One thing is certain as IU basketball begins to turn its full attention to the offseason — the Hoosiers will need more players.
Just how many is to be determined, but at least three will be needed to supplement the three incoming freshmen, along with the seven scholarship players who are eligible to return next season.
Now, if you’ve been paying any attention at all over the last few years, you’ve get a pretty good sense all seven of those players won’t be returning to Bloomington. But we won’t speculate on who may leave right now.
You may already be seeing announcements players intend to transfer. We saw that yesterday with three IU women’s basketball players. But don’t confuse that news with players actually entering the transfer portal.
Here are the key dates to know:
TAMPERING — Not allowed… But it’s the new reality at all times, and it has been underway for months by virtually all schools through back channels with agents. This is why when the portal opens, things are going to move fast, with visits and commitments happening from the jump. You can read a good assessment of thee situation in this ESPN article.
ANNOUNCE INTENT TO ENTER THE PORTAL — Anytime. You can expect to know just about everyone who is entering the portal before it actually opens. Most players are getting the word out publicly once their season comes to an end. Dozens have already announced their intent to enter the portal when it opens. This provides visibility for both the player and college programs that might be interested in recruiting them.
TRANSFER PORTAL OPENS — April 7. This is the day college basketball players can formally enter their names in the NCAA computer system known as the transfer portal. And once their information is submitted, there are no real restrictions on contact. Last year, the transfer portal window opened for 30 days after the second round of the NCAA Tournament, running from March 24 through April 22. This year it opens the day after the national championship game.
(Note: The women’s basketball portal will open April 6 and run through April 20)
VISITS — April 10 – May 9. There are recruiting dead periods with no on-campus visits April 2-9 and May 10. Most transfer portal visits will happen between these windows.
TRANSFER PORTAL CLOSES — April 21. This is the last day a player can choose to enter the NCAA system. And historically, some players have waited until the end, either due to uncertainty or perhaps to enter a market that isn’t so saturated. Because so much of the work is done before the portal opens, the majority of Indiana’s 2026-27 roster is likely to be set by this time, or soon thereafter. IU football had signed most of its transfer portal additions while the two-week portal entry period was still ongoing.
SIGN WITH NEW TEAM — Anytime. There is no real deadline to exit the portal. The lone consideration here is players must generally be enrolled at their new school early enough to begin summer workouts, or fall practice, as the case may be.
INDIANA’S TRANSFER PORTAL NEEDS — It’s too soon to say with precision until we see who is returning. But with no veteran point guards or big men eligible to return, those will be two primary areas of focus. IU coach Darian DeVries has emphasized the need for Big Ten size on multiple occasions.
“Developing more depth and having more size and physicality for this league is going to be critical,” DeVries said after his team’s Big Ten Tournament loss to Northwestern. “I thought that was something that we just didn’t have a lot of depth there to sustain it over the course of a 20-game league schedule.”
COMING SOON — We’ll create our annual transfer portal tracker, with departures, additions and prospects.
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