Has high school recruiting become obsolete in the Transfer Portal era?
There was a time not long ago when college coaches staked their reputations on high school recruiting. You found your stars in gyms across the country, built them up in your system, and maybe—just maybe—watched them become lottery picks or program legends. But that time is fading fast.
In today’s college basketball landscape, the Transfer Portal reigns supreme. Players no longer have to sit out a year. They can leave for any number of reasons—more playing time, better NIL money, proximity to home, or simply a new vibe—and immediately reshape a new roster.
For coaches, that’s a game-changer. Why take a flier on an 18-year-old prospect who might need two years of seasoning when you can land a 21-year-old who’s already proven himself in a power conference? The answer is: you don’t. You build through the portal because your job security might not last long enough to wait on potential. In 2025, more than 2.700 basketball players entered the transfer portal according to ESPN.
This shift has made life especially tough for mid-tier high school recruits. The five-star phenoms will always have a seat at the table, and the occasional blue-collar prospect can still carve out a path. But that once-reliable crop of developmental players—the ones who needed two or three years to grow—are getting squeezed out by the glut of older, experienced portal talent.
It’s not that high school recruiting is dead. But it is evolving—and fast. Coaches now must balance scouting high schoolers with deep dives into the portal and strategic NIL management. It’s no longer just about building a team. It’s about assembling a ready-made machine.
In this arms race of instant gratification, development is a luxury few can afford. The portal didn’t just change the game. It changed the rules. Mark Pope is navigating it beautifully, but is it sustainable?