Transfers, hirings and firings … oh, my. With so many coaches bouncing around, not to mention 1,600-plus portalers, we have never seen a college basketball offseason like this. Since the transfer portal opened March 18, we have seen a plethora of entries, including Minnesota’s Elijah Hawkins, Kentucky’s Ugonna Onyenso, Oakland’s Trey Townsend, Texas Tech’s Pop Isaacs and Stetson’s Jalen Blackmon.

But the best is yet to come.

The portal closes May 1, as the NCAA shortened the process from 60 to 45 days. Several teams, including Auburn, Texas Tech, St. Johns, Alabama and Cal, need a dynamic point guard and a starting big man, and high-value players of each position group plan to enter or have already done so. Tennessee center Jonas Aidoo, Wisconsin guard Chucky Hepburn, Saint Mary’s guard Aidan Mahaney and SMU guard Zhuric Phelps are among the potential key players who entered the portal over the past two weeks. Some are All-America caliber players and made their respective all-conference teams.

Handlers and athletes are narrowing their choices down ahead of time and aren’t going through the motions of being courted on several visits, as was the norm a few years ago. Former Belmont guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie entered the portal on March 19 and found a new home at Maryland eight days later. Former Colorado center Eddie Lampkin took about six days before pledging to Syracuse. Former Virginia Tech center Lynn Kidd entered the portal March 25 and committed to Miami three days later.

Some teams like Houston only had one or two scholarships going into the offseason; after signing former Oklahoma guard Milos Uzan, the Cougars are now done portaling assuming no one decides to transfer out.

The ebbs and flows of Portalpalooza can be volatile. Some teams, like Drexel, didn’t lose a single player to the madness a year ago, while others like Louisville or Arizona State can’t seem to keep any of their guys from leaving.

A year ago, more than 1,800 men’s basketball players entered their names, and this offseason could see an even bigger number with the NCAA formally allowing for multi-time transfers. Meaning, if you picked a bad fit (again), you can just hop back in the portal and find another suitor.

“I don’t see how you stop it, especially if they commit before August or before school starts in the fall,” said an ACC assistant coach, who was granted anonymity in exchange for his candor. “How can you rule all those multi-transfers ineligible? I don’t think it’s possible, so that’s why you’re seeing so many kids hop in the portal for the second or third time.”

As for some of the top guys already in the portal, these are the schools they’re hearing from:

• One of the country’s most underrated guards, former Minnesota’s Hawkins is hearing from Kentucky, Creighton, Texas Tech, Villanova, Pittsburgh and Florida State.

Since entering the transfer portal, Elijah Hawkins had heard from:

Kentucky
Creighton
Texas Tech
Villanova
Florida State
South Carolina
Wake Forest
West Virgina
Seton Hall
Oklahoma State
Pittsburgh
Tennessee
Georgia
Vanderbilt
Washington State@TheAthleticCBB pic.twitter.com/yvk3UznJvl

— Tobias Bass (@tobias_bass) April 23, 2024

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• Utah State transfer and reigning Mountain West player of the year Great Osobor has planned four visits, Kentucky (April 29-May 1), Louisville (May 1-3), Texas Tech (May 4-6) and Washington (May 7-9).

• Sources briefed on the discussions told The Athletic that former Oregon State guard Jordan Pope has heard from Miami, Florida, Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M, Kansas, Michigan, North Carolina and Arizona. He has already visited Texas (April 16-17) and Texas A&M (April 19). Expect the Pac-12’s fifth-leading scorer to make a decision soon. He will pick between rivals the Longhorns and the Aggies. How’s that for a throwback?

• Former Illinois State forward Myles Foster is receiving interest from Iowa, Xavier, Arizona State, San Diego State, DePaul, Florida and many others.

Early portal winners

UCLA: The Bruins have added four players: two-time transfer guard Skyy Clark (Illinois, Louisville), Pac-12 rival forward Tyler Bilodeau (Oregon State), across-the-street rival (USC) forward Kobe Johnson and former Oklahoma State forward Eric Dailey Jr.

