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Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker: Analyzing Every Player Coming In and Out This Spring

A whole new era for UC, led by fresh head coach Jerrod Calhoun.
Russell Heltman|
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles forward Kenny White Jr. (13) collects a defensive rebound in the second half of the NCAA basketball game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021. Cincinnati finished its non-conference schedule with a 76-67 win over the Golden Eagles. Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles At Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles forward Kenny White Jr. (13) collects a defensive rebound in the second half of the NCAA basketball game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021. Cincinnati finished its non-conference schedule with a 76-67 win over the Golden Eagles. Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles At Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

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The 2026 college basketball transfer portal is officially open now through April 21. Players can enter at any time in this window and have months to choose a school, but they cannot enter the portal after the April 21 deadline.

New UC head coach Jerrod Calhoun figures to be very busy this week and beyond with his experienced staff trying to put together the best 15-man roster possible over this period. Cincinnati figures to keep at least two players and maybe more from last year's roster.

Reports have confirmed Cincinnati is budgeting a $10-plus million NIL budget to use on portal talents. It's all systems go for Calhoun, general manager Corey Evans, and the rest of the UC hoops hierarchy.

Entry/News Rundown

Cincinnati head coach Jerrod Calhoun
Cincinnati head coach Jerrod Calhoun speaks during a press conference announcing him as the head men's basketball coach at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Check out all of the latest news below on returning/exiting players, interest, and offers:

Jordi Rodriguez logged his name into the transfer portal this week to mark the final Bearcats from Wes Miller last team to exit the squad. On3 listed Rodriguez as in the portal.

The Spaniard made 15 appearances off the bench in his lone UC season, scoring 2.3 points per game across eight minutes per contest. Cincinnati is back up to nine roster spots to fill, with six transfers confirmed as of April 17.

The Bearcats' best player from last season is in the transfer portal. Forward Baba Miller is technically out of eligibility, but the NCAA may install a new five-year to play five seasons rule that would help Miller get eligible. Multiple reports dropped the news.

UPDATE: Miller has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft as the five-for-five rule plays out. Most projections have him landing in the final ten picks of the second round between 50th and 60th overall.

Even if that doesn't pass, he did miss time for reasons out of his control as a freshman at Florida State. He missed the first half of the 2022-23 season after losing an appeal of an NCAA penalty over a travel benefit.

Losing that initial appeal may be a big roadblock to Miller playing more college basketball, but with this massively expensive big man market, it's definitely worth it for him to try and play as opposed to taking a much lower salary as a projected second round NBA draft pick or undrafted free agent.

It would be stunning if he played a second season at Cincinnati given how deep into the transfer portal we are at this point.

Miller led the Bearcats in basically every major category, including points, rebounds, and assists (13.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game) during the regular season. The Spanish native also blocked 1.2 shots per contest and recorded 0.8 steals.

He was the first Bearcat to lead the team in points, rebounds, and assists per game since Oscar Robertson in the 1959-60 season. 

The Bearcats kept the portal interest rolling on Thursday with two more points of contact. Sam Kayser reported Campbell guard Jeremiah Johnson has heard from Cincinnati.

The 2025-26 All-CAA guard posted 15.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game this past season. He has two years of eligibility left after very efficient shooting splits of 44.9% overall/37.4% from deep/86.5% from the free throw line this past season.

The 6-4, 180-pound talent held up well to contact across 31 starts and 32.4 minutes per game. He's got a strong 52.3% effective field goal rate across two years at Campbell and finished last season ranked top-15 among CAA players in usage rate and offensive rating.

He'd be a strong starting candidate for UC and a supercharged sixth man.

UC also reached out to Sacramento State guard Prophet Johnson.

The Portal Report revealed the contact.

Johnson needs a waiver to continue his college career but he should get one after three seasons in the DI level following one year in junior college. The scorching scorer averaged 18.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists this past season, plus a Big Sky best 2.6 steals per game.

The 6-3, 185-pound talent is from Dayton, Ohio, possibly giving a leg up to Cincinnati if the money is mostly the same from his best offers. Johnson slashed a 46.8% field goal mark this past season (39.2% from deep on 4.2 attempts per game, 74.2% free throw mark).

He'd be an immediate lead scorer candidate for UC if he gets that waiver approved.

The Bearcats are showing interest in another mid-major guard. Sam Kayser reports they have reached out to San Diego State transfer guard Taj DeGourville.

