News Bits
Travis Branham: "NEWS: 2025 four-star PF Trent MacLean, the son of UCLA legend Don MacLean, has committed to Saint Mary’s, he tells 247Sports. Former West Virginia signee."
I am being mean and to a degree unfair here but coming out of southern California, planning first to go to college in the state of West Virginia and now heading to Moraga has to be akin to walking on the beach, then stepping on a rusty nail only to find just below that nail is a pot o' gold. MacLean is 6-foot-9, 200 and the prototypical Gael in that he will continue to develop and be a solid NBA prospect by the time he is a senior, NIL $$$ notwithstanding. Apparently, God is indeed a Gael.
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Verbal Commits: "Former Iowa F Chris Tadjo is transferring to Santa Clara."
With Montreal as his hometown but originally from Africa, the 6-foot-8, 240 pound Tadjo is a sophomore-to-be who played very little to date.
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"Cal men's basketball lands Syracuse wing Chris Bell in the transfer portal" -- Write For California
Bell is coming home, being a De La Salle High graduate.
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Tobias Bass: "NEWS: UC Davis guard TY Johnson plans to enter the transfer, he tells TheAthleticCBB. He averaged of 21.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game."
Johnson played under tremendous pressure all season as the guy who had to score 20+ points per game and take pressure and pressured shots if Davis was to have a chance to win and he was the defensive target of opposing schemes and teams. He shot 38% overall and 29% from long distance but both those numbers will certainly improve if he is playing alongside a scoring center/forward and a good shooting wing/guard teammate. Hate to see him go but he deserves a big NIL payday.
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Jake Lieberman: "UC Merced (D2) guard Aidan Sevilla has entered the transfer portal. Averaged 8.3 points, 2.6 rebounds & 3.5 assists. Shot 41.0% 3PT. Conference Defensive Player of the Year."
Out of Dougherty Valley High and Regis University, the 6-foot-2 Sevilla also posted 89 assists to 43 turnovers. Might a D1 team with a couple of points producing guards bring in Sevilla for his defensive prowess alone?
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Sterling Mcclanahan: "After a great visit with my family I am blessed to receive my 1st Offer from UC Merced! Thank you to Coach Pham and the coaching staff!"
He is a 6-foot-3 sophomore out of Vanden High who averaged 14.8 points per game plus 4.2 rebounds for Las Positas College.
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7-foot-1 Mor (Prolific Prep) Seck has moved on from Fresno State to Towson University in Maryland. He was at Hawaii prior to Fresno. Seck didn't play all that much at either previous D1 home and I'm a little surprised he didn't drop down to D2 for the potential of greater playing time but there is a difference in scholarship funding and that likely was a factor in him remaining D1.
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Jake Lieberman: "2025 6'7 wing Marko Radunovic averaged 23.7 points, 10.7 rebounds & 6.3 assists this past weekend in France at the Cholet Mondial tournament. Prospect with lots of upside & versatility."
AND
Jake Lieberman: "Radunovic tels me that he's hearing from the following:
- Oklahoma State
- Tennessee
- Florida
- Arizona State
- Boise State
- Xavier
- Saint Mary's
- +"
Joe Tipton, one of the very few really top of the line recruiting reporters today, predicts Andrej Stojakovic will decide on attending Illinois. First Stanford, then California... but, if so, he would be choosing one of the nationally competitive basketball programs.
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"SPARTANS SIGN FORWARD DOUGLAS “JAMES” LANGFORD"
He's 6-foot-7, 215 and a very bright young man but will need time before being ready to consistently contribute. SJSU still needs a center even if 7-foot, 200 Adrame Diongue returns to the Spartans from the transfer portal.
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Sam Kayser: "Florida Atlantic forward Baba Miller is hearing from these schools since going portaling, source tells LeagueRD:
- Louisville
- Indiana
- Cincinnatti
- Memphis
- UConn
- Florida State
- Oklahoma State
- Ohio State
- BYU
- Kansas State
- Virginia
- Ole Miss
- California
- UNLV
- Seton Hall
- New Mexico
- South Florida
He averaged 11.3PPG, 7.0RPG and 2.7APG this season."
Coach Mark Madsen is facing major, major competition here.
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Dushawn London: "Old Dominion transfer Sean Durugordon has heard from the following programs per his reps SerosPartners. Averaged 15.7 points and 9.1 rebounds.