Kansas: After his depleted Jayhawks team lost 89-68 to Gonzaga in the second round, coach Bill Self said, “For the last month I’ve been thinking about next season, to be honest.” And it’s obvious. Since the season ended, the Jayhawks have added Lawrence, Kansas, native Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State); former Florida guard Riley Kugel; and Wisconsin wing AJ Storr. A potential starting lineup of DaJuan Harris Jr., Mayo, Storr, KJ Adams and Hunter Dickinson is arguably the best starting five in the country.

Indiana: After a disappointing 19-14 season, Mike Woodson is putting together quite the roster in Bloomington. The Hoosiers have added Pac-12 All-Freshman team selection Myles Rice (Washington State); one of the best bigs in the country in Oumar Ballo from Arizona; and a dynamic scoring guard in Kanaan Carlyle.

🚨NEWS: Kanaan Carlyle will transfer to Indiana

Carlyle, a top-50 recruit averaged 11.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game last season at Stanford

Carlyle was the No. 10 prospect in @TheAthleticCBB transfer portal rankings

The Hoosiers arguably have one of the best… pic.twitter.com/g6R2FbCN0a

— Tobias Bass (@tobias_bass) April 20, 2024

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Like Kansas, the Hoosiers arguably have one of the best starting fives in the country, with returnees Mackenzie Mgbako and Malik Reneau rounding out the unit.

Louisville: Cardinals fans needed a win — actually, maybe a few — and new coach Pat Kelsey has brought over two of his players from Charleston in Reyne Smith and James Scott. Louisville also added Sun Belt Player of the Year Terrence Edwards Jr., who averaged 17.2 points per game at James Madison; two scoring guards in Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year Koren Johnson (Washington) and J’Vonne Hadley (Colorado); and BYU center Aly Khalifa. Louisville has also hosted former four-star recruit and Washington transfer Wesley Yates and is the favorite to sign him.

Memphis: The Tigers had an up-and-down season in 2023-24. At one point, they were ranked in the Top 10 but failed to make the NCAA Tournament and passed on an NIT invitation. So far, they have picked up four transfers, starting with one of the nation’s best scorers, former Tulsa guard PJ Haggerty (21.2 ppg), as well as former Illinois forward Dain Dainja, guard Colby Rogers — who averaged 16.4 points per game at Wichita State — and two-time transfer guard Tyrese Hunter (Iowa State, Texas).

🚨NEWS: Colby Rogers will transfer to Memphis

He averaged 16.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game this season at Wichita State

The Tigers portal additions so far:
🐅PJ Haggerty
🐅Dain Dainja pic.twitter.com/DTo9Y9BTw0

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— Tobias Bass (@tobias_bass) April 15, 2024

Michigan: Rising star coach Dusty May has put together an elite coaching staff that is quickly making the Wolverines one of the more intriguing teams going into the 2024-25 season. So far, they’ve added five transfers starting with big man in the middle Danny Wolf (Yale), followed by breakout candidate Roddy Gayle Jr. (Ohio State). Next, they added a pair of point guards in Rubin Jones (North Texas) and Tre Donaldson (Auburn). Lastly, they added one of my favorite and most intriguing prospects in the country for next season, Sam Walters from Alabama. The Wolverines aren’t done, either.

USC: New coach Eric Musselman has signed eight players (seven transfers and one top-50 recruit). The Trojans have hit the ground running, as all seven transfers averaged 11.6 points per game or more: Northern Colorado forward Saint Thomas (19.7 ppg), Bryce Pope (San Diego), Clark Slajchert (Penn), Josh Cohen (UMass), Rashaun Agee (Bowling Green), Matt Knowling (Yale) and my favorite addition of the group, Chibuzo Ago a mismatch nightmare from Boise State.

(Photo of Michigan coach Dusty May: Junfu Han / USA Today) 

Barring a major surprise, don’t look for any Kansas State football players to go off the board Thursday in the opening round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

That said, as many as four Wildcats could hear their names called — including two in Friday’s second or third rounds — before it is all said and done on Saturday.

