Gophers Emerging as Contender for Ivy League Guard in Transfer Portal

The Gophers are still looking for their first transfer portal addition of the offseason, and there continues to be some smoke building around Yale forward Isaac Celiscar. Minnesota basketball reporter Ryan James first reported some interest, followed by On3's Jamie Shaw also saying that Minnesota is involved in his recruitment.

There’s some preliminary interest between Minnesota and Yale transfer F Isaac Celiscar. (I believe @RyanJamesMN was first) + other reports.

Intriguing 6-foot-6 wing with great two-way potential. https://t.co/hMDx3ZDtqg pic.twitter.com/t5JoAVUkLS
— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) April 14, 2026

Standing at 6-foot-6, Celiscar was an unheralded prep prospect from Winter Haven High School in Florida. He signed with Yale over notable top offers from South Florida, High Point and FAU, among others.

He immediately contributed as a true freshman for the Bulldogs with 7.1 points per game off the bench. He added 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 20.7 minutes per game as one of the best reserves in the Ivy League during the 2024-25 season.

Celiscar made significant improvements as a sophomore with 13.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. He started 31 games for Yale, and shot 57.3% from the field, 40.7% from three and 79.8% from the free throw line. He looked like a high-major player, and he'll now get that opportunity in the transfer portal.

Kentucky, Texas A&M and DePaul appear to be Minnesota's top competition, according to Shaw and multiple other reports. The transfer that those schools end up adding, along with who the Gophers add, will obviously have an impact on Celiscar's recruitment and interest.

Minnesota has shown significant interest in UT Martin transfer forward Matas Deniusas, who visited the school on Monday. North Carolina transfer guard Kyan Evans remains at the top of their list, followed by Texas Tech transfer Nolan Groves. Adding a player like Celiscar would obviously impact the Gophers' plans and interest with the three other players mentioned.

The Gophers appear to be taking a more measured approach with their transfer portal strategy this offseason, and visits appear to be rolling in throughout this week. If they're able to get Celiscar on campus, it would be a significant development, as there's still a long way to go in his recruitment.

Adding Celiscar alongside Isaac Asuma in the backcourt with Bobby Durkin and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson in the starting lineup is a fun hypothetical, but it's nothing more than that at this point. It's clear that Minnesota is doing research on many of the top portal players across the country as they look to build an NCAA Tournament-level roster for the 2026-27 season. Transfer portal season is a marathon and not a sprint, and Celiscar is a player worth keeping an eye on.

Add us as a preferred source on Google