Syracuse Basketball: Transfer portal opening at onset of March Madness is illogical

While Syracuse basketball didn’t make the 2024 NCAA Tournament, the opening of the transfer portal this past Monday likely had something to do with the Orange deciding to opt out of this year’s NIT, assuming the ‘Cuse would have received an invite to that 32-team event.

The current portal window is open for 45 days and will close on May 1. The Orange, for one, saw several players hit the portal earlier this week, and that meant the ‘Cuse would have had only six, maybe seven, scholarship players available for the NIT.

That wouldn’t have worked, hence why Syracuse basketball likely declined a possible NIT invite.

Taking things a step further, as the transfer portal opened on Monday, the 2024 NCAA Tournament also began this week, with the First Four on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the round of 64 was in full force on Thursday and Friday.

Syracuse basketball and its peers shouldn’t have to worry about the portal while involved in post-season tourneys.

This week, I’ve seen a variety of media reports published where head coaches participating in the Big Dance have spoken to the issue of having the transfer portal open when March Madness is just getting underway.

By extension, besides the ‘Cuse, a flood of teams opted out of potentially playing in the NIT, per reports, and that was likely because of the portal’s opening at the same time.

To me, having the portal open around the beginning of the NCAA Tournament (and even the NIT) is illogical. Let the coaches, staff members, players and even the fans focus on post-season events, rather than recruiting via the portal.

I don’t pretend to have the solution here, but it does seem that those in charge of making decisions about the transfer-portal window must take a hard look at tweaking the calendar so that teams can fully (or at least primarily) focus on the Big Dance.

In an article by On3’s James Fletcher III, multiple head coaches, including Clemson’s Brad Brownell, Texas A&M’s Buzz Williams and Nebraska’s Fred Hoiberg, discussed the complications and frustrations that can arise with the transfer portal opening when March Madness begins.

It's also true that mid-major programs may recruit the transfer portal differently than teams in power conferences, but even still, head coaches seem to agree that something has to change.

Longwood head coach Griff Aldrich said: “It’s disappointing because you want to really enjoy and be present in this moment, but literally down the hallway I was just talking about recruiting with two assistants. So that, I think, does take away. This is such a complicated mess – and I think that’s the right word, mess – because there’s competing factions and considerations that have to be taken into account.”

In a separate story by On3’s Pete Nakos, UConn head coach Dan Hurley was pretty frank in saying that the transfer portal shouldn’t currently be open.

“The fact on Monday, the best week in college basketball, that it’s open, it’s bizarre. It’s led to even more chaos,” Hurley said in part.

To reiterate, our beloved Orange isn't dancing this year, which stinks. But in the future, when Syracuse basketball is suiting up in the NCAA Tournament, the team's coaches and players should be locked in to winning games, rather than having to give a lot of thought to the transfer portal.