KU basketball affected as NIL and transfer portal drive major roster turnover across college basketball
Just days after the end of college basketball season, the sport has already shifted into its next phase.
On April 7, the NCAA transfer portal officially opened. More than 2,000 players have entered the portal so far, making up for nearly one-third of Division I college basketball. That number is expected to continue rising before the window closes April 22, possibly surpassing the total number of entries from both 2024 and 2025. The surge reflects a rapidly changing landscape driven by both player movement and the growing influence of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals.
At KU, roster turnover has become the main story. Following the Jayhawks’ fourth straight first-weekend exit, the only player who averaged double-digit minutes and expected to return is Kohl Rosario.
Despite the uncertainty, analysts say KU remains well-positioned in the evolving system.
“Kansas is in a position where you can say the NIL era has hurt them, but at the same time they are the flagship Adidas program,” said recruiting analyst Jacob Polacheck.
Even championship programs aren’t immune to the immediate turnaround.
“It’s tough to enjoy this because the transfer portal opened last night,” said Michigan head coach Dusty May, whose team recently captured its first national title in 37 years.
While some athletes enter the portal in search of more playing time, others are increasingly motivated by financial opportunities tied to NIL.
That reality was highlighted when former KU forward Flory Bidunga, the No. 1 player in the transfer portal, committed to Louisville on Sunday. Reports from college basketball statistician, Evan Miyakawa, indicate the NIL market has increased significantly.
“There was a lot of talk about this could go up to $5 million,” said Travis Branham. “The combined deal between the two of them [Flory Bidunga and Jackson Shelstad] is going to be significant.”
Some analysts believe NIL and the transfer portal have created more parity across college basketball by allowing smaller programs access to higher-level talent.
“What it does is allow smaller schools to access better talent than they would have had otherwise,” said ESPN analyst Jay Bilas.
Still, traditional powerhouses like Kentucky and KU continue to spend heavily in hopes of building championship-caliber rosters, even as recent postseason success has been inconsistent.
“The big schools, Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, they’re always going to have significant NIL to work with,” Polacheck said. “It’s about managing the budget.”
As the portal window remains open, teams across the country are racing to rebuild, reload and reimagine their rosters in a new era of college basketball, one that seems to be defined by player movement and financial opportunities.
While no new players can enter after the April 21 closing date, those already in the system will still be able to commit to new programs.
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