How D-II college basketball coaches adapt to the transfer portal era

Dip Metress had long seen the writing on the walls when it came to the transfer portal in college basketball. He just didn’t know when it would start to impact how he managed the Augusta University men’s basketball team. It happened during the 2025 offseason.

Metress, who’s been the head coach of the Jaguars for 21 years, had two of his top three scorers transfer up to Division-I programs. It was the first time he ever had players enter the portal and leave his program. Loyal followers of D-I men’s college basketball get to enjoy the excitement that comes with recruiting a talented player from the portal who one day may help lead their team to a deep March Madness run.

For Metress and others within the Division-II landscape, they have to contend with a new reality: the proliferation of the transfer portal has made them simply a stepping stone for players to achieve their dreams. “I don’t think any league is going to be the same,” Metress said on the transfer portal. “It’s something that’s a daily conversation, especially at our level.

” A new reality for Division-II basketball programs When the NCAA transfer portal debuted back in late 2018, it initially was a way to make the process of players declaring that they want to transfer more accessible and streamlined. An online database was created to do that. Then in 2021, the NCAA created the “one-time transfer rule” that allowed players to transfer schools once without having to sit out a year and lose a year of eligibility.