The festivities get underway at 7 p.m. Thursday from Detroit, with ABC and the ESPN networks providing live television coverage. The second and third rounds take place starting at 6 p.m. Friday, with rounds 4-7 scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday.

K-State offensive lineman Cooper Beebe and tight end Ben Sinnott both are likely to go Friday, while offensive lineman and defensive end/edge Khalid Duke are projected as possible Saturday selections. The mock drafts often provide the more accurate forecasts because they factor in runs at certain positions.

But another measuring stick is how the individual players stack up with other prospects in their respective position groups. So, here is a look at how several entities rank the Wildcats next to their peers and also overall in the draft class.

Note: Overall prospect ranking is not a prediction of the player’s draft position.

Where will Kansas State football TE Ben Sinnott go in 2024 NFL draft? Some projections

Where will Kansas State football OL KT Leveston go in 2024 NFL draft? Some projections

Where will Kansas State football DE Khalid Duke go in 2024 NFL draft? Some projections

OG Cooper Beebe

ESPN: No. 2 guard, No. 79 overall

CBS Sports: No. 5 Interior OL (No. 3 guard), No. 81 overall

WalterFootball: No. 5 guard (draft round 2-3)

Sporting News: No. 5 guard, No. 77 overall

It is interesting that Beebe’s overall rankings do not typically reflect his projected draft position of second or early third round. Also, some position rankings lump guards and centers together as interior linemen.

TE Ben Sinnott

CBS Sports: No. 2 tight end, No. 54 overall

ESPN: No. 2 tight end, No. 94 overall

Sporting News: No. 3 tight end, No. 78 overall

WalterFootball: No. 4 tight end (draft round 3-4)

Sinnott’s stock has continued to go up, especially after a strong showing at the NFL Combine. But his draft ceiling most likely is early third round.

OL KT Leveston

ESPN: No. 12 guard, No. 194 overall

WalterFootball: No. 21 tackle (draft round 3-5)

Sporting News: No. 20 guard, No. 216 overall

CBS Sports: No. 28 tackle, No. 315 overall

Leveston started at left tackle for K-State the past two seasons, but he may be better suited to play guard in the NFL, as reflected in some of the rankings.

DE/Edge/LB Khalid Duke

WalterFootball: No. 23 defensive end (draft round 4-6)

ESPN: No. 25 edge, No. 237 overall

CBS Sports: No. 20 linebacker, No. 247 overall

Finding the right NFL fit will be important for Duke, who has been ranked variously as a defensive end, edge rusher or outside linebacker. His professional future, at least initially, will be as a pass rush specialist.

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

ESPN 100 senior Labaron Philon has requested a release from his letter of intent to Kansas and plans to reopen his recruitment, sources confirmed to ESPN.

Philon was one of three ESPN 100 prospects in the Jayhawks’ 2024 class, joining five-star big man Flory Bidunga and four-star wing Rakease Passmore. But Bill Self has completely revamped his perimeter group in the portal this spring, landing transfers AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State) and Riley Kugel (Florida).

Kansas is also squarely in the mix for Alabama transfer Rylan Griffen and just hosted top-10 2025 point guard Darius Acuff for a visit this past weekend.

A 6-foot-2 point guard from Alabama who played at Link Academy (Missouri) for his senior season, Philon is ranked No. 30 in the ESPN 100 for the 2024 class. He established himself as one of the best point guards in the country by leading Link to a top-10 national ranking and a semifinal appearance at the Chipotle Nationals.

Philon averaged 11.7 points and 4.3 assists in 12 games on the EYBL Scholastic circuit, shooting better than 44% from 3-point range.

When Philon initially committed to Kansas last September, he chose the Jayhawks over Alabama, Ole Miss and Cincinnati. He was also once committed to Auburn.

247 Sports first reported the news of Philon’s decommitment.