One day after the NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship, the college basketball transfer portal opened.
The Tribune is tracking the major roster additions, subtractions and announcements of local teams.
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Wednesday: Freshman forward David Mirković announced his return to Illinