Jeff Borzello Apr 27, 2026, 12:45 PM ET

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Basketball recruiting insider.

Joined ESPN in 2014.

Graduate of University of Delaware.

Whew.

The buzzer on Michigan's national championship win over UConn was just three weeks ago, but it has been a 20-day sprint since the transfer portal opened the next morning. More than 2,700 players have left their school to find a new one -- and only nine of our top 100 transfers are still available. The majority of power-conference programs have already completed much of their rebuilds, particularly at the top of their rosters.

Though the focus has been on portal acquisitions, a common theme has emerged toward the top of our latest Way-Too-Early Top 25: retention.…