Matt A. Mariani, Basketball Beat Writer

The Michigan Wolverines won the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball national championship with all five starters acquired from the transfer portal. 

In 2026, the NCAA transfer portal had never been more important, as seen in this year’s national championship. Michigan reportedly spent more than $10 million on its roster. This marked a departure from college basketball seasons of the past, when teams were homegrown and players stayed at the school where they originally committed. 

As of April 8, seven members of the Quinnipiac men’s basketball team had entered their names into the transfer portal, looking for a different opportunity at another program. Four of them  started for head coach Tom Pecora: senior forward Amarri Monroe, who spent three seasons in Hamden; senior guard Asim Jones, who just finished his first season; sophomore guard Jaden Zimmerman; and sophomore forward Grant Randall. 

As of April 9, 11 schools had reached out to Randall, including  BYU, Cincinnati, Clemson, VCU and NC State. Randall, a 6-foot-9 forward, was the fourth-leading scorer on the team, averaging 11.4 points per game. He had a career high in the final game of the season with 28 points against Marist in the MAAC tournament and a career high rebounds (16) against Sacred Heart in January. Randall has said he plans to visit George Mason, Dayton and Cincinnati sometime this week. 

On April 14, Zimmerman announced on his Instagram that he will transfer to Grand Canyon University (GCU) for his third season. GCU finished 20-12 and 13-7 overall in the Mountain West Conference. Zimmerman averaged 15.1 points per game as a sophomore. 

Monroe is seeking a fifth year of eligibility, which would require a waiver from the NCAA. Monroe was named  the MAAC Player of the Year  as a junior. As a senior, he averaged a team-high 15.6 points per game, playing 30 of the 32 games. He led the Bobcats the past two seasons, but had a down year compared to his junior season when he averaged 18.1 points per game. Quinnipiac will need to replace Monroe’s role, scoring and leadership while Monroe looks for his next opportunity, likely in a higher conference. Monroe entered the portal after his junior season, and his top schools he considered included UConn, Miami, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Ole Miss and Kansas. 

Off the bench, sharpshooting sophomore guard Samson Reilly also announced that he would enter the transfer portal. Senior guard Ronell Giles Jr. and first-year forward Sam Nosakhare also entered the portal. Nosakhare and Reilly were not the first players off the Bobcat bench, but held  key roles. Nosakhare played in 18 games, and Reilly was featured in 28 games. 

Giles Jr. also would need a waiver for another year of eligibility. Along with Giles Jr. and Monroe, Jones also is waiting to be granted a waiver for an extra season. 

With four starters and two role players hitting the portal, the Bobcats have work to do in the summer to find replacements and attempt to pursue a MAAC championship. Currently on the roster, first-year guard Tai Turnage and sophomore forward Keith McKnight will return, as well as sophomore forward Spence Wewe, who is the only returning starter. 

“You know, [Randall] and Keith should be all cornerstones next year if we can keep them both,” Pecora said during the final MAAC news conference. 

McKnight, the team’s sixth man, who also started a handful of games, will compete to be one of the main players this coming season. Turnage and McKnight connected on multiple thunderous alley-oops throughout the season. Wewe likely will remain the starting center and be expected to play a more dominant role in the paint during his third season. Turnage played a key role as the squad’s backup point guard, averaging 3.6 points and 2.1 assists per game, though he played inconsistent minutes throughout the season. He did have four or more assists in five contests, including a career high 11 dimes against CCNY in November.