The long 6-foot-5, 208-pound guard is a former four-star recruit who played two seasons for the Aztecs and has two seasons left of eligibility. He averaged 5.5 PPG, three APG and 2.8 RPG this past season on a 37.1% shooting mark (mostly all of those shots were from deep, 34.5% from outside this past season).

Defensively, he posted a solid 2.4% steal rate.

DeGourville would be a backend of the rotation piece for Calhoun's first roster.

On3 has added Jalen Haynes to the list of Cincinnati's outgoing transfers.

Haynes did not play this past season fue to injury after transferring from george Mason and his exit leaves only Jordi Rodriguez left on the Cincinnati roster from last season.

The latest Bearcats remnant from the Wes Miller era has entered the transfer portal. Cincinnati native and former four-star recruit Tyler McKinley is looking for other options in college basketball.

Sam Kayser reported the news.

McKinley just wrapped up his redshirt freshman season in a two-year run at Cincinnati that was marred by a knee injury battle. The big fella appeared in 25 outings this past season (three starts). McKinley averaged 1.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game on 51.2% shooting from the field.

It's now highly unlikely any Bearcats from last season's team return this fall.

The Bearcats saw another forward enter the transfer portal this week.

Halvine Dzellat is looking for a new home after two seasons at Cincinnati after On3 added him to their transfer entry list.

He appeared in 26 games off the bench in 2025-26, averaging 2.1 points and 2.0 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Cincinnati will likely have a completely brand-new roster this coming season

The Bearcats have a couple of weekend visits lined up as the transfer portal news continues. We start with Charlotte center Anton Bonke, scheduling a trip according to ESPN's Jeff Borzello.

The 7-foot-2, 26-pound center just 10.6 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 1.5 BPG across 25.6 minutes per game on 57.6% shooting. He can hit the three a little bit as well, going 13-38 from deep this past season (34.2%). The free-throw mark checked in at 65.2%.

Bonke is a highly efficient player who ranked third in the AAC this past season in Player Efficiency Rating and block rate with two seasons of eligibility left. He could be a big-man star for Cincinnati.

The other visit is with Utah freshman forward Kendyl Sanders on Sunday. 

Sam Kayser reported the meeting.

The 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward averaged 5.2 PPG and 3.1 RPG this season across 20 minutes per outing. He has three years of eligibility left after shooting 44.2% from the floor and 40.3% from deep (38.7% free throw mark on just one attempt per game).

Sanders could be a nice bench developmental piece to round out the rotation a little bit.

The Bearcats are in the mix with another elite performer from the mid-major level. Jeff Goodman reports UC has reached out to Hofstra guard Cruz Davis.

The 2025-26 CAA Player of the Year started all 34 games this past campaign and led his team in scoring at 20.2 points per game and assists at 4.6 per contest.

The 6-foot-3, 170-pound guard did that damage on 44% FG/40% 3FG/83% FT shooting splits this past season. He is an instant UC lead scorer candidate with one year of eligibility left if he picks the Bearcats.

Davis was a high-volume efficiency maestro for the Pride. He ranked 10th in the CAA with a 19.9 PER, which is fantastic for a 6-3 player on the fifth-highest usage rate in the conference. Davis is also a pesky defender, notching a strong 2.6% steal rate this past season (sixth in the CAA).

He could light up the Big 12 with an offseason in the UC weight room.

Cincinnati has visits lined up with two interested talents in Tulsa Guard Tylen Riley and Quinnipiac forward Grant Randall.

Check out more on those reports below and player information on Riley and Randall further down the Transfer Tracker:

The offensive efficiency targets keep rolling into the news cycle for Cincinnati Bearcats basketball as fans await more commitments from a bunch of visits this weekend. Sam Kayser noted recent interest in that mold of playe, Tulsa guard Tylen Riley.

The Second Team All-American Conference guard just averaged 15.0 points per game (second on the team) and led the Golden Hurricane with 4.4 assists. He wrapped the 2025-26 season with 31 games in double figures and led the American in made free throws with 203 (11th-most in the country on 87.1%).

Riley has one season of eligibility left after strong shooting splits of 44.8% overall, 38% from deep, and that nasty-good 87.1% mark from the line.

The 6-3, 190-pound junior also averaged right around a steal per game over the past two seasons. He would be an immediate starting candidate for UC after posting the third-highest usage rate in the AAC last season to go with the 11th-best offensive rating. Volume and efficiency in one package.

The Bearcats are in contact with South Carolina forward EJ Walker out of the transfer portal.

Sam Kayser reported interest in the 6-7 freshman forward.

He posted 2.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game this past season, after being a four-star recruit out of Florence, Kentucky, which is near Cincinnati.

