Where are they now? What happened to Arizona Basketball transfer portal departures
The transfer portal is both a road in and out of Tucson, so let's catch up with some former Wildcats.
By Mason Duhon
Tommy Lloyd was hired to succeed Sean Miller as the head coach of Arizona Basketball ahead of the 2021-22 season, and with coaching changes come roster turnover. Since then, nine players have transferred out and found ways to remain in the basketball sphere.
Four collegiate careers are finished. Two players, Terrell Brown Jr. and James Akinjo, spent a year at their new power-conference schools before catching on in the NBA G-League. Two more, Jemarl Baker Jr. and Jordan Brown, spent two years at the mid-major level before cashing in on extra years with power-conference programs in 2023-24.
The other five, though, are still playing out their college eligibility in new places. Adama Bal has become a bona fide starter after just a season at Santa Clara, and Tibet Görener has blossomed into a 3-point machine at San José State. Meanwhile, both Kerr Kriisa and Shane Nowell are searching for their third schools after West Virginia and UNLV didn't work out, respectively. Curiously, the jury is still out on former walk-on Ben Ackerley, who's currently playing JuCo ball.
Important note: Daniel Batcho, Ira Lee, and Kim Aiken Jr. are not included on this list. Batcho never actually played a game for Arizona and was an incoming freshman who already enrolled. He spent two seasons with Texas Tech before catching on at Louisiana Tech last year. Lee committed to George Washington and the College of Charleston at points but is currently playing overseas. Finally, Aiken Jr. has struggled with legal issues and is no longer in the basketball world.