BYU, Gonzaga Among WCC Winners During Transfer Portal Season

SALT LAKE CITY – The transfer portal has played a significant role in college athletics, but no sport is impacted more by the portal than college basketball. To build up an NCAA Tournament team, you likely need to be active in the portal. That’s the name of the game now, and BYU’s league, the West Coast Conference, is no different.

With the craziness from the transfer portal winding down as rosters begin locking in for the upcoming season, it’s time to take a look at the winners and losers from the WCC out of the Transfer Portal.

WCC Transfer Portal Winners

BYU

Additions: Te’Jon Lucas (Guard, Milwaukee); Seneca Knight (Guard, LSU)

Departures: Connor Harding (UVU); Koly Lee (Dixie State); Wyatt Lowell (Snow College); Cameron Pearson

The newest BYU Cougar Te'Jon Lucas (@too_smoove23) says his plan is to get better every day 💪 pic.twitter.com/kldXB6chkp

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) May 22, 2021

BYU improved their roster, adding Te’Jon Lucas and Seneca Knight out of the portal. They have the look of another at-large bid team in the NCAA Tournament. Te’Jon Lucas pairs up with Alex Barcello to form one of the nation’s most-experienced backcourts and Knight, if he gets a waiver, slides in nicely at the three.

Gonzaga

Additions: Rasir Bolton (Guard, Iowa State)

Departures: Oumar Ballo (Arizona); Aaron Cook (Georgia); Pavel Zakharov (California Baptist)

110% Committed! God’s Plan🙏🏽 #moviemaking pic.twitter.com/q7c4vtvqL0

— Ra$ir Bolton (@rasir_45) April 30, 2021

The National Runner-Up Gonzaga Bulldogs continue to produce talent. Transfer season wasn’t as active for the Zags as years past, but they still land All-Big 12 performer Rasir Bolton, who will have the tall order of trying to fill the shoes left behind by Jalen Suggs.

Oumar Ballo was a loss to Arizona because of his lofty recruiting status coming in, but he never cracked the Zags rotation.

Santa Clara

Additions: Parker Braun (Forward, Missouri); Danilo Djuricic (Forward, Harvard); P.J. Pipes (Guard, Green Bay)

Departures: Ezekiel Richards (Northern Arizona); Trent Hudgens, Jr. (Northern Colorado); Austin Sacks

New faces…same goals ‼️ #TeamFirst #StampedeAhead pic.twitter.com/BCowK5XXtw

— Santa Clara Men's Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) July 10, 2021

This upcoming season appears to be the best roster for Herb Sendek in his time with the Broncos. Santa Clara returns All-WCC performer Josip Vrankic for another season and teams him up with transfer portal headliners Danilo Djurici and P.J. Pipes. The Broncos have the talent to be a top-three team in the WCC this season.

Portland

Additions: Chris Austin (Guard, Fordham); Mike Meadows (Guard, Eastern Washington); Jack Perry (Guard, Eastern Washington); Tyler Robertson (Forward, Eastern Washington); Kristian Sjolund (Forward, UTEP); Moses Wood (Forward, UNLV).

Departures: Chase Adams (SLCC); Ahmed Ali; Hayden Curtiss (Portland State); Isiah Dasher (St. Peter’s); Eddie Davis; Tahirou Diabate (San Diego State); Quincy Ferebee; Clythus Griffith, Jr.; Mikey Henn (Denver); Latrell Jones (Nicholls State); Hunter Seymour (Cal State Dominguez Hills).

I am home! @pilothoops #GoPilots #WeArePortland #LetsPlayHoops #GoCrazy #WeTheFamily @theballdawgs pic.twitter.com/niyUqWhShE

— Kristian Sjolund (@KSjo99) April 23, 2021

New Portland head coach Shantay Legans is overhauling a Pilots program that was just downright bad under Terry Porter. Legans comes from Eastern Washington and he has landed some talented players out of the portal, headlined by former Georgia Tech and UTEP player Kristian Sjolund, who shot 47% from three last year at UTEP.

The Pilots will likely still be near the league’s bottom half, but Legans injects some life on the Bluff, which hasn’t been there since Eric Reveno was fired.

WCC Transfer Portal Losers

Saint Mary’s

Additions: None

Departures: None

Randy Bennett returns basically everyone from last year’s team that made it to the NIT. Still, in this era of college basketball, not actively pursuing transfers could backfire. The Gaels will be led by Logan Johnson, Tommy Kuhse, and Matthias Tass.

The rest of the WCC’s portal comings and goings

Loyola Marymount

Additions: Gary Harris, Jr. (Guard, Siena); Kwane Marble II (Guard, Wyoming); Alex Merkviladze (Forward, Cal State Northridge); Cameron Shelton (Guard, Northern Arizona)

Departures: Parker Dortch; Lazar Nekic

Lion Nation, let’s get to work! #ANewSTANdard pic.twitter.com/oUAbjb1xfN

— cameron shelton (@mrrshelton) March 31, 2021

Pacific

Additions: Alphonso Anderson (Forward, Utah State); Luke Avdalovic (Guard, Northern Arizona); Nicquel Blake (Guard, UNLV); Sam Freeman (Center, Minnesota); Greg Outlaw (Guard, Central Connecticut State)

Departures: Broc Finstuen (Cleveland State); Jervay Green (Talladega College); James Hampshire (UNLV); Daniss Jenkins; Jahbril Price-Noel (Wagner); Jonathan Salazar

Last Dance 🏁😈 pic.twitter.com/kzoEy2RLS2

— Alphonso Anderson (@Fonzo_10) April 23, 2021

Pepperdine

Additions: Keith Fisher III (Forward, Illinois State); Braun Hartfield (Guard, San Diego)

Departures: Sedrick Altman (Rider); Andre Ball (Cal State Dominguez Hills); Everett Perrot

WHAT'S UP, KEITH?!

Welcome the newest Wave, hailing from South Central LA- Keith Fisher III!@WCChoops | #WavesUp pic.twitter.com/zVo6Ci7BNH

— Pepperdine Men’s Basketball (@PeppBasketball) April 19, 2021

San Diego

Additions: T.J. Berger (Guard, Georgetown); Terrell Brown (Forward, Pitt); Marcellus Earlington (Forward, St. John’s); Bryce Monroe (Guard, Sam Houston State); Jase Townsend (Guard, Denver)

Departures: Felipe Doria; Jason Gallant; Mikal Gjerde (Rockhurst); Braun Hartfield (Pepperdine); Frankie Hughes; Marion Humphrey (SLCC); Yauhen Massalski (San Francisco); Ben Pyle; Jared Rodriguez (Idaho State); Finn Sullivan

TJ Berger has committed to @usdmbb 😎 pic.twitter.com/jrekKtY34s

— Westtown Boys Basketball (@Westtownhoops) April 27, 2021

San Francisco

Additions: Yauhen Massalski (Forward, San Diego); Zane Meeks (Forward, Nevada); Gabriele Stefani (Guard, Columbia); Patrick Tape (Forward, Duke)

Departures: Trevanta Anderson (Idaho); Samba Kane (Milwaukee); Damari Milstead (Cal State Fullerton); Anthony Roy.

Duke transfer Patrick Tape has also committed to San Francisco, per the Instagram post below.

Big AM for Todd Golden and the Dons. https://t.co/f4ZbAsV4Hz

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 9, 2021

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.