With the transfer portal and NIL becoming more and more pervasive in the world of intercollegiate athletics, the college basketball landscape has begun to resemble the wild west. Athletes are free to transfer as many times as they please, and are now immediately able to compete for a new program, so long as they are academically eligible. And the Boston College Men’s Basketball team has played the role of both the beneficiary and the victim of the transfer portal. As many fans know, the Eagles’ basketball team saw something of an exodus this offseason, as they lost six key contributors to the transfer portal. 

The Eagles’ first departure of the offseason is arguably the one that hurts the most. On April 3rd, Jaeden Zackery announced that he would be entering his name in the transfer portal. Though many fans expected that Zackery might look elsewhere after this past season, it certainly did not do anything to ease the pain. JZ was one of the first players that Coach Grant brought into Chestnut Hill, and averaged over 10 points a game in each of his three seasons with the Eagles. 

Zackery’s story is a remarkable one, as the Wisconsin native came to Chestnut Hill from Chipola College, a little-known, yet highly successful, junior college in Florida. JZ had no Division-I offers after high school, but bet on himself by going the JuCo route, and eventually turning himself into one of the best perimeter defenders in the ACC. After 18 days in the portal, Zackery announced that he would be staying in the ACC, and join Brad Brownell’s Clemson Tigers, following the path taken by former Eagle great Brevin Galloway. The Tigers surprised everyone with their run to the Elite 8 in this season’s tournament, but with starting point guard Joe Girard graduating, JZ should be a key contributor.

Just two days after Zackery announced his plans to explore the transfer portal, fellow rotation pieces Claudell Harris Jr. and Prince Aligbe reportedly entered their names in the portal. Harris Jr. will be a huge loss, as the junior guard was the Eagles’ second leading scorer, averaging 13.7 points per game. This will be Harris Jr.’s second time transferring, after he came to BC last offseason by way of the portal. Last week, Claudell Harris Jr. announced that he would be spending next season in Starkville, playing for Mississippi State Bulldogs

Also last week, Aligbe announced that he would be transferring to play for the Seton Hall Pirates. This came as a surprise to some, as Aligbe saw his role on Eagles decrease significantly throughout the season, and Seton Hall finished fourth in the always-competitive Big East. But the Pirates are suffering from a portal exodus, as the transfer portal has claimed many of their key pieces as well. Coach Shaheen Holloway will certainly look to take advantage of Aligbe’s elite athleticism, and hopefully the change in scenery can get Aligbe’s collegiate career back on track. 

Then, as if the previous three days weren’t painful enough for the Eagles’ basketball roster, fan-favorite guard Mason Madsen entered his name in the portal. Madsen had an excellent 2023-24 season, after recovering from an unknown illness in seasons prior. The senior guard played his way from the bench to the starting lineup, and ended the year averaging 8.1 points per game. Madsen announced that will be transferring to Utah, joining his twin brother Gabe. The Utes will be among the nation’s best in three-point percentage and hair style. 

Once Madsen entered the transfer portal, only one player from the Eagles’ starting lineup remained: Devin McGlockton. And, like clockwork, McGlockton followed his teammates’ lead, and entered the transfer portal. After redshirting his freshman year in 2021-22, and having a solid 2022-23 season, McGlockton turned out to be one of the most improved big men in the conference, more than doubling his conference scoring and rebounding averages. The Georgia native will be taking his talents to Vanderbilt. Though Vanderbilt has not had much success on the court lately, the university’s NIL collective is reportedly pumping an exorbitant amount of funds into the basketball program.

The final member of the 2023-24 Eagles’ basketball team to enter the portal (so far) is reserve center Armani Mighty. Mighty, a rising junior, spent the majority of his two seasons with the Eagles on the bench. This past season, Mighty averaged just 0.8 points and 1.2 rebounds in his 5.6 minutes of play. With the coaching staff shopping veteran big men in the portal, and freshman Jayden Hastings returning from his redshirt season, it was becoming increasingly clear that Mighty’s minutes would not be increasing in Chestnut Hill. Last week, Mighty announced that he would be taking the path that former Eagle Kanye Jones paved, and take his talents north to the University of Buffalo. 

