With the 2024 recruiting cycle nearing its end and the transfer portal working at warp speed, the rumor mill is churning away.
Today, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy shares the buzz he’s hearing from sources on a number of topics related to the 2024 class and the portal.
Is Washington on the verge of adding a Rivals150 guard? Where does Kansas stand with a top transfer target? And of course, is John Calipari going to lure a five-star from Kentucky to Arkansas?
The answers are below.
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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK
Monday: Five-Star Countdown
Tuesday: Final Rivals150 unveiled | Top storylines
Wednesday: Position rankings released | Position rankings breakdown
Thursday: Team rankings spotlight
Friday: Rivals Roundtable
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2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
2026 Rankings: Top 100
TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | Transfer search | Transfer tracker/player ranking (football) | Transfer team ranking (football) | Transfer tracker/player ranking (basketball) | Transfer team ranking (basketball) | Rivals Portal Twitter
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WASHINGTON CLOSING ON JASE BUTLER
Former Illinois commit Jase Butler is back on the market after being released from his NIL with the Illini on April 8, but he may not stay uncommitted for long. The California-based guard is set to visit Washington on Wednesday and could become the next Huskies commitment should all go well on the trip.
Cal is the other school most heavily involved with Butler. And while the Golden Bears remain a real threat, Washington has established itself as the team to beat in recent days. The quicker Butler makes a decision, the better it looks for the Huskies as head coach Danny Sprinkle will try to seal the deal with the four-star guard this week.
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ARKANSAS IN DRIVER’S SEAT WITH FLAND
Five-star point guard Boogie Fland is back on the market after requesting a release from letter of intent with Kentucky in the wake of John Calipari’s departure for Arkansas. In the hours following his decommitment, those close to the guard said Fland would take some time to hear pitches from other interested schools but expected the New York-based star to eventually land alongside Calipari in Fayetteville unless another program blows him away.
Sources indicate that Louisville has been the most aggressive school in the early days of Fland’s second recruitment and is definitely worth monitoring, but Alabama, St. John’s and others have also made overtures. Fland was especially close to former Kentucky assistant Orlando Antigua, so where he resurfaces could have an impact on the five-star’s decision.
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KANSAS HAS WISCONSIN TRANSFER AJ STORR’S FULL ATTENTION
Kansas has been a major player for Wisconsin transfer AJ Storr since the 6-foot-7 wing hit the portal on March 28. Storr will also test the NBA Draft waters, but the expectation is that he’ll eventually return to college.
Should that come to fruition, Lawrence seems the overwhelming favorite to be his next destination provided the Jayhawks have room on the roster following NBA Draft declarations and other impending decisions.
Storr, who averaged 16.8 PPG as a Badger last season, is one of the most sought-after players in the portal. And while the fact that his close friend and women’s hoops standout Sania Copeland, recently transferred from Wisconsin to KU could certainly be painted as a positive indicator for Bill Self’s pursuit of Storr, it’s not the only reason the Jayhawks seem to lead the sweepstakes. Storr may remain on the market for a bit, as he hopes to get feedback from NBA teams about his game, but certainly has one eye on KU as things stand.
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ALABAMA TO BE INVOLVED WITH LIAM MCNEELEY
There was a line of thinking emerging not long ago that in-state Texas would be a player for former Indiana commit Liam McNeeley, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. There simply doesn’t seem to be much contact between the five-star forward and the Longhorns at this juncture, and a union between the two sides seems even less likely in the wake of UT’s big week in the transfer portal.
McNeeley, who will visit UConn next week, has also been linked to the new regime at Michigan as well as Kentucky, and Kansas, though it’s been difficult to verify the real interest level between the Jayhawks and the McDonald’s All-American as of late.
A new contender has emerged in recent days, however, as McNeeley has been linked to Alabama by people in the know. If a visit takes place in the near future, Nate Oats and company could become a real threat to snag the Texas-born star. He’s no lock to land with the Tide obviously, but mutual interest is emerging.
