The 2026 NCAA transfer portal for both men’s and women’s basketball is now open. The women’s portal window opened on April 6 and will close on April 20. The men’s window opened April 7 and will close on April 21.
Though players are required to enter the portal during this window, there is no deadline for a player who has entered the transfer portal to commit to a new school.
In prior seasons, players had more time to enter the transfer portal. Previously, the portal opened after the first round of March Madness games for both men’s and women’s and remained open for 30 days. This year, the window opened following the conclusion of the National Championship games as part of the NCAA’s goal to keep fans’ attention on the tournament.
Players will have two weeks to formally declare their intent to enter the portal — half as much time as players did in past seasons.
Players on Ole Miss’ Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams have already entered the portal. Lady Rebel sophomore guard Tianna Thompson announced on April 3 via her Instagram that she intended to enter the portal after just one season with Ole Miss. Thompson, who transferred from Georgia Tech after her freshman season, averaged six points, 1.3 rebounds and 14.8 minutes per game across a total of 34 games with Ole Miss.
On the men’s side, Hobert Grayson IV, Corey Chest, Koren Johnson and Eduardo Klafke also announced that they plan to enter the portal.
Grayson’s departure should not impact the Rebels, since he only saw 5.6 minutes of playing time this year in his one season as a Rebel. Klafke’s exit from Oxford, on the other hand, will have a larger impact. Over his two seasons with the Rebels, he appeared in 70 games and gradually took on a larger role. This past season, Klafke averaged 15 minutes per game and appeared in all but one matchup for the Rebels.
Guard Ilias Kamardine announced that he will return to Oxford for his last season of eligibility, On3’s Joe Tipton reported on March 31. The former French professional, who was recently granted another season of eligibility by the NCAA, averaged 11.3 points, 3.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game in his first season of college basketball. He hit numerous clutch shots during the Rebels’ SEC Tournament run and has the potential to facilitate the offense.
As of now, neither team has landed any commitments, but recruits could continue to trickle in long after the portal window closes as they did last season. For example, men’s guard Kezza Giffa signed with Ole Miss on June 4.
Last season, women’s head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin scored a commitment from forward Cotie McMahon, one of the top transfers in the country, along with a slew of other contributors.
Men’s head coach Chris Beard brought in his own fair share of transfers, but considering the team’s lackluster performance this past season, he will hope to bring in higher-caliber players this upcoming offseason.
With the departures of key players on both teams — including McMahon and forward Christeen Iwuala on the women’s side and forward Malik Dia and guard AJ Storr on the men’s side — both programs will hope to supplement their rosters with transfers in the coming months.