With star center Quinten Post graduating, and losing six of their remaining nine rotation players to the portal, the Eagles seemed primed for a bottom three finish in the ACC. After all, the Eagles return just 14.8% of their minutes, and 12.5% of their from last season. However, while the transfer portal has largely decimated the 2023-24 roster, it is also the primary tool to rebuild this team. And thus far, Coach Grant has started putting some pieces together. 

Chad Venning at the charity stripe for the Bonnies

Grant’s first portal addition of the season was senior center Chad Venning. Venning averaged 13.4 points per game for a St. Bonaventure’s team that finished 20-13. The 6’10 big man has a great highlight tape, which showcases his excellent footwork and touch in the post. However, Venning’s key weakness appears to be that he tends to get himself into foul trouble, especially against high major competition. In four games last season against ranked opponents/power conferences, Venning fouled out of all four. If the Brooklyn native is going to be an effective replacement for Quinten Post, he is going to need to be able to stay on the court, especially in ACC play. 

Josh Beadle in a promo video for the Clemson Tigers

Just days after Venning announced his commitment to play for Grant, the Eagles received a second portal commitment, this time from Josh Beadle, formerly of the Clemson Tigers. In his sophomore year at Clemson, Beadle was a bench piece, averaging just 3.0 points in 10.8 minutes per game. Beadle saw his playing time fluctuate greatly throughout the season, seeing the court for either 2 or 25+ minutes in ACC play. The 6’3 guard has a slight build, weighing in at just 180 pounds, but has shown a knack for getting to the rim and finishing through contact. However, Beadle has struggled to hit from the outside, connecting on just 9 of 49 shows from beyond the three-point arc. Hopefully, a better-defined roll with Eagles will lead to some more consistency on the offensive end. 

Dion Brown taking the ball up the court for UMBC

Coach Grant’s third and final transfer signing (at the time this article was released) is the Eagles’ biggest portal signing to date: sophomore guard Dion Brown, by way of UMBC. Brown was one of the best guards in the America East last season, averaging 19.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. The numbers are great, but the most exciting part of this signing is the highlight tape. While just about every player can put together a solid highlight reel, Brown’s jumps off the screen, literally. 

Brown’s athletic ability is immediately apparent, and suggests that his game will translate immediately to the ACC. The signing is very reminiscent of Claudell Harris Jr.’s signing last offseason, in that both players put up huge numbers in lower-tier conferences. Brown should immediately have a spot in the starting lineup, and is a strong favorite to be the Eagles’ leading scorer in ‘24-’25.  

So, after all the departures and arrivals via the transfer portal, the Eagles are left with a roster consisting of returners Fred Payne, Chas Kelley III, Donald Hand Jr., Elijah Strong, and Jayden Hastings; freshman: Luka Toews and Nick Petronio; and transfers Chad Venning, Josh Beadle, and Dion Brown. This leaves the Eagles with three roster spots to fill before the season begins. And lately, there has been one big-name player that the Eagles have been heavily linked to in the past few weeks. And if you got to this point in the article, you likely know who I’m talking about: TJ Power.

Massachusetts Native TJ Power playing for the Duke Blue Devils

Power, a Shrewsbury, Massachusetts native, was a Top-20 recruit in the Class of 2023, and had his pick of the litter for colleges. While Power ended up enrolling at Duke, Boston College made his final five schools, as he has strong ties to the program (some might be familiar with the Power practice gym). 

While Power had a very limited role for the Blue Devils, he has been one of the most sought after players in the transfer portal, receiving interest from Arkansas, Kentucky, and BYU, among many others. Should Power join the Eagles, he would be one of the highest ranked recruits in the program’s history. And, even better, he could potentially stay in Chestnut Hill for three years. 

But, in this era of the transfer portal, nothing can be labeled a certainty until pen is put to paper. While the transfer portal, and graduation, have taken all five members of the starting lineup, the 2024-25 season should not be written off as a lost season. With Quinten Post’s impending graduation, next season was always going to be a rebuilding year. But the transfers in and out of the program have certainly adjusted expectations. While next year’s team probably won’t be competing for an ACC title, the right moves in the transfer portal could set the program up for success in seasons to come.