Transfer portal makes recruiting resemble the ‘Wild, Wild, West,’ Bill Self says

As of Thursday afternoon, a grand total of 1,270 men’s college basketball players had entered the NCAA transfer portal.

That group included Tristan Enaruna, Tyon Grant-Foster, Gethro Muscadin and Latrell Jossell off Kansas’ 2020-21 roster as well as Missouri Southern graduate transfer Cam Martin and Drake sophomore Joseph Yesuwu, who have committed to play at KU in 2021-22.

It’s believed all will be immediately eligible as the NCAA is expected to allow all transfers a one-time opportunity to be able to play from Day One at their transfer destination rather than having to sit out a year.

“I think it’s too early to tell exactly the impact it’ll have,” KU coach Bill Self said of the transfer portal’s effect on recruiting. He was speaking Wednesday on his final Hawk Talk radio show of the school year. “Whenever there are going to be 1,500 or whatever the final number will be of kids leaving because the grass is greener somewhere else … what you have to understand is every time a youngster leaves then you have an opportunity to maybe improve your own self, too.”

Self said that if in the future all players are granted immediate eligibility after leaving one school for another, it would “be constant free agency.”

“It’s like, ‘This kid hit .330 (in baseball analogy) this year, but you know what, if he leaves I think this (other) kid may hit .345 and he may be available.’ If you get him then you don’t feel you’ve missed out,” Self said.

“With the ability to come and go as you please, there’s not going to be that same loyalty as when you said, ‘Hey when things get hard let’s fight through some stuff.’ It’s going to be, ‘When things get hard let’s go somewhere it’s not quite as hard.’ That’s how some people will look at it.

“Of course some people do need to transfer. Some people need to go to a place maybe where the opportunities are different. That’s certainly the case. It’ll be the Wild, Wild West, at least temporarily,” Self added.

KU’s recruiting Class of 2021 currently consists of Martin and Yesuwu of the transfer portal as well as juco transfer Sydney Curry and high schoolers Bobby Pettiford, Zach Clemence and KJ Adams.

The Jayhawks have one scholarship available after Jossell’s decision Thursday. They are recruiting Creighton forward Christian Bishop, South Dakota wing Stanley Umude and high school senior point guard Ty Ty Washington.

“This is a weird time in recruiting,” Self said. “When you talk about recruiting, you usually talk about, ‘We are going to identify them as sophomores and court them until they are seniors and they make a decision going into their senior year.’ It’s a long process.

“Now the recruiting process is, ‘OK, who is in the portal? Let’s call that person and figure out who his key people are — three Zoom calls and hopefully by the end of the week this kid is gonna make a decision. How long is he going to drag it out, geez it’s been a week,’” Self added with a laugh.

Some have said being able to transfer and be eligible immediately is only fair for players, considering coaches can leave one school for another and not have to sit out a year.

“Nobody is downplaying the importance of doing what is in the best interest of the student-athlete,” Self said. “But by doing this, it is a situation where the best high school players are still going to be recruited very, very hard, but maybe the guys that are just on the outside of being the best, a coach may say, ‘Are you better off getting a freshman that you are taking a chance on, or better off finding a guy two years (into college in portal) who actually has a proven track record?’ There’s things like that that will change the philosophy and how people go about it,” Self noted.

Self was asked on Hawk Talk if his new “lifetime” contract with KU will benefit him in recruiting.

“I would think it’s going to help quite a bit,” Self said. “It’s played well so far. It’s helped us so far. This is a weird time in recruiting. When you talk about recruiting it’s totally different now. I do think it’s been very beneficial so far.”

The five-year rollover contract has bolstered Self’s spirits as well.

“The appreciation and support that showed me, I mean it’s got my batteries charged. I’m on fire right now and I think a lot of people on our staff are as well,” Self said.

Muscadin update

Muscadin, a 6-10, 220-pound freshman forward from Haiti, on Wednesday had a Zoom recruiting call with coaches from Wichita State, according to Endless Motor Sports. He’s also heard from coaches from Rutgers, New Mexico, UNLV, Colorado State, Sam Houston and UT-San Antonio, Endless Motor Sports reports.

Anniversary talk

It was 13 years ago Wednesday that KU defeated Memphis, 75-68, in overtime for the national title.

“I was there in San Antonio,” new KU athletic director Travis Goff said on Hawk Talk. “We had found our way into upgrading into the corner. No thanks to the Williams Fund,” he cracked, “we had to navigate to get some good seats in there (Alamodome). We had amazing seats. I was with my dad and my brothers.”

That’s the game, of course, in which Mario Chalmers’ three-pointer sent the game into OT.

“It was a moment and an evening certainly I’ll never forget,” added the 41-year-old Goff, a KU grad from Dodge City. He would have been 28 at the time.

“I’m glad there wasn’t social media and the ease of cellphones and all those good things, because we had some fun that evening celebrating at the Riverwalk,” he stated, laughing. “It was a great night and will always be ingrained in my KU memories.”