All Things 2026 Transfer Portal Thread

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FinnGopher said:
Any of you Twitter jockeys have some 7 foot centers to show us? These 6'3" guys are a dime a dozen and we need 6'9" and above here in Minnesota.
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I'd be willing to wager that - barring a transfer of Vaihola, Grove, or JCJ - Medved only takes one post player in the portal. They will definitely take more of the "dime a dozen" guys given roster needs and playing style.
 

bga1 said:
I think all of that is true. However, the mid majors will never again have talented teams with experience. The best will not stay. I agree that they will be able to get higher rated frosh than in the past- as will teams like Minnesota. The top 20 NIL teams will take the best of the HS crop (top 50 or so) and the best of the experienced high level college talent.
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It is an interesting merry go round with no restrictions on the number of transfers.

Mid majors are full of guys who were overlooked out of high school or who failed to make an impact in one of the power conferences.

If a player blows up at the mid major level they are almost certain to move up the food chain but they will be replaced by talented athletes who just couldn't make it work for one reason or another at a more prestigious program.

It is crazy to see the number of guys in basketball that have played at 4-5 different schools. Happens in football as well but to a lesser degree then it does in basketball.
 





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Never seen Vaaks play but a 6-7 freshman averaging 15-16 ppg in the Big East is probably out of our budget. He's thinking SEC, Michigan, Indiana money.
 


60's Guy said:
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Never seen Vaaks play but a 6-7 freshman averaging 15-16 ppg in the Big East is probably out of our budget. He's thinking SEC, Michigan, Indiana money.
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You have no idea what our budget is. It's not as bad as people like to think. And, we aren't going to have a ton of openings with returning players.
 




Tucker32 said:
You have no idea what our budget is. It's not as bad as people like to think. And, we aren't going to have a ton of openings with returning players.
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1. I have no idea what our budget is...correct. 2. Whaterever it is ... 25 teams minimum have more money to spend. 3. One would think as late as Tyson signed he was looking for a decent amount of money....we gave it to him. We do have that money to spend but he was also an under the radar signing...not highly sought after. So, it probably was one third or less what Vaaks will command.
4. We need to create some openings to be competitive and spend on better players. 5.Plus, Durkin, JCJ, and Vaihola will require more money to stay. 6. Asuma needs a raise to some level of acceptance. 7. Reynolds, I doubt was highly paid...worth every penny of what he received.

My point, whatever money we have it ain't elite bidding war money. (I have never seen Vaaks play...maybe he is attainable...can he defend? Is he a good teammate? But, if the teams with money go after a guy...we are not going to be able to outbid at least 25 teams.) I do know we are not all of a sudden on a budget level with Texas Tech, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, BYU, and on and on.
 

60's Guy said:
1. I have no idea what our budget is...correct. 2. Whaterever it is ... 25 teams minimum have more money to spend. 3. One would think as late as Tyson signed he was looking for a decent amount of money....we gave it to him. We do have that money to spend but he was also an under the radar signing...not highly sought after. So, it probably was one third or less what Vaaks will command.
4. We need to create some openings to be competitive and spend on better players. 5.Plus, Durkin, JCJ, and Vaihola will require more money to stay. 6. Asuma needs a raise to some level of acceptance. 7. Reynolds, I doubt was highly paid...worth every penny of what he received.

My point, whatever money we have it ain't elite bidding war money. (I have never seen Vaaks play...maybe he is attainable...can he defend? Is he a good teammate? But, if the teams with money go after a guy...we are not going to be able to outbid at least 25 teams.) I do know we are not all of a sudden on a budget level with Texas Tech, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, BYU, and on and on.
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We are a lot better off than you think.
 

Scottsdale Gopher said:
I'd be willing to wager that - barring a transfer of Vaihola, Grove, or JCJ - Medved only takes one post player in the portal. They will definitely take more of the "dime a dozen" guys given roster needs and playing style.
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I would agree with that.
 

Spottedmuskie said:
Eh, so he could come here and average 2 and 1?

Doesn't shoot the 3 and Niko wants bigs to stretch the floor like Cade and JCJ
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All Defensive team conference player with size... Depending on how well he passes and finishes, he could do well in Niko's system. Vaihola was slated to be our starter at the 5; take a wild guess at how many 3s he's attempted in his career (I'll give you a hint: he's not a floor stretcher). Cade never played the 5, and JCJ did out of desperation more than anything.
 







Tucker32 said:
We are a lot better off than you think.
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Are you talking available money to spend or the returning talent on the roster?
If we had a significant amount of money to spend last year why did Kyan Evans go to North Carolina for significantly more money? Why didn't we spend it better and have more talent - even on paper - ignoring injuries?
So, if you are aware of a huge budget increase in spending money for basketball tell us what you know.
We already know it is more than it was for Ben but not what it is in many other places. Somewhere around our conference finish is what I think we have to spend...Oregon has more. USC has more.
 

