The transfer portal is changing college sports. Plain and simple. The transfer portal is what some might refer to as the free agency market in professional sports. And whether or not the transfer portal is a good or bad thing is a discussion for another day.
As of right now, three players who were All-WAC selections are in the portal. WAC Defensive Player of the Year and First-Team All-WAC selection Fardaws Aimaq is in. First-Team All-WAC guard Darrion Trammell entered the transfer portal on Wednesday. And Second Team All-WAC honoree Montre Gipson joined the transfer portal on Tuesday.
The team with the most players in the transfer portal is UTRGV. Seven Vaqueros are in the transfer portal. However, one source told WAC Hoops Digest that RayQuan Taylor put his name in the portal by mistake. We will see how that plays out. Lamar has three players in the portal led by guard Kasen Harrison. Dixie State/Utah Tech guard Brock Gilbert entered the transfer portal on Wednesday. New WAC member as of July 1, 2022 Incarnate Word has six players in the portal.
And we could go on and on. But, the market is open for teams to pick up players with Division I experience. And it remains to be seen if the big names in the transfer portal move on or return to their former schools. Trammell put his name in the transfer portal last season before returning to the Redhawks. So, it’s possible.
Tanner, Victor, Gillion on Award List for First-Year Head Coaches
ACU’s Brette Tanner, Seattle U’s Chris Victor and Chicago State’s Gerald Gillion are all finalists for the Joe B. Hall Award. The award is given to the top first-year head coach in college hoops.
In his first season as head coach, Tanner led ACU to 25 wins, a spot in the WAC title game and a run to the CBI semifinals. ACU was second in the nation in steals per game at 10.9. And the Wildcats are tops in the nation for turnovers forced at 20.97 per game. ACU was the 6-seed at the WAC tournament. And the Wildcats beat 7-seed Utah Valley, 3-seed Stephen F. Austin and 2-seed Seattle U on three consecutive days. But, the fourth day wasn’t kind as ACU fell just short of going to its second straight NCAA Tournament.
Seattle U head coach Chris Victor took over as interim head coach three days before the 2021-22 season began. And what a season it was for the Redhawks. Victor led the Redhawks to their first WAC regular season title in program history. The Redhawks were 23-9 this season, the most wins since 1957-58. 23 wins is also a new record for a coach in his first season at Seattle U. The Redhawks fell short in their bid to get to the NCAA Tournament with a loss to ACU in the WAC Tournament semifinals.
People will look at Chicago State’s record and not understand why Gillion is a finalist. Well, all Gillion did was lead Chicago State to seven wins, most since 2014-15. Gillion also led Chicago State to its first road win in nearly three years when the Cougars beat IUPUI on Dec. 16. And just for good measure, Chicago State got arguably the biggest win in program history on Feb. 26. Brandon Betson it a driving layup high off the glass to give the Cougars a 61-59 win over New Mexico State at the Jones Convocation Center.
Can Alvin Brooks Right the Ship?
It was a difficult first year for Alvin Brooks in Beaumont. Lamar dealt with injuries all season long, never had a full roster, and did not win a game in its first year in the WAC. It was pretty rough. However, Alvin Brooks is excited for what the future holds and believes the Cardinals will be back.
The 'storm before the calm,' Coach Alvin Brooks says Lamar Basketball has a bright future.
Story: https://t.co/WjD4Ht6Dvu#409Sports @AshlyElamSports pic.twitter.com/Zh4SZiVj2Y
— Saphire Cervantes (@saphirec98) March 23, 2022
Brooks is hoping that C.J. Roberts and Jordyn Adams stick around. Roberts led the Cardinals in scoring at 13.5 points per game. Adams only played in 15 games but averaged 11.4 points per contest. It will be about getting healthy and staying healthy if the Cardinals are to compete in the WAC in 2022-23.
Remembering #O4EVER
Wednesday marked the 1-year anniversary of the day the world lost a great person. Just three days after playing in the NCAA Tournament, GCU senior forward Oscar Frayer was killed in an automobile accident outside of Stockton, CA. Frayer, his sister Andrea Moore and a family friend hit the back of a police vehicle that was stopped to help another vehicle. Upon hitting the police vehicle, the car spun off the side of the road and burst into flames, killing all inside. It was a tremendous, unthinkable blow to all who knew Oscar Frayer.
Frayer helped lead GCU to its first-ever WAC Tournament title and appearance at the NCAA Tournament. Frayer even got a moment in One Shining Moment. And many remembered him on the 1-year anniversary of his passing.
Since the day we lost him one year ago, Oscar Frayer lives on with us in our hearts and all around us. #O4Ever pic.twitter.com/caXCTh2RRb
— GCU Men’s Basketball (@GCU_MBB) March 23, 2022
— Bryce Wheeler (@BWVisuaI) March 23, 2022
Today is the anniversary of the tragic loss of Oscar Frayer. The way social media was flooded by people not only at GCU but across the basketball world shows the impact he had on so many and will continue to have for years to come #O4Ever ? pic.twitter.com/sxoByfScFV
— y – Chelsea Mendelson ?? (@Chelsea__Mend) March 24, 2022
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