We have our Sweet 16 locked! And while that should’ve been the biggest focus for college hoops fans right now, the buzz has shifted—big time—to the transfer portal. And honestly, how could it not? Just look at the impact in recent years: Hunter Dickinson, Hailey Van Lith, Kiki Iriafen, to name a few, all game-changers through the portal. It’s no longer just a secondary storyline; it’s become THE turning point for teams and players alike.

But this time, things hit differently. Why? First, the NCAA decided to tweak the process. The portal opened a week later than last year, meaning it no longer overlapped with the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Oh, and they also shrunk the transfer window from 45 days to just 30. (opened on March 24 and will close on April 22.)

Now, here’s the real difference. The sheer volume of names entering the portal. You remember last year’s madness, right? Nearly 300 names flooded in on Day 1, setting a record. Well, guess what? That record is toast.

On opening day, approx. 750 players entered the transfer portal. Add in the 226 who were already in due to coaching changes or grad transfer status (which doesn’t follow the same rules), and currently, per CBS, the number has already surpassed 1000. Yes, THOUSAND players!

For context, last year’s total by the time the portal closed was around 2,100. And we’re already halfway there. That also accounts for approximately 16% of all D1 scholarship players. Now, you might be wondering, what’s driving this? Well, NIL, obviously. With more money on the table than ever before, no player or program is off-limits. This could easily turn into the most talent-loaded transfer cycle we’ve ever seen. 

As for names to watch, on the men’s side, some big names hitting the portal include Donovan Dent (New Mexico), Bryce Hopkins (Providence), Owen Freeman (Iowa), Tucker DeVries (West Virginia), Justin Pippen (Michigan), Quimari Peterson (ETSU), Nick Davidson (Nevada), and Malik Reneau (Indiana).

And for the women, keep an eye on Serah Williams, Taliah Scott (Auburn), Rachael Rose (Wofford), Katie Davidson (IU Indy), and Caitlin Weimar (NC State)—just to name a few. And that’s just scratching the surface. With plenty of time left in the window, could we see even bigger names on the list?

For now, though, Dent has to be the headliner.

Why Donovan Dent is the name lighting up the transfer portal and where he might land

The transfer portal is already a madhouse, but if there’s one name stealing the early spotlight, it’s Donovan Dent. The New Mexico guard just led his team to an NCAA tournament win, and now he’s hitting the portal for his final year of eligibility. And trust me, he’s going to have a lot of teams knocking at his door.

Now, there’s a chance he stays put at New Mexico. But when you’re a high-level point guard in a sport where elite PGs are basically gold, schools (and their NIL backers) are going to come calling fast. Ranked 30th-best player in March Madness this year, the 6’2” guard is one of the fastest players in the country, a crafty passer, and a much-improved scorer.

This season, he put up 20.4 points per game, knocked down 40.9% of his threes (on low volume, but still), and had an assist rate that ranked in the top 25 in Division I. Basically, he’s a guy you want running your offense.

In the tournament, Dent showed why he’s so valuable—dropping 21 points, six assists, and a couple of blocks in New Mexico’s first-round win over Marquette. He followed that up with 14 points and six assists in a tough loss to Michigan State.

So, where does he go from here? Let’s take some wild guesses. Kentucky could be the first option, with Lamont Butler and Koby Brea moving on. Also, we already know Mark Pope’s been making some big moves in the transfer portal. North Carolina is another intriguing fit with RJ Davis gone, and UNC loves to play fast. 

Texas Tech could be in the mix too, given that Dent’s former teammate JT Toppin had a fantastic season there. And obviously, you can’t rule out SEC powerhouses like Alabama and Florida, both of which need to replace key guards and have deep pockets when it comes to NIL.

But really, Dent has no shortage of options. Other schools that could be in the mix, think Texas, Arizona, Louisville, St. John’s, maybe even UConn. The point is, all are possibilities. 

It’s all going to come down to what he values most in his next stop… and how much they’re willing to pay. After the season he just had, we can bet that Dent is about to cash in and make a major impact wherever he goes.