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Beyond NIL: Underfunded Schools Excelling In the Portal

Across the nation, low-major and financially challenged schools are securing significant wins in the transfer portal, even as many fans blame NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals for their own teams’ recruiting struggles. With around half of the portal players committed, let’s take a midseason look at some players who have chosen unexpected schools—players who would have made excellent additions to a Pirate uniform. These recruits are committing to some of the least prominent programs, proving that success in the transfer portal is attainable for any school. Below I’ve compiled a list of schools getting transfers that rank outside of the top 100 in budget, most significantly.

Maximizing Value: Strategies for Utilizing the Transfer Portal
ADJeffFromTo
Sincere Parker3.6Saint LouisMcNeese State6-315.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 20.7 MPG, 30.0 PER
Quadir Copeland3.6SyracuseMcNeese State6-69.6 Pts, 4.6 Reb, 2.8 Ast
Da’Sean Nelson3.2DePaulEastern Michigan6-89.7 Pts, 3.5 Reb, 1.9 Ast
MJ Amey3.1San Jose StLMU6-515.7 Pts, 5.1 Reb, 3.1 As
Elijah Fisher3.0DePaulPacific6-610.2 Pts, 3.8 Reb, 1.4 Ast
Oscar Cluff2.8Washington StSouth Dakota State6-117.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.2 BPG 17.5 PER
Bryant Selebangue2.7TulsaMcNeese State6-912.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 21.3 PER (Tulsa)
Jevon Porter2.6PepperdineLMU6-1116.2 Pts, 5.9 Reb, 1.7 Ast
Kenny Pohto2.6WSUUCSB6-108.8 Pts, 5.9 Reb, 1.2 Ast
Brandon Murray2.5Ole MissMcNeese State6-413.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.2 APG (Georgetown)
Collin Holloway2.4TulaneSamford6-612.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.4 APG, 16.8 PER
Jalen Terry2.4DePaulEastern Michigan6-08.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.5 APG
Atin Wright2.4DrakeNorth Texas6-114.1 Pts, 2.3 Reb, 1.9 Ast
Deuce Turner2.4San DiegoUCSB6-215.5 Pts, 2.4 Reb, 1.9 Ast
Sadaidriene Hall2.2SFACal Baptist6-513.1 Pts, 6.8 Reb, 1.8 Ast
Devon Barnes2.1Tarlton StUTEP6-113.0 Pts, 2.0 Reb, 2.2 Ast
Peter Filipovity2.1MaineNew Mexico St6-714.4 Pts, 7.6 Reb, 0.9 Ast
Joe Charles1.9LouisianaMcNeese State6-711.3 Pts, 9.6 Reb
Duncan Powell1.9Sacramento StLouisiana6-812.1 Pts, 7.0 Reb, 2.0 Ast
AJ McKee1.8QueensMilwaukee6-218.8 Pts, 4.0 Reb, 2.4 Ast
Stephan Swenson1.7StetsonUCSB6-213.9 Pts, 4.7 Reb, 5.8 Ast
Diante Smith1.7TCUUT Arlington6-716.0 Pts, 6.2 Reb, 3.0 Ast
Jalin Anderson1.7Ball StateIncarnate Word6-415.8 Pts, 4.6 Reb, 4.5 Ast
Derrin Boyd1.7LipscombC. of Charleston6-317.6 Pts, 3.7 Reb, 1.4 Ast
Sincere ParkerMcNeese StateParker, a former Saint Louis standout, brings explosive scoring. Despite limited playing time due to injury, he averaged an impressive 15.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in 20 minutes with a PER of 30.0. A former top 10 JUCO as well.
Quadir CopelandMcNeese StateCopeland, a versatile 6-6 guard from Syracuse, adds defense and playmaking skills to McNeese State’s lineup. With averages of 9.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.
Da’Sean NelsonE. MichiganNelson, a 6-8 forward transferring from DePaul, with averages of 9.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists, he adds strength and efficiency to the team’s frontcourt demonstrated over 2 seasons to EMU.
MJ AmeyLMUAmey, a dynamic 6-5 guard from San Jose State, brings scoring and playmaking abilities to LMU. Averaging 15.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, he is proficient three-point shooting, with even higher efficiency in MWC that produced 6 NCAA teams.
Elijah FisherPacificFisher, a talented 6-6 Canadian guard transferring from DePaul, adds scoring and versatility to Pacific’s roster. As DePaul’s leading scorer with averages of 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists, he brings upside as a former top 55 recruit.
Oscar CluffSouth Dakota StateCluff, a 6-11, 255lb center from Washington State, anchored the 26th ranked defense with his size and shot-blocking ability. Despite modest statistics of 7.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks he started 23 games for the 2nd place Pac 12 team and has previous JUCO success.
Bryant SelebangueMcNeese StateSelebangue, a 6-foot-9 forward, brings formidable presence and versatility to McNeese State. With impressive numbers at Tulsa (12.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 21.3 PER) two seasons ago, he adds depth and experience to the team’s frontcourt rotation.
Jevon PorterLMU6-11 center that averaged 16.2 Pts, 5.9 Reb, 1.7 Ast in the WCC. He even has some stretch abilities as a career .325% three point shooter on 62 makes.
Kenny PohtoUCSBPohto, a 6-10 forward transferring Wichita State, adds size and athleticism to UCSB’s frontcourt. With averages of 8.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, he brings scoring, rebounding to his new team.
Brandon MurrayMcNeese StateMurray, a former Big East player with experience at Georgetown, LSU, and Ole Miss, brings scoring and playmaking to McNeese State. Despite some efficiency concerns, his averages of 13.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists n the Big East highlight his potential impact at this level.
Jalen TerryEastern MichiganTerry, transferring from DePaul, adds scoring and playmaking ability to Eastern Michigan’s backcourt. With averages of 8.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, along with a reliable three-point shooting record (45% last year, career 38%).
Collin HollowaySamfordHolloway, a proven AAC player transferring from Tulane, brings scoring and rebounding prowess to Samford in a 220lb frame. With averages of 12.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists, along with a solid 34% three-point shooting percentage, he adds depth and experience to the team’s roster.
Deuce TurnerUCSBTurner, a 6-2 guard from San Diego, adds scoring ability to UCSB’s backcourt. Averaging 15.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists, he provides versatility and shooting prowess to the team’s offense. He was a 2nd team All WCC while playing off the bench.
Atin WrightNorth TexasWright, a 6-1 guard from Drake, brings scoring abilities to North Texas. Averaging 14.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 40.6% from three.
Sadaidriene HallCal BaptistHall, a versatile 6-5 forward from SFA, brings scoring and rebounding ability to Cal Baptist. With averages of 13.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game 2 seasons ago he adds strength, athleticism, and versatility to the team’s lineup.
Devon BarnesUTEPBarnes, a 6-1 guard transferring from Tarleton State, provides scoring and playmaking ability to UTEP’s lineup. Averaging 13.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, he adds depth and skill to the team’s backcourt rotation.
Peter FilipovityNew Mexico StateFilipovity, a 6-7 forward from Maine, brings scoring and rebounding prowess to New Mexico State. With averages of 14.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and a 25 PER.
Joe CharlesMcNeese StateCharles, a proven double-double threat from Louisiana, enhances McNeese State’s lineup with his scoring and rebounding abilities. Averaging 11.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, and shooting 34% from three, he provides inside presence and perimeter threat for the team.
Duncan PowellLouisianaPowell, a 6-8 forward from Sacramento State, brings some rugged scoring and rebounding abilities to Louisiana. Averaging 12.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
AJ McKeeMilwaukeeMcKee, a dynamic 6-2 guard from Queens, brings scoring and playmaking prowess to Milwaukee’s backcourt. With impressive averages of 18.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.
Stephan SwensonUCSBSwenson, a 6-2 guard from Stetson, is a versatile player known for his scoring and passing abilities. Averaging 13.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game for an NCAA team, he provides leadership and playmaking skills to UCSB’s lineup.
Diante SmithUT ArlingtonSmith, a 6-7 wing transferring from TCU where he was a rotation player as freshman, brings scoring, rebounding, and playmaking ability to UT Arlington. With averages of 16.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists last year at Nichols state, along with strong three-point shooting, he adds versatility and skill to the team’s roster playing both SF and PF.
Jalin AndersonIncarnate WordAnderson, a 6-4 point guard from Ball State, provides scoring, rebounding, and playmaking to Incarnate Word’s lineup. With averages of 15.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists, along with solid three-point shooting, he brings versatility and leadership to the team. He averaged 9.8ppg in the WCC at LMU prior to that. His sharpe shooting teamate Davion Bailey from Ball State will also join him at Incarnate Word.

