Has Providence won the transfer portal? Four programs that have used the portal to elevate their program

College programs can use the transfer portal to patch up holes in their lineup or rebuild with an entirely new identity. On3 looks at four programs that are using the portal in different ways. The common factor, they are winning the offseason. Is Providence doing the best job?

On3’s transfer portal rankings

Ed Cooley and Providence experienced, quite possibly, their best season in school history. The Friars finished with a 24-4 overall record and won their first regular-season Championship in Big East history. They lost three of their top four scorers of that team to graduation.

In their quest to get old and stay old, Providence hit the portal with purpose. They have brought in five new players, three of whom were former top-100 prospects with three or more years to play.

Ed Cooley returns a prominent member of the backcourt with Jared Bynum. The 5-foot-10 guard finished in the top ten in the Big East in three-point percentage (41.6) and assists per game, averaging 4.0.

Providence’s first commitment out of the portal was from 6-foot-3 grad transfer Noah Locke. Locke is a career 38.7-percent three-point shooter with 285 makes. He left Florida tenth in the SEC in career three-point field goal percentage at 40.3-percent. Locke has won 57 career games.

Next to commit was a combination of 6-foot-10, 230-pound grad transfer Clifton Moore and 6-foot-3 freshman Devin Carter. Moore finished top-20 in the A10 in points (12.9) and rebounds (6.1) per game last season and was 13th in the NCAA with 2.8 blocks per game.

Carter, the son of long-time NBA player and current NBA coach Anthony Carter, was first-team SEC All-Freshman team last season at South Carolina.

Providence rounded out the class with a pair of On3 Consensus four-stars from the 2021 class. No. 38 Bryce Hopkins, a 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward from Kentucky, and Corey Floyd, Jr, classified up and redshirted at UConn.

With Providence taking last year by storm, on paper, they built a roster with even more fire-power, a roster that should challenge for another Big East title.

Ohio State

6-6 SF Tanner Holden (No. 42), 6-3 SG Sean McNeil (No. 67), 6-5 PF Isaac Likekele (No.173)

With EJ Liddell and Malaki Branham likely to stay in the upcoming NBA draft, Ohio State lost six of its top eight scorers from last season. They needed a little bit of everything. The Buckeyes signed a five-person class that ranks 20th in On3’s 2022 team rankings.

But Chris Holtmann felt they needed more. Isaac Likekele is a 6-foot-5, 225-pound tough guy from Oklahoma State. He finished top-20 in the Big 12 last season in steals, rebounds, and assists per game.

Ohio State also added a pair of high-scoring wings. Tanner Holden averaged 20.1 points at Wright State last season as he finished first-team All-Horizon. 6-foot-3 shooting guard Sean McNeil has made 155 career threes at West Virginia at a near 37-percent clip.

We will see if they look to bring in a point guard from the portal to solidify some depth.

Miami

6-7 PF Norchad Omier, (No. 3), 6-0 CG Nijel Pack (No. 19)

Billionaire Carlos Ruiz has put Miami in the news this offseason as the face of NIL and endorsement deals. But, even with that hot-button topic in play, we cannot downplay the talent Miami has brought in.

Miami has committed a pair of sophomore prospects who are both ranked in the top-20 of On3s transfer portal rankings.

Norchad Omier, No. 3, is the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year. He was the only player in D-I to average at least 17.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game last season. The power forward is 6-foot-7, 230-pounds.

Nijel Pack, No. 19, is a 6-foot-0 lead guard. He was one of only five players in D-I to average 17 points per game while shooting over 40-percent from three last season. Pack was also named first-team All-Big 12.

St. John’s

6-6 SF David Jones (No. 8), 6-1 PG Andre Curbelo (No.53)

Perhaps the sneakiest class of them all. St. John’s added a point guard and a wing in a simple two-person class. The point guard, Andre Curbelo, gained much experience at Illinois playing 20.7 minutes per game in 50 games. He is coming back to New York with something to prove; there may not be a more motivational factor.

The second player St. John’s landed is the No. 8 player in On3’s transfer portal rankings, David Jones. The 6-foot-6, 205-pound small forward from DePaul. Jones joined Oscar Tshiebwe and Norchad Omier in the group of four players in D-I to average at least 14 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game last season.

You put these two on either side of former Big East Defensive Player of the Year winner Posh Alexander, and the intrigue starts to set in.