It is NCAA transfer portal time, college basketball's version of what is essentially free agency.
The Missouri Valley Conference was ranked 10th among 33 conferences scored by metric site KenPom.com in the 2023-24 season. That means the Valley will have plenty of player talent for Power 6 teams to raid — and raid they will as players acquire agents, pursue NIL money and look for higher-profile opportunities.
The transfer portal included 86 players overall from the MVC and 12 of the 16 players voted to the MVC's three all-conference teams this season. That included two-time MVC Player of the Year Tucker DeVries, who entered the portal on March 27, days after his father, head coach Darian DeVries, left to become head coach at West Virginia. Indiana State first-teamer Robbie Avila entered the portal on April 9, after Sycamores coach Josh Schertz left for St. Louis.
In addition, three more players from those all-Valley teams ran out of eligibility. So all told, Bradley guard Duke Deen is the only player from the Valley's three all-conference teams still in the league.
More than 2,000 players used the NCAA transfer portal after the 2023-24 season. Here are the MVC players to use the portal. A school listed in parentheses after the player's name indicates he chose that as his new team.
Belmont transfer portal (4)
So. PF Malik Dia (third-team all-MVC) (Ole Miss); So. PG Ja'Kobi Gillespie (second-team all-MVC) (Maryland); So. SG Kyler Vanderjagt (Central Michigan); So. SF Cade Tyson (second-team all-MVC) (North Carolina).
Bradley transfer portal (4)
Jr. SG Connor Hickman (third-team all-MVC) (Cincinnati), So. C Kyle Thomas (Southern Illinois-Edwardsville); Jr. PF Goanar Biliew (returned to Bradley); So. SG Emarion Ellis (Nicholls).
Bradley basketball roster:Who has eligibility remaining for 2024-25?
Evansville transfer portal (4)
Jr. SF Ben Humrichous (Illinois); Fr. PG Chuck Bailey III (MVC all-freshman team) (Nevada); Jr., C Yacine Toumi (Seton Hall); Jr. PF Sekoe Kalle (Eastern Illinois)
Drake transfer portal (12)
Jr. SG Tucker DeVries (West Virginia); Jr. PG Brashon Hall; Jr. SF Carlos Rosario (Oral Roberts); So. PG Conor Enright (DePaul); Fr. SG Kevin Overton (MVC all-freshman team) (Texas Tech); Jr. PG Atin Wright (North Texas); So. SG Ethan Roberts (Penn); Fr. SG Colby Garland (Longwood); Fr. PG Chico Johnson (South Carolina Upstate); Fr. PF Patrick Bath (North Dakota State); Fr. PF Elijah Price (Fresno State); Fr. PF Bennett Fried (Augustana University)
Illinois State transfer portal (4)
Jr. SF Harouna Sissoko (Arkansas at Monticello); Jr. PG Darius Burford (Texas-Arlington); Jr. PF Myles Foster (Clemson); Jr. SG Luke Kasubke (North Dakota State)
Indiana State transfer portal (10)
Jr. PG Masen Miller (North Dakota State); So. C Robbie Avila (first-team all-MVC) (Saint Louis); Fr. SG Eli Shetlar (Drake); Jr. PG Isaiah Swope (second-team all-MVC) (Saint Louis); So. SG Ryan Conwell (second-team all-MVC, Newcomer of the Year) (Xavier); Jr. PG Julian Larry (third-team all-MVC) (Texas); Jr. SG Jayson Kent (second-team all-MVC) (Texas); Fr. PF Augustinas Kiudulas (VMI); Jr. PF Aaron Gray (return to Indiana State); Soph. PG Jaden Schertz (Saint Louis)
Missouri State transfer portal (9)
SO. PF N.J. Benson (DePaul); Fr. SF Tyler Bey (Southern Illinois); Fr. PG Kanon Gipson (Drury); Jr. SG Chance Moore (St. Bonaventure); So. PG Damien Mayo Jr. (Southern Illinois); Jr. C Cesare Edwards (Georgia State); Jr. PG Alston Mason (third-team all-MVC) (Arizona State); Jr. PG Matthew Lee; Jr. SG Raphe Ayers
Murray State transfer portal (3)
Jr. F Malek Abdelgowad (Massachusetts); Jr. PG Brian Moore (MVC all-bench team) (Norfolk State); So. PF Sam Murray II (Missouri State)
2024 ALL-MVC TEAMS:Full list of players to make the Missouri Valley Conference all-conference teams
Northern Iowa transfer portal (7)
So. SF Michael Duax (Florida Gulf Coast); Jr. SG Nate Heise (third-team all-MVC) (Iowa State); Jr. SF Cole Henry (Wyoming); So. SG Ege Peksari; So. SG Landon Wolf (Illinois State); Jr. PF Drew Daniel (Minnesota State); Jr. PG Bowen Born (Colorado State)
Southern Illinois transfer portal (10)
Jr. SF Troy D’Amico (DePaul); So. C Scottie Ebube (Wyoming); Jr. SG A.J. Ferguson (Murray State); Jr. PF Jarrett Hensley (returning to Southern Illinois); So. C Cade Hornecker (Abilene Christian); Jr. PF Clarence Rupert (Iona); Fr. SF Kennard Davis (returning to Southern Illinois); Jr. PG Chris Cross; So. PG Trey Miller (Texas-Rio Grande Valley); Sr. SG Jovan Stulic.
Illinois-Chicago transfer portal (12)
Jr. SG Isaiah Rivera (DePaul); So. PG Christian Jones (Kansas State); So. PG Drew King (Elon); Jr. SG Toby Okani (MVC all-defensive team) (West Virginia); Jr. SG Ethan Pickett (returning to Illinois-Chicago); Jr. SG Griffin Yaklich (Roosevelt); So. SG Steven Clay (Morehead State); Fr. SF Nathan Ojukwu (Northwest Florida State College); Soph PG Ethyn Brown (Quincy University); Soph C Cameron Fens (South Dakota); Jr. PG Yusef Salih; So. PF Jaden Brownell (Samford)
Valparaiso transfer portal (7)
Fr. C Lual Manyang (East Stroudsburg); Soph SF Luke Carroll; Soph. PF Ola Ajiboye (Tennessee Tech); Fr. PG Jahari Williamson (Niagra); Fr. G Sherman Weatherspoon IV (Frank Phillips College); So. PG Jaxon Edwards (St. Bonaventure); Jr. PF Jerome Palm
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
