With the portal’s dead period in progress and transfers not permitted to take visits until next Thursday, we’ve started to see our first round of official commitments.
Friday saw a handful of former top-100 prospects announce their destinations out of the portal, along with a couple of new entries from significant prospects.
So, here are some of the biggest storylines you may have missed from the transfer cycle Friday, thanks to a partnership with The Portal Report.
Former Iowa Standout Stays Close by With Creighton Commitment
Iowa 6-foot-6 junior guard Josh Dix averaged career-highs of 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists this season. After entering the portal following the departure of coach Fran McCaffery, Dix had interest from Alabama, Auburn, Louisville, Michigan State and Tennessee before committing to Creighton on Friday.
Dix is from Council Bluffs, Iowa, which is right across the Missouri River from Omaha, where Creighton is located.
America East Newcomer of the Year is Making a Return to the A10
Bryant 6-foot-8 junior forward Barry Evans was the 2024-25 America East Newcomer of the Year after transferring from St. Bonaventure, where he had struggled to find minutes. He averaged 13.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game on an NCAA Tournament team. Evans is headed back to the Atlantic 10 Conference, following Bulldogs coach Phil Martelli Jr. to VCU.
2024-25 All-SEC Selection Commits to Providence in the Big East
Vanderbilt 6-foot-1 junior guard Jason Edwards was a big reason the Commodores made the NCAA field this season. He averaged 17.0 points, shot 83.1 percent from the line and was a third-team All-SEC selection. Now Edwards is on the move again.
After stints at Dodge City (Kan.) CC, North Texas and Vanderbilt, Edwards announced Friday he is heading to Providence.
Godfrey Marks One of the Offseason’s First “Marfo” Transfers
After the 2020 season, Quinnipiac’s Kevin Marfo transferred to Texas A&M. But he scored just 45 points in 17 games for the Aggies, and after that season, he headed back to Quinnipiac and thus (to some, at least) birthed the phrase “He did a Marfo.”
Friday, Georgia 6-foot-8 junior forward RJ Godfrey “did a Marfo,” transferring back to Clemson, where he played from 2022-2024.
Alabama Receives Commitment From Florida State Big Man
Former national top-100 high school prospect Taylor Bol Bowen is on his way to Alabama. Bol Bowen, a 6-foot-10 sophomore forward who left Florida State, announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide after taking official visits to USC, SMU and Alabama.
Bol Bowen, who attended powerhouse Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, averaged 8.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in a breakout season with the Seminoles; he was one of the ACC’s top defensive talents.
Miami Coach Jai Lucas Secures Big Man from Portal
Another former top-100 prospect is on the move, as 6-foot-11 junior center Ernest Udeh Jr. officially committed to new coach Jai Lucas at Miami after spending time at Kansas, then TCU.
This season, Udeh – who went to Orlando Dr. Phillips with Florida’s Denzel Aberdeen and Mississippi State transfer Riley Kugel – showed vast improvements with the Horned Frogs, averaging 6.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks while starting every game.
San Francisco Loses 2024-25 All-WCC First Teamer to Portal
After two years at USC and never averaging more than 2.4 points per game, 6-foot-4 senior guard Malik Thomas exploded onto the scene for San Francisco. This season, Thomas was an All-WCC first-team selection by averaging 19.9 points per game and helping lead the Dons to a 25-10 record. He officially entered the portal Friday, with a move back to a high-major program potentially on the horizon.
Following the departure of Thomas, San Francisco responded by announcing the signing of 6-foot-6 sophomore wing Mookie Cook, an Oregon transfer and a former national top-50 high school prospect. Cook averaged just 1.1 points per game in 24 appearances this season.
Another Former Iowa Standout Stays Close by at Nebraska
Pryce Sandfort, a 6-foot-7 sophomore forward, has officially announced his transfer to Nebraska after two seasons at Iowa. He averaged 8.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game and shot 40 percent from three this season, making 30 starts.
Maryland Standout Heading Back Home to Tennessee
Tennessee has picked up the transfer commitment from 6-foot-1 junior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who was Maryland’s point guard this season. Gillespie, from Greeneville, Tenn., played his first two seasons at Belmont and now is returning to his home state. He received interest from numerous high majors.
Georgia Tech’s Top Point Guard Heading to Syracuse
Sophomore guard Naithan George, a 6-foot-3 native of Toronto, was one of the ACC’s most productive point guards this season for Georgia Tech, as he averaged 12.3 points and a league-best 6.5 assists per game. He announced Friday he was transferring to Syracuse after receiving from the likes of Arizona State, Gonzaga, Louisville, Oklahoma State and Stanford.
Former Oklahoma Guard Announces Several Upcoming Visits
Since entering the portal, 6-foot-2 redshirt senior guard Duke Miles – who started every game for Oklahoma this season after transferring from High Point – heard from a plethora of high majors, including Vanderbilt, Creighton, Missouri, Seton Hall, Virginia Tech and Ole Miss. But Miles announced Friday that he has official visits lined up after the dead period with Virginia, Memphis, Penn State and DePaul.
For more information on the transfer portal, check out The Portal Report’s Transfer Portal Fan Tracker here
