Utah basketball's 3 biggest needs in the transfer portal

Time will tell what the transfer portal has in store for the Utah men's basketball program, though at least for now, Runnin' Utes fans should count on general manager Wes Wilcox and head coach Alex Jensen being active over the coming weeks as they look to plug as many holes on the roster as they can during college basketball's free agency period.

The portal is set to open for 15 days starting April 7, but the market has essentially been open for the past couple weeks with players announcing their intentions of leaving their school well before the window to transfer begins. (A few Utah players, in fact, are among the early portal entrants).

Following a disappointing 10-22 campaign in Jensen's first season at the helm, here's a look at the Utes' three biggest (though not the team's only) needs going into the portal.

Guard to Initiate Offense

At this point, the make up of Utah's backcourt for the 2026-27 season remains to be seen. Terrence Brown is eligible to return following his highly-productive junior season, though the Minneapolis native could certainly parlay his 2025-26 season into a big payday at a different school if he were to chose to enter the portal. We do Don McHenry is leaving due to his eligibility being expired, but that only creates more uncertainty when trying to project the Utes' future rotation.

That said, adding an experienced guard who can initiate offense and make plays for others should be near the top of Wilcox's priority list going into the thick of portal season.

Even if Brown does return to Salt Lake City for his senior year, Utah could use more playmaking for its guard-centric offense to operate closer to a well-oiled machine than one that's being held together by duct tape. Brown can play the "2" given his scoring touch; a true facilitator at the point would be optimal so that Brown doesn't have to carry so much on his plate (Brown was No. 7 in the country in usage rate this past season).

Without a bonafide floor general at the wheel, Utah's offense was very stagnant at times in 2025-26. The Utes averaged 13.7 assists per game, which ranked No. 192 in the country. For better context, 34 of the 37 power conference schools that qualified for the NCAA Tournament dolled out more assists on average.

Finding veteran guards in the portal is easier said than done, though Wilcox and company can't assume it's impossible if they want to compete in the Big 12 moving forward.

Defensive-Oriented Wing

Don't be surprised if the market for athletic wings who have favorable size goes up this offseason. As the NCAA Tournament has shown, the teams that have height across the board at all five positions tend to make it deeper into March than the ones that don't have that luxury. This year's Final Four participants — UConn, Illinois, Arizona and Michigan — indicate as much.

For Utah specifically, the defensive end of the floor was a problem in 2025-26. The Utes ranked No. 316 in the country in points allowed per game (79.1), No. 323 in steals (5.3 per contest) and No. 253 in defensive rebounds (23.6 on average). By KenPom's measurement, Utah was No. 214 nationally and second-worst among power conference schools in adjusted defensive efficiency.

Given Jensen is a big believer in the offensive and defensive ends of the floor being connected, it would be reasonable to assume he and Wilcox look to knock out two birds with one stone, so-to-speak, and target a perimeter player who can generate better scoring opportunities with the havoc he creates defensively.

Now with Keanu Dawes in the portal, Utah unquestionably needs to bring in more size at the position. If the Utes can find someone who not only provides length but also a defensive acumen, they'd essentially plug multiple holes at once.

Rim-Protecting Big Man

There's no such thing as too much defense in college basketball. And even if that weren't true, Utah wouldn't have had to worry about crossing that line last season.

Part of the Utes' struggles on that end of the floor stemmed from their lack of rim protection. Opponents knocked down 54.6% of their shots from inside the arc against Utah, which ranked No. 318 in the country in 2-point field goal percentage, and only had to worry about two players with any sort of ability to contest shots when they got to the rim (Josh Hayes and James Okonkwo). In truth, the Utes were soft in the middle and lacked the size to deter opposing teams from going into the painted area.

Babacar Faye's return from injury would give Utah more length in the frontcourt for next season, but the 6-foot-9 Western Kentucky transfer hasn't proven himself as a legitimate shot-blocker to this point in his career. Acquiring someone (preferably taller than 6-foot-9) with that pedigree should be something the Utes prioritize once the portal opens, in addition to keeping 6-foot-9 Kendyl Sanders and Faye in the fold.