By Sam Federman
With the transfer portal in full bloom, each day brings new commitments and new entries. I'm going to highlight a few commitments that catch my eye each day, and look at how each player fits at their new program.
Nate Heise: Northern Iowa -> Iowa State
Heise added an element of playmaking to his game this year that allowed him to impact the game in more ways, and he blossomed into Northern Iowa's best player. His toughness on the defensive glass and ability to play a few different roles on both ends of the floor makes him a solid fit for TJ Otzelberger's system. He can score from three and from the inside, with a slick pull-up jumper in his bag. It adds depth to an already strong backcourt, but he's also plied his trade on the wing. ISU will value his secondary rim protection and help defense in their system as well. I don't see him as a star for Iowa State, but he makes plenty of winning plays and has the ability to come in and provide a jolt for what the Cyclones want to do.
Elijah Lewis: Adelphi (D2) -> Marist
Lewis can slot in as a third guard next to Jadin Collins and Josh Pascarelli, adding a major scoring punch. With Marist's second and third leading three point shooters in the portal, the Foxes needed to add some shooting, and they did just that. Lewis is one of just two Division II players in the country who averaged 15 PPG on splits of 50/50/85 last season, and he did so for a good Adelphi team.
Derek Simpson: Rutgers -> Saint Joseph's
Billy Lange made a huge splash in the portal by adding Simpson, who has started 31 games over the last two seasons at Rutgers. Even with the loss of Lynn Greer to the portal, the Hawks have an extremely talented backcourt with Simpson joining rising sophomore stud Xzayvier Brown and All-A10 First Teamer Erik Reynolds II. Simpson took more of an on-ball role this past season at Rutgers and it didn't go quite as well as he'd oped. Instead of the projected breakout season, he averaged 8.3 points and 2.9 assists, shooting an abysmal 30.5% from the field. With the drop down from the Big Ten to the A10, Simpson should be able to handle on-ball and off-ball responsibilities in the SJU backcourt.
Jordan Ivy-Curry: UTSA -> Virginia Tech
Mike Young moved quickly in replacing Sean Pedulla, finding his new point guard in UTSA's Jordan Ivy-Curry. The six-foot-three guard spent time at Pacific in between stints in San Antonio, and he blossomed into a legit top option this past year. He scored 38 points in an overtime loss to Florida Atlantic back in January. However, the four teams that Ivy-Curry has played for have all been outside of the top 250 in defense, and Virginia Tech has struggled on that end over the last few seasons. The Hokies lost a ton to the portal, and it seems Young is focused on getting proven production that can replace his losses before anything else at this point.