Potential National Star: Sincere Parker

Wade continues to build on his undervalued recruit formula with the latest addition to the McNeese State roster: Sincere Parker from Saint Louis. Parker’s stats are extraordinary, averaging 15.9 points and 4.3 rebounds in just 20.7 minutes over 16 games. His PER is an impressive 30.0, and he averages 44.2 points per 100 possessions, nearly matching the nation’s top scorer, Zach Edey‘s per possession scoring. Parker’s limited playing time—16 games at 20.7 minutes per game—was primarily due to injury. Despite this, he dominated A10 competition, with a 36.0 PER in 12 conference games. Notably, Parker returned from a foot injury and performed exceptionally well which is pretty incredible.

His standout performances include 33 points in 18 minutes against LaSalle, 34 points and 9 rebounds against St. Joe’s, and 30 points against VCU, all in limited minutes. He’s a difficult player to project out with only a 16 game sample, and a less impressive previous season at Saint Louis (5.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 0.2 APG, 18.1 PER) the season prior. Despite this, his potential is immense potential with these stats, the top 10 JUCO pedigree to be the biggest star on this list, perhaps one of the biggest in the country. The fact he only did it in 16 games however and wasn’t as good the season prior raises some questions. Still a great get every team in the country should have targeted for the upside.

NIL and Budget Comparisons

Basketball Budget Rankings:

Rank
110The University of Texas at El Paso
126University of the Pacific
130University of North Texas
135University of California-Santa Barbara
137College of Charleston
141California Baptist University
156University of Louisiana at Lafayette
187Samford University
189University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
193The University of Texas at Arlington
261Eastern Michigan University
290University of the Incarnate Word
297South Dakota State University
300McNeese State

Example Coaches’ Salaries:

  1. Shane Heirman – 185k
  2. Stan Heath – 325k
  3. Eric Henderson – 325k
  4. KT Turner – 400k
  5. Will Wade 700k (200k in year 1)

Conclusion

There is a significant pool of talent available beyond the traditional powerhouses and even mid-majors. The notion that all these schools are spending exorbitantly on NIL deals is simply a modern excuse for recruiting challenges. None of us are privy to the NIL specifics, but you know when they pay their coaches 200k like McNeese State started Will Wade off at, that likely the players likely aren’t being bad crazy amounts. Some of the disappointing mid level P5 and lower transfer classes should take note.

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