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Hickey: Biggest transfer portal gains for each Big Ten men’s basketball team
By Alex Hickey
Published:
The spring deadline has come and gone for college basketball’s transfer portal.
Not every player in the portal has selected their new destination, but at this point any player moving on to a new team next season must be in the system.
For the most part, the decisions have been made.
Things may not quite be set in stone, but they are set in rapidly drying cement. Although as Caleb Love demonstrated this week, it’s still possible to wriggle out from rapidly drying cement.
Outside of Michigan, which now has an unexpected vacancy after we learned Love isn’t on the way, it’s quite likely every Big Ten program has already made its biggest offseason roster move via the portal.
These are the top transfers added by each B1G team this spring — with one notable exception.
Illinois: SF Marcus Domask (Southern Illinois)
Domask is just the third player in Southern Illinois history to lead the team in scoring (15.1 points per game), rebounds (5.3 rpg) and assists (3.1 apg) in the same season. Not even Walt Frazier pulled that off.
Domask will play a vital role for the Illini, who will have a largely new-look lineup next season.
Indiana: C Kel’el Ware (Oregon)
The former 5-star recruit is tasked with taking Trayce Jackson-Davis’ spot in the lineup, though IU fans shouldn’t expect a reprise of Jackson-Davis’ low-post offensive skill-set.
Ware, like Jackson-Davis, is a strong shot blocker. But he can also be a shot taker — Ware attempted 55 3-pointers as a freshman, compared to 3 career 3-point attempts for Jackson-Davis.
Iowa: PF Ben Krikke (Valparaiso)
Krikke is a 3-time all-Missouri Valley Conference player who averaged 19.4 points per game last year while shooting 55.2% from the field. He will fit perfectly into Filip Rebraca’s shoes — and potentially leave behind an even bigger pair for whoever replaces him.
Maryland: SF Jordan Geronimo (Indiana)
Geronimo is arguably already the Big Ten’s most entertaining dunker, and now he’ll be taking those jams across the conference.
Geronimo’s severe drop in minutes after January shows that he fell out of favor with Mike Woodson, but he’s capable of bringing the Terrapins plenty of energy off the bench.
Michigan: CG Nimari Burnett (Alabama)
In the wake of Love’s stunning development, Burnett becomes the top transfer Juwan Howard has added this offseason.
Burnett figured to be used as a wing or shooting guard, but with Love out of the picture there’s also a chance he’ll help with point guard duties.
Michigan is already Burnett’s 3rd stop after Alabama and Texas Tech. He gave both teams solid minutes off the bench defensively but hasn’t been asked to do much as a scorer.
Michigan State: N/A
The Spartans haven’t added a single transfer this offseason. However, that’s no reason to panic, because it speaks to why Michigan State is the favorite to win the Big Ten next season.
With Tyson Walker, AJ Hoggard and Jaden Akins returning to East Lansing and 5-star center Xavier Booker joining the cast, there was no need for Tom Izzo to seek additional outside help.
Minnesota: PG Mike Mitchell Jr. (Pepperdine)
The Gophers need a miracle to be competitive next year, and their new point guard from Pepperdine probably won’t be enough to provide that service. But Mitchell will at least improve Minnesota’s backcourt.
Mitchell averaged 11.4 points, 5 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game for the Waves while hitting 44% of his 3-point attempts. For a Minnesota team that appeared to shoot blindfolded last season, that’s a good addition.
Nebraska: PF Rienk Mast (Bradley)
Another all-MVC player making the move up to the B1G, Mast led the Missouri Valley in rebounding last season. The Dutchman added 13.1 ppg to go with his 8 rebounds per game.
Mast will fill the vacancy left by Derrick Walker, who completed his Nebraska career with an all-Big Ten season.
Northwestern: SG Ryan Langborg (Princeton)
Langborg was the leader of Princeton’s surprise run to the Sweet 16, averaging 18.7 points per game in the NCAA Tournament. But because Ivy League rules prohibit grad students from playing sports, Princeton’s loss is now Northwestern’s gain.
The Wildcats were defensively great in reaching their 2nd-ever NCAA Tournament but could fall into deep offensive ruts. Langborg will help solve that issue and is a perfect complement to returning super-senior point guard Boo Buie.
Ohio State: SF Jamison Battle (Minnesota)
Battle solves Chris Holtmann’s biggest offseason need. Battle was arguably Minnesota’s 2nd-best player last season, averaging 12.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. And on Ohio State’s roster, Battle can be just another piece of the puzzle instead of a lead dog.
Penn State: PG Ace Baldwin (VCU)
Baldwin is following coach Mike Rhoades from Virginia Commonwealth to Happy Valley.
The 2023 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, Baldwin is the best player who will suit up for Penn State next season. He averaged 12.7 points, 5.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game in leading the Rams back to the NCAA Tournament.
Purdue: SG Lance Jones (Southern Illinois)
Jones is Purdue’s best transfer portal addition by default. But there’s very good reason Matt Painter went back to his old stomping grounds for his lone transfer.
Jones can score — he averaged 13.8 points per game last season — but he can also get the job done at the other end of the floor. Jones is a two-time all-MVC defensive player.
Fletcher Loyer still has work to do defensively, so Jones can give Purdue quality defensive minutes from the bench or play alongside Loyer and Braden Smith.
Rutgers: PG Noah Fernandes (UMass)
If you’re tough enough to play for Frank Martin, you’re tough enough to play for Steve Pikiell. Heck, playing for Pikiell is probably going to feel like being on summer vacation even during a New Jersey January.
Fernandes led the Minutemen with 14.9 ppg and 5.3 apg. He’ll come off the bench if Paul Mulcahy drops out of the NBA Draft, though his presence would also allow Pikiell to move Mulcahy out to the wing.
Wisconsin: SG AJ Storr (St. John’s)
The AJ Storr called, and they’re running out of … shooting guards?
Storr is well-traveled. After attending 4 different high schools, Wisconsin will be his second college home. But perhaps this one will stick. Madison is about an hour from his native Rockford, Ill., so this is as close to home as he can get in a power conference.
Storr, who averaged 8.8 ppg in just 21 minutes per game for the Red Storm, was a Big East all-freshman team selection. His addition could be an indicator that Greg Gard would like to up the tempo as he did in 2022 before reverting to a more typical Wisconsin offense last season.
Alex Hickey is an award-winning writer who has watched Big Ten sports since it was a numerically accurate description of league membership. Alex has covered college football and basketball since 2008, with stops on the McNeese State, LSU and West Virginia beats before being hired as Saturday Tradition's Big Ten columnist in 2021. He is an Illinois native and 2004 Indiana University graduate.