On Monday, March 18, the NCAA transfer site for collegiate basketball players went live. Undergraduates who want instant eligibility for the next autumn could not access the site until that date, however graduate students were permitted to do so beforehand. By midweek last week, almost 500 undergraduates had entered their names into the women’s portion of the competition portal. Over 1,000 players were already up for grabs, with roughly the same number of graduate students searching for new positions.
Who’s going to take them? The most recent data is from 2021. Research indicates that forty-one percent of Division I women’s basketball scholarship recipients do not receive another scholarship. The 59% of students who do receive assistance at a new school may not receive it at the same level. Many people choose to drop down, or they do so since it’s their only alternative when they make the decision to go. Players who could benefit Arizona are already available. Using the Ole Miss model from the previous season as a model, the Wildcats are already highlighting the achievements of transfers that joined the team under head coach Adia Barnes.
The bench in Arizona is already thin. Barnes stated half a year ago that she wouldn’t be shocked if several players left the portal this season. Even though the four rookies and Courtney Blakely made their desire to return on February 27 public.
