College basketball has evolved significantly since Tyler Hansbrough’s time dominating the court at UNC.
Today, it’s increasingly uncommon to see a player spend four years at the same school. With the transfer portal allowing athletes to leave and join new teams at will, it’s now more typical for players to attend two or even three different schools, compared to the past when they would often remain at one institution for the entirety of their college careers.
Now working as a sports broadcaster, Hansbrough frequently shares his thoughts on the state of college basketball. In a recent appearance on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast, he discussed how the transfer portal is negatively impacting the sport.
One of the biggest challenges today is player development. Coaches now face the difficulty of balancing player growth with keeping athletes satisfied. In the past, it was common for players to gradually earn more playing time over the years.
However, now if a player isn’t getting the minutes they want, they can simply transfer to another school.
“I think back to 2008 and those Cinderella stories—back when there was no NIL or transfer portal—and how all four No. 1 seeds made it to the Final Four. Personally, I prefer seeing the top teams make it that far; that’s how I think it should be. But with the transfer portal now, there’s just so much movement among players. I feel like it’s hurting the game. I love basketball, and I love seeing it played at a high level, but I’m not sure players are being coached the same way they were when I was in school. It’s tough for coaches to really develop guys when they’re always leaving for the portal.”
Hansbrough also pointed out that many programs face instability. Even if a team recruits a player out of high school, there’s no guarantee they will stay for long due to the “one-and-done” trend and the transfer portal, which makes it difficult to predict how long players will remain with a program.
Hansbrough believes these changes are detrimental to the game, and he presents valid arguments to support his view. While high-level basketball remains the goal, the current pressures on both coaches and players make it nearly impossible to achieve. The transfer portal, in particular, makes it incredibly hard for coaches to develop and manage their teams effectively.
