The college basketball transfer portal opened following the NCAA championship, with Illinois adding Stefan Vaaks from Providence and DePaul securing Wofford guard Kahmare Holmes, a first-team All-Southern Conference player averaging 19.5 points per game.
One day after the NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship, the college basketball transfer portal opened.
The Tribune is tracking the major roster additions, subtractions and announcements of local teams.
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What it means: The 6-foot-3 sophomore was a first-team All-Southern Conference player after averaging 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists for the Terriers. Holmes made 48.3% of his field-goal attempts, including 35.2% from 3-point range.
Holmes is the second player to transfer to DePaul. Fresno State 7-foot center Wilson Jacques, who is from France, also committed, according to DraftExpress, after averaging 8.8 points and 8.8 rebounds in his freshman season.
DePaul, which finished 16-16 and 8-12 in the Big East, must replace multiple seniors who tried to help coach Chris Holtmann turn the program around, including guard CJ Gunn and forward NJ Benson.
What it means: Vaaks, a 6-foot-7 freshman from Estonia, was named to the Big East’s all-freshman team this past season. He averaged 15.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
Before coming to the United States, he played a season with BC Kalev/Carmo in the Latvia-Estonia Basketball League. ESPN ranked him as the ninth-best player in the portal.
He joins an Illinois team in need of a boost at guard with the departures of Keaton Wagler, who has declared for the NBA draft, and Kylan Boswell, who is out of eligibility.
Vaaks is the latest in a long line of international players to join the Illini, including Croatian twin centers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivišić and Montenegrin forward David Mirković. Those players had not announced their plans for next season as of Sunday afternoon.
What it means: Wagler was expected to move on to the NBA after the best freshman season ever by an Illini player.
After joining Illinois as the No. 261 recruit, Wagler became a consensus All-American and the Jerry West shooting guard of the year in one season in Champaign. He set multiple Illinois freshman records, including scoring average (17.9 points per game) and 3-pointers (87). He also averaged 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists while leading Illinois to its first Final Four appearance since 2005.
Wagler made the announcement on Instagram, thanking coach Brad Underwood and the Illinois staff “for believing in me when others did not.” Wagler had only two high-major offers out of high school, and ESPN now ranks him as the fifth-best prospect in the NBA draft.
Meanwhile, Illinois now has a big hole to fill with the departure of its leading scorer, along with backcourt mate Kylan Boswell, who is out of eligibility.
Two other Illini players also are reportedly leaving. Serbian point guard Mihailo Petrović and Croatian forward Toni Bilić are entering the portal, according to DraftExpress and 247Sports.
Petrović played in just 18 games, averaging 1.7 points. Bilić came to the Illini in December and practiced with the team but did not play.
What it means: Northwestern is on track for a roster reboot, but it will return guards Ciaravino and West, who had 35 starts between them in 2025-26. Ciaravino averaged 6.3 points and 3.9 rebounds as a sophomore, and West averaged 5.3 points and 2.4 assists in his first season.
Gill, the son of former Illinois star Kendall Gill, played in 11 games as a freshman.
Those announcements came after multiple reports of Wildcats players entering the portal following a 15-19 season (5-15 in the Big Ten).
Northwestern will lose second-team All-Big Ten forward Nick Martinelli to graduation, and it also could lose its next three scorers.
According to multiple reports, including from On3.com, forwards Arrinten Page and Tre Singleton and guard Jayden Reid were among eight Wildcats players to enter the portal.
What it means: Hidalgo announced on social media that she will return to Notre Dame for her senior season after leading the Irish to the Elite Eight in 2026. As a junior, Hidalgo was named the Naismith and WBCA national defensive player of the year and a first team All-American by multiple outlets.
She already holds the NCAA record for single-season and single-game steals and the Notre Dame single-season scoring record. She also ranks second in career scoring in program history.
Hidalgo averaged 25.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.6 steals and 5.2 assists last season.
Stefan Vaaks is a player from Providence who has transferred to Illinois.
Kahmare Holmes averaged 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game at Wofford.
Kahmare Holmes is a guard and stands 6-foot-3 tall.
Kahmare Holmes made 48.3% of his field-goal attempts and 35.2% from 3-point range.
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