The forward could be a nice developmental option for the roster with a chance to play close to home. He originally redshirted but busted into the Gamecocks' starting lineup by season's end.

UC basketball is showing clear interest in another transfer option as the weekend rolls on during Week 1 of the transfer portal. On3's Joe Tipton reported Cincinnati is in talks with Tulane guard Rowan Brumbaugh.

The versatile 6-4, 190-pound guard posted 19.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game this season for the Green Wave as an All-AAC player each of the past two seasons.

Brumbaugh could be part of the visitor wave this weekend as Calhoun continues to target versatile, offensive-leaning talents. The guard posted a strong 52.8% effective field goal rate in 2025-26 (fourth in the AAC) and ranked ninth in the AAC in Player Efficiency Rating (21 overall).

He's an 80% free throw shooter on seven-plus attempts per game and can score at all three levels (36% from deep, 51% from inside the arc).

Brumbaugh would be an immediate starter for Cincinnati and a candidate to lead the team in scoring as an instant star with one season of eligibility left after playing the past two seasons at Tulane and his redshirt freshman year at Georgetown (redshirted at Texas).

Check out his highlights below:

Minutes ago, San Diego State wing Miles Byrd committed to the Providence Friars of the Big East. Byrd had Cincinnati among his top schools after posting 10 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists this past season.

Calhoun will continue to build up a roster which currently holds five players (Jordi Rodriguez, Jalen Haynes, Tyler McKinley, Halvine Dzellat and newly-added David Iweze), and more could be on the way out.

Updated by Connor Mardian

Another forward revealed Cincinnati's interest on Thursday as the transfer portal hits its third day open this cycle. Dylan Thayer reports that Quinnipiac star Grant Randall has heard from Cincinnati.

The sophomore holds two more years of eligibility after posting 11.4 points and 6.6 rebounds in the MAAC this past season. The 6-foot-9, 195-pound talent earned a solid 52.9% effective field goal rate in his second year and ranked top 10 among MAAC players in win shares (ninth) and rebounds per game (ninth).

He was a great connector on offense, leading to the best offensive rating in the conference last season (126.7). Randall profiles as a fringe starter, and maybe more so sixth-eighth man in the Bearcats' Big 12 rotation if he picked Cincinnati.

Check out his highlights below:

A pair of new transfer portal nuggets dropped for the Bearcats on Wednesday evening. First, the team is in the final schools group with 2026 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year Miles Byrd, who is looking at UC, Baylor, Louisville, Providence and Kentucky for his next college home.

The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman reported the final list.

The San Diego State star is a mauling defensive stopper at 6-foot-6, 190 pounds. He posted 10.4 points per game on 40.5% shooting this past season. The defense is where he makes his mark after a third consecutive season shooting under 41%.

Byrd posted the best defensive box/plus minus in the Mountain West last season and ranked fourth among MWC players in both blocks per game (1.2) and steals per game (1.9). He could be an upgraded version of Sencire Harris for UC in the Big 12. Byrd has one season of eligibility left.

Another player from the West Coast has heard from UC as well. Sam Kayser reports UC has contacted Santa Clara All-WCC guard Christian Hammond.

The redshirt junior has two seasons of eligibility left after scorching the WCC with a beautiful 54.9% effective field goal rate (second in WCC), made up by a 39.3% mark from deep and a 52.9% two-point tally. 

The 6-4 offensive creator had the sixth-best offensive rating in the conference and could be an instant starting point guard for Cincinnati.

Check out highlights from both below:

Cincinnati is showing interest in a dynamite guard from the Horizon League. Sam Kayser reported on Wednesday that UC is interested in Purdue-Fort Wayne Guard Corey Hadnot II.

The 2025-26 All-Horizon League First Team star notched 20.4 points per game ( best in the Horizon League), four rebounds, and 3.5 assists, while ranking third in the league in steals per game (1.8) this past season. He shot a nasty 52% from the floor (60.2% from inside the arc, 35.8% from deep) on 14.7 shots per game.

Hadnot was very efficient at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds and would be an immediate starter for Cincinnati in the Big 12. That efficiency is stamped by a 24.3 Player Efficiency Rating, which is absurdly high for a guard and ranked second in the Horizon last season.

He could be a fantastic player with one year of eligibility remaining.

The Jizzle James era is likely over for Cincinnati Bearcats basketball.

ESPN's Jeff Borzello reported on Wednesday, April 8, that the junior guard is entering the transfer portal after missing the first 10 games of the 2025-26 season due to personal issues and then returning in a big way down the final two-thirds of the campaign.

