As of last week, over 1,700 men’s college basketball players had entered the transfer portal in 2022. Several prominent performers in the Mid-American Conference during the 2021-22 season have found new homes.
Here’s a look at the top 2021-22 MAC players who have moved on (in alphabetical order), and where they landed.
Ali Ali, 6-foot-8, Wing
From Akron to Butler
Ali joins head coach Thad Matta’s Bulldogs after averaging a team-high 13.9 points per game for the 2022 MAC Tournament champion Zips. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Tyler Cochran, 6-2, Wing
Ball State to Toledo
Cochran was the Cardinals’ second-leading scorer (11.6 ppg) and rebounder (5.6 rpg) last year, and averaged a MAC-leading two steals per contest. He will play for his third MAC team, after starting his collegiate career at Northern Illinois.
Dae Dae Grant, 6-2, Guard
Miami to Duquesne
Grant started all 87 games over the past three seasons for the RedHawks, and scored 1,171 points (13.5 ppg). He averaged 17.5 points per game last season. Grant is one of nine new additions for former Akron head coach Keith Dambrot’s Dukes, who finished 6-24 last season.
Trendon Hankerson, 6-2, Guard
Northern Illinois to Akron
Hankerson played in 101 games for the Huskies and posted 886 points, 334 rebounds, 189 assists and 117 steals. He averaged 11.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists last season, and ranked second in the MAC in steals at 1.8 per game.
Cameron Healy, 6-3, Guard
Central Michigan to Southern Utah
Healy averaged 11.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in one season with the Chippewas. He’s one of four transfer guards brought in by Southern Utah, which enters the Western Athletic Conference this season.
Josh Mballa, 6-7, Forward
Buffalo to Ole Miss
Mballa enjoyed three stellar seasons with the Bulls, earning All-MAC honors twice and MAC Defensive Player of the Year recognition in 2020-21. Including one year at Texas Tech, Mballa has posted 1,058 points and 790 rebounds as a collegian. He’s one of eight new additions for Ole Miss, which finished 13-19 last season.
Mo Njie, 6-10, Center
Eastern Michigan to SMU
Njie averaged 6.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game for the Eagles in 2021-22 to earn MAC All-Freshman Team honors. He’s one of six transfers signed by the Mustangs, who lost their top four rebounders from last year’s 24-9 squad.
Mark Sears, 6-1, Guard
Ohio University to Alabama
Sears was a contender for MAC Player of the Year in 2021-22, when he averaged 19.7 points, six rebounds and 4.1 assists per outing while shooting 41% from 3-point range. Widely considered the top point guard in the portal, Sears is from Muscle Shoals, Ala.