- UCF
- Cincinnati
- LMU
- Seton Hall
- Cal
- Stanford
- George Mason
- South Carolina"
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Transfer Portal for Playing Time: "CBB Transfer Portal Spotlight
- Jeremy Dent-Smith
- 6'1" 195
- Guard
- California State-Dominguez Hills
- 2024-25 Stats (33 Games):
- 18.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.1 APG, 43.0 FG%"
Dent-Smith also entered the transfer portal last season but returned to CSDH. He's not Nor Cal-connected but is an intriguing prospect. On the small side for a shooting guard but strong, Dent-Smith was named the CCAA Player of the Year in 2023-24 and this season he shot 43%, 35% and 82% (a very attractive 181 free throw attempts) on his way to scoring 19.0 points per game. Credited with 107 assists versus 92 turnovers, he also grabbed 53 steals. I see him as a second(or third)-on-the-team scorer in D1 where he would need to improve his shooting efficiency and reduce his ballhandling miscues.
But he's a young man who can explode for points and every D1 team in northern California could use his talents. But since he's a homegrown southern Californian, it's likely he'll remain down there either at a D1 school or in a return to Dominguez Hills. Have no clue what his NIL $$$ ask might be, let alone what he could in reality expect.
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Jake Lieberman: "6’11 UMass transfer Malek Abdelgowad is receiving interest from Pacific, Morehead State, Campbell, Northern Illinois, Incarnate Word & Bowling Green. Averaged 4.6 points & 5.0 rebounds."
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Sam Kayser: "Marshall transfer Dezayne Mingo has heard from these schools since going portaling, he told LeagueRD:
- St. John’s
- Georgetown
- Texas
- Texas A&M
- Ole Miss
- Ohio State
- Pitt
- Georgia
- Georgia Tech
- Seton Hall
- Vanderbilt
- George Washington
- New Mexico State
- Ball State
- Old Dominion
- Pacific
- FIU
- Charlotte
Mingo averaged 12.6PPG, 5.2APG and 4.7RPG this season for the Thundering Herd."
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Sam Kayser: "Kansas State transfer CJ Jones has heard from these schools since going portaling, a source told LeagueRDY:
- Indiana
- USC
- UNLV
- Mississippi State
- Seton Hall
- Virginia Tech
- DePaul
- Memphis
- New Mexico State
- Missouri State
- Sam Houston
- Pacific
- Sacramento State
- Georgia Tech
- South Florida
The 6-5 point guard averaged 5.7PPG, 1.7RPG and 1.5APG this season."
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365 Recruits: "Michigan G Jace Howard has entered the transfer portal. After playing in 10 games this season he medically redshirted. He has heard from the following schools:
- UMass
- Fordham
- Arizona State
- La Salle
- Sacramento State"
Howard's measurements are 6-foot-7, 215 pounds. He is the son of Juwan Howard.
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Gus Morris: "Rancho Cotate High has parted ways with head basketball coach Mike Washington after 8 seasons. Cougars had one of their winningest seasons in decades at 21-5 last year and Washington was named NBL-Redwood Coach of the Year. Surprising move to say the least."
Morris also reports that former Sonoma State assistant coach James Slade is taking over. Slade also played at Sonoma State, College of the Redwoods and Ferndale High.
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Austin Mick: "6’6 Sophomore Indiana St wing Jahni Summers tells me he has heard from:
- UC Davis
- Louisiana Tech
- Montana St
- Austin Peay
- Niagara University
- Hofstra
- Texas A&M Corpus Christi
- William & Mary University
- Abilene Christian University
- Bellarmine
- SEMO
- South Dakota St
- Ball St
- Texas St
- WKU
- Nicholls University
- Sacramento State
- Arkansas St
- UAlbany
- St. Peter
- Stonehill
- UT Martin
- Winthrop
The 6’6 athletic Wing can really shoot the ball and has fluent and smooth mechanics. Makes spot/relication 3’s off the catch, pins/staggers, handoffs, pop backs on splits, shot fake side steps, and transition run ins. Good using his shot fake and attacking closeouts. Knows how to play without the ball and cuts very well. Will hit the get and chase and play off action or cut. Good in transition as well. Can guard in space and cuts guys down.
39 3FG% shooter!"
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Austin Mick: "The former Indiana State wing Jahni Summers tells me he will be visiting:&nbps; Arkansas st 25-26th, and Sacramento St 27th-29th"
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