James returned at a crucial time for Cincinnati and was a key player upon his arrival, appearing in 23 contests (21 starts). The longtime Bearcat scored 10.9 points per game, including a team-high 44.2% from outside. He finishes his UC career with 1,023 points for the Bearcats.

Cincinnati now has zero guards confirmed to be returning from the 2025-26 roster as of this writing.

UC guard Bryson Buckingham announced he is entering the transfer portal after redshirting his freshman season.

Check out his goodbye post below:

USC transfer guard Amarion Dickerson has reportedly heard from the Cincinnati Bearcats since entering the portal upon its opening Tuesday. The Portal Report noted the contact.

Following a breakout 2024 campaign for Robert Morris University, where the 6-foot-7 guard averaged 13.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks, Dickerson’s move to the Big Ten did not go to plan as the senior played in just eight games with one start due to injury. 

In Dickerson’s few games with the Trojans, he averaged 4.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. 

Updated by Connor Mardian

Another Cincinnati guard entered the transfer portal on Tuesday in Sencire Harris. On3's Pete Nakos reported the entry.

The former West Virginia defensive standout was great on that end again this past season in his lone campaign at Cincinnati, but the offense never showed up consistently.

The junior made 31 appearances (eight starts), while notching 5.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

He also led the team with 1.2 steals per contest.

Harris shot just 38.6% from the floor and posted a poor 40.5% effective field goal rate. Cincinnati will have a very different backcourt next season.

Five players are now still on the 2026-27 roster as of this writing following Thiam, Abaev, and Tillery's entries.

Bearcats freshman guard Keyshuan Tillery is entering his name into the transfer portal as he hears from UC and other schools in the coming days. Sam Kayser reported the news.

Tillery was present at new UC head coach Jerrod Calhoun's opening press conference and may be more willing to return than others.

The four-star 2025 talent got off to a slow start this past fall as a true freshman but quickly started to make an impact throughout conference play. The 6-1,190-pound dynamo played in 31 games off the bench, while averaging 3.8 points and 1.8 assists in 12.4 minutes per contest.

Tillery shot 37% from the floor last season.

Bearcats star forward Moustapha Thiam is entering the transfer portal after a strong sophomore season in Clifton. Jon Chepkevich reported the entry.

The big man market has exploded to upwards of $4-5 million for the coming season and Thiam may be looking to cash in fully on that front.

The 7-2, 250-pound center slotted in for 12.6 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per outing this past season. The sophomore also led the Bearcats with 1.5 blocks per game. Thiam posted 19 double-figure scoring games and was the team's leading scorer in conference play (14 PPG).

It's a potentially massive loss for the program as they could lose their top two scorers, with Thiam in limbo and Baba Miller out of eligibility.

A player right in the sights of many Bearcats fans entered the transfer portal on Tuesday. Utah State forward Adlan Elamin is entering the portal with a do-not-contact tag, fueling rumors that he is following his old head coach to UC.

Cincinnati may go right after Elamin after the 6-9, 185-pound talent notched appearances in every game this past season while averaging 6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds on 44.4% shooting (30.2% from deep).

He's one of the top players to ever commit to Calhoun so far out of high school amidst his rise from DII to the Big 12. The four-star prospect held that status on ESPN and 247Sports. According to 247Sports, He ranked 141st overall and 27th among power forwards nationally.

Elamin could be a nice depth/development option in the Big 12.

Shon Abaev is transferring out of the program and will enter the portal on Tuesday.

He played one season for Cincinnati as one of their three-highest-ranked prospects in the 247Sports era, but things just never worked out in a tough, injury-filled freshman season.

He was starting to hit his stride a little bit in january, but then suffered a lengthy ankle injury.

"I'm heartbroken on that one," Miller said about Abaev's injury in January. "He was starting to figure out some of the winning stuff, right? I mean, the talents there, everybody knows that, but he was starting to figure out some of that stuff, and really focused on it in practice. I think he is out for some time, but I don't have a timetable."

The 6-foot-8 shooter posted 7.0 points per game, 2.9 rebounds per game, and 1.1 assists per game this past season. Cincinnati will likely bring in plenty of reinforcements to make up for his 15.9 minutes per game and 33% mark from the floor.

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Russ Heltman
RUSSELL HELTMAN

Russ Heltman is on the Bearcats and Bengals beat for On SI. He is the morning host and producer for 89.3 WMKV in Cincinnati, OH. Russ can be found on Twitter: @RussHeltman11 or you can reach him by email at Heltmandm@yahoo.com.

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