Coaches Abandon High School Recruiting for Transfer Portal to Build Rosters

In the current era of college basketball, coaches are spending more resources to secure the commitment of transfer players rather than acquiring high school talent. This shift in recruiting strategy was explored by North Carolina basketball insider Josh Marlow in a recent episode of the "Locked On Tar Heels" podcast.

Marlow cited the example of Big East champion St. John's, where former national champion coach Rick Pitino and his staff spent the school's resources to acquire several transfer portal players, including RJ Luis Jr., Zuby Ejiofor, Kadary Richmond, and Aaron Scott. This "win-now" approach by mid-major programs has become increasingly common as they look to build competitive rosters through the transfer market.

However, Marlow also noted that there are still programs, like the University of North Carolina, that value developing their core from within. UNC coach Hubert Davis has targeted high school recruits like Caleb Wilson, Derek Dixon, and Isaiah Denis, with the expectation that Wilson will be a one-and-done player while Dixon and Denis will be long-term contributors. This balance of high school and transfer talent allows teams to build a strong foundation while also acquiring complementary pieces from the portal when needed.