60's Guy said:
Are you talking available money to spend or the returning talent on the roster?
If we had a significant amount of money to spend last year why did Kyan Evans go to North Carolina for significantly more money? Why didn't we spend it better and have more talent - even on paper - ignoring injuries?
So, if you are aware of a huge budget increase in spending money for basketball tell us what you know.
We already know it is more than it was for Ben but not what it is in many other places. Somewhere around our conference finish is what I think we have to spend...Oregon has more. USC has more.
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Donors saw Niko this year and liked what they saw. They weren't as sure last season before he ever coached a game here. Many donors holding out because they didn't trust Ben, now they're ready to open the check books
 

Spottedmuskie said:
Donors saw Niko this year and liked what they saw. They weren't as sure last season before he ever coached a game here. Many donors holding out because they didn't trust Ben, now they're ready to open the check books
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Sounds good but we have no evidence to this point. And to date Minnesota donors write $10,000 checks while the schools who are serious write checks for millions of dollars. We don't have these guys:
Major college sports donors, or "boosters," are often billionaires providing hundreds of millions to fund facilities, coaches, and NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) efforts. Key figures include Phil Knight (Oregon, $1B+), David Booth (Kansas, $300M+), Greg and Dawn Williams (Michigan State, $401M+), and Les Wexner (Ohio State, $200M+), who drive competitive advantage for their institutions.
Sportico.com +4
Top Individual Donors and Key Boosters
  • Phil Knight (Oregon): The Nike founder has given over $1 billion to the University of Oregon, covering both academic and massive athletic facility upgrades.
  • Greg and Dawn Williams (Michigan State): Pledged a record-breaking $401 million in 2025 for a transformational gift.
  • David Booth (Kansas): Donated $300 million to the University of Kansas, largely impacting football stadium renovations and future athletic sustainability.
  • Les Wexner (Ohio State): Has personally donated over $200 million to Ohio State, supporting the university and its athletics.
  • Jimmy Haslam (Tennessee): Has given over $120 million to the University of Tennessee, heavily influencing football and supporting coaching decisions.
  • T. Boone Pickens (Oklahoma State): Renowned for a $165 million donation in 2005, setting an early standard for massive, single-donor contributions to athletics.
    YouTube +6
Key Schools/Programs with Massive Donor Support
  • Oregon: $969M+ (largely via Knight).
  • Texas: $766M (backed by the Longhorn Foundation).
  • Kansas: $300M (driven by Booth).
  • Michigan State: $401M (via Williams).
  • Ohio State: $200M+ (via Wexner).
 

Tucker32 said:
You have no idea what our budget is. It's not as bad as people like to think. And, we aren't going to have a ton of openings with returning players.
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That guy is worth more than anyone on our roster
 

60's Guy said:
Sounds good but we have no evidence to this point. And to date Minnesota donors write $10,000 checks while the schools who are serious write checks for millions of dollars. We don't have these guys:
Major college sports donors, or "boosters," are often billionaires providing hundreds of millions to fund facilities, coaches, and NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) efforts. Key figures include Phil Knight (Oregon, $1B+), David Booth (Kansas, $300M+), Greg and Dawn Williams (Michigan State, $401M+), and Les Wexner (Ohio State, $200M+), who drive competitive advantage for their institutions.
Sportico.com +4
Top Individual Donors and Key Boosters
  • Phil Knight (Oregon): The Nike founder has given over $1 billion to the University of Oregon, covering both academic and massive athletic facility upgrades.
  • Greg and Dawn Williams (Michigan State): Pledged a record-breaking $401 million in 2025 for a transformational gift.
  • David Booth (Kansas): Donated $300 million to the University of Kansas, largely impacting football stadium renovations and future athletic sustainability.
  • Les Wexner (Ohio State): Has personally donated over $200 million to Ohio State, supporting the university and its athletics.
  • Jimmy Haslam (Tennessee): Has given over $120 million to the University of Tennessee, heavily influencing football and supporting coaching decisions.
  • T. Boone Pickens (Oklahoma State): Renowned for a $165 million donation in 2005, setting an early standard for massive, single-donor contributions to athletics.
    YouTube +6
Key Schools/Programs with Massive Donor Support
  • Oregon: $969M+ (largely via Knight).
  • Texas: $766M (backed by the Longhorn Foundation).
  • Kansas: $300M (driven by Booth).
  • Michigan State: $401M (via Williams).
  • Ohio State: $200M+ (via Wexner).
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No mention of Duke or UNC? They've been paying players for years. Who paid Zion Williamson to switch from Clemson?

Who paid former Minnesota Timberwolves player Jeff Teague $50k to attend Wake Forest?
 




60's Guy said:
Are you talking available money to spend or the returning talent on the roster?
If we had a significant amount of money to spend last year why did Kyan Evans go to North Carolina for significantly more money? Why didn't we spend it better and have more talent - even on paper - ignoring injuries?
So, if you are aware of a huge budget increase in spending money for basketball tell us what you know.
We already know it is more than it was for Ben but not what it is in many other places. Somewhere around our conference finish is what I think we have to spend...Oregon has more. USC has more.
Click to expand...
There was definitely an uptick in donations once Niko replaced Ben, but I would say we still have a long way to go, the situation has certainly improved but we're not winning a bidding war with the big guns just yet, but fortunately basketball a sport where there are a lot of good players and if you have a plan and know what you want you can find pieces that fit well together, just going to have a thinner margin for error
 


The Deliberate Stranger said:
There was definitely an uptick in donations once Niko replaced Ben, but I would say we still have a long way to go, the situation has certainly improved but we're not winning a bidding war with the big guns just yet, but fortunately basketball a sport where there are a lot of good players and if you have a plan and know what you want you can find pieces that fit well together, just going to have a thinner margin for error
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Exactly.

There was only a handful of teams he listed and we need to focus on what we can control/our lane and what we have to sell to prospective players.
 



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