Early landing spots emerging for former Villanova guard

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 20: Malachi Palmer #7 of the Villanova Wildcats is greeted at the bench during the first half against the Utah State Aggies in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 20, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images Malachi Palmer didn’t exactly rush to throw his name into the transfer portal. The former Villanova guard waited a while after the portal opened before making his move, which usually means he gave the decision some real thought.

It all but signals he has no desire to return to a team undergoing a massive roster overhaul with limited opportunities. According to Billy Heyen of The Sporting News , four teams are currently worth watching for his next move: Illinois, Kansas, Houston, and Georgia. And that’s a pretty telling group for a couple of reasons.

“He’s in the portal from Villanova after beginning his career at Maryland. And now, he’s looking for a third home in three seasons,” Heyen wrote. “There’s at least some reason to wonder about landing spots at the likes of Illinois, Kansas, Houston and Georgia.

All four of those programs offered Palmer a scholarship when he was a high school recruit. ” These are programs that have known about Palmer for years, dating back to when he was a three-star recruit coming out of Baltimore, ranked No. 139 nationally and the No.