned with the trajectory this program was heading down.
Well, Brenda Frese has silenced that thought with four big-time adds, all of which should see significant roles alongside the rest of this remaining Maryland roster. Poffenbarger (10.2), Smikle (16.1), Te-Biasu (16.3), and Touré (12.5) averaged 55.1 combined PPG for their respective teams a season ago, but each also fill a potential need for Maryland past their impressive scoring abilities.
Both Poffenbarger and Touré are terrific rebounders, bringing a combined 18.9 boards per game to the table. Poffenbarger was specifically impressive there, adding 11.2 rebounds a game from the guard position. Smikle is a high-volume scorer from the wing that has Big Ten experience, and Te-Biasu also brings strong shooting, specifically from the perimeter where she shot 37.8 percent on seven attempts per game. Te-Biasu also has averaged 2 steals per game each of the past two seasons.
These are not just four gets to rebuild the rotation: These are four significant adds that each would have felt seismic on their own. The fact that all four are headed to the same team takes the Terrapins from middle of the pack to a true conference contender when pairing them with Shyanne Sellers, Bri McDaniel and co.
Michigan
Out (6): Chyra Evans, Laila Phelia, Elise Stuck, Cameron Williams, Taylor Williams, Taylor Woodson
In (1): Ally VanTimmeren (Boston College)
On the other side, no team in the Big Ten has lost more players than the Wolverines, and these departures are *significant*. Of players that were eligible to return for Michigan next season, the players leaving were ranked No. 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 in win shares in 2023-24. That’s hard to replace, but there’s a likely reason for it.
The Wolverines are bringing in what is undoubtedly the most important freshman class in program history — a five-player class highlighted by a pair of five-star in Olivia Olson and Syla Swords. That means some space would have to be created, though I’m sure Kim Barnes Arico would have preferred to keep more of the core than Michigan has so far.
Phelia is the largest loss, arguably in the entire Big Ten. She’s a true No. 1 option who can be the star almost anywhere she goes. I would have loved to see her play next to Olson and Swords, but I’m also curious to see where she lands because she’s a program-shifting type of player.
Thus far, Michigan has added one player to counteract some of the departures, Boston College’s Ally VanTimmeren. She did not play in 2023-24, but has 27 starts to her name and averaged 5.7 PPG in her last full season with the team. I’m sure the Wolverines aren’t done retooling, but it will be interesting how they handle the portal considering the young talent that’s on the way.
Wisconsin
Out (5): Sania Copeland, Ana Guillen, Imbie Jones, Tessa Towers, Sacia Vanderpool
In: None
The Badgers are next in the Big Ten with five exits, but Wisconsin has yet to make any adds to counteract this.
The losses aren’t as immediately devastating as Michigan’s, but they hurt in a different way: All five that leave were either a freshman or sophomore last season. That’s a whole lot of potential gone in an instant.
Lots of time left, but Wisconsin did end last year’s transfer window without a single addition, so I will start to get concerned if the “In” total stays at zero for much longer.
Iowa
Out: None
In (1): Lucy Olsen (Villanova)
When the one move that has been made is this significant, it warrants a spot in this post.
Lisa Bluder has a monumental task ahead of her for the 2024-25 season. Replacing Caitlin Clark on its own would be enough to make it an impossible task, but adding the losses of Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall means that the Hawkeyes are losing a combined 414 starts at guard.
Well, getting Lucy Olsen is about as good of a start as Bluder could have hoped for. No one scored more than Clark last year, but Clark was one of three players that scored more than Olsen did at Villanova in 2023-24. Her 23.3 PPG on 43.8-percent shooting is huge to keep the Hawkeyes offense flying next year, and she also is a solid playmaker (3.8 APG) and defender (1.9 SPG) to add to the picture.
If there are no transfers out, Olsen would put Iowa at 15 rostered players thanks to a five-player freshman class that will help to keep the Hawkeyes extremely promising for the near future. I’m hoping Iowa’s starting guard trio is Olsen-Taylor McCabe-Sydney Affolter, because man that sounds fun. Regardless, you should expect the Hawkeyes to continue to be a good team in the post-Clark world.
Oregon
Out (4): Kennedy Basham, Chance Gray, Grace VanSlooten, Priscilla Williams
In (2): Salimatou Kourouma (Arizona), Elisa Mevius (Siena)
The first analysis of the year for one of the Big Ten’s four new teams is less positive than I was hoping for, but alas, Oregon appears to be in a bit of a mess right now.
The Ducks transfer pandemonium has continued this year with four more players leaving, three of which were consistent starters. Gray and VanSlooten led the team in points last season and were the most promising pieces of Oregon’s future as sophomores. Now, both are gone, with the bright side being that both ended up at different Big Ten teams: Gray at Ohio State and VanSlooten at Michigan State.
None of this helps Oregon obviously, who will now have to play against its two best players from a year ago in regular season games. The two additions certainly add some intrigue though: Kourouma was a star at Little Rock (16.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG in 2022-23), but only played in 13 games at Arizona before getting season-ending shoulder surgery. Mevius was a solid scorer (12.0 PPG), but stuffs the stat sheet like few others can with 6.8 RPG, 5.1 APG and an unbelievable 4.5 steals per game, second-best in the nation to Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo. She is going to be a menace in the Big Ten for this Ducks team.
Oregon is fresh off its worst season in ages, and it’ll be a difficult road to get back up. However, I do really like both of these early transfer portal adds, so there’s some hope to be found in Eugene.
There’s been a lot more action than this in the Big Ten, and while I believe these teams have been the most involved, here are some other highlights worth noting:
Ohio State had three transfers out, with guard Rikki Harris being the most significant, but the adds of Oregon’s Gray and Kentucky’s Ajae Petty are huge. I think the Buckeyes have retooled well for another run.
Michigan State was the other Big Ten benefactor from Oregon, and that VanSlooten addition is MASSIVE for this program. This transfer portal has hit the Spartans too, though, and replacing DeeDee Hagemann at point guard will be extremely difficult.
Penn State not only has to replace Makenna Marisa and Ashley Owusu, it now also has to replace Shay Ciezki and Leilani Kapinus, who have left in the portal. That’s, more or less, the entire heart of the Nittany Lions gone, and I don’t suspect the rebuild will be easy. That said, I do like the one add they have made: Bellarmine’s Gracie Merkle, who finished her freshman year with 14.6 PPG, 10.1 RPG and 2.1 BPG on 70.1-percent shooting.
Indiana and UCLA are the only teams without a move made in the portal thus far either direction. It’s a great sign for both programs to have avoided a portal entrant, and that also means both can be more selective in making an add that can take them to the next level. The Hoosiers feel like they have more wiggle room than the Bruins though, as UCLA has retained its core while also adding three top-30 recruits in the 2024 class.
OK, Hoopla 40 next week. For real this time. Also, Go Cavs, Let ‘Em Know, etc.
Photo Credit: Rutgers Athletics
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In contrast to Iowa maxed out at 15 scholarships, Indiana currently sits at 11. I know Moren doesn't play a deep bench, but it would seem they should take at least 1 or 2 more.
It sounds like Shay Ciezki made a visit to Indiana. And with just 1 post player with B10 experience, it seems like another big would be a good get, despite the 2 incoming freshmen.
UCLA has Iwuala in the portal. https://twitter.com/TaliaGoodmanWBB/status/1781430804599763250?s=19
Iowa and Indiana are two of only 3 team in the country with no one in the portal (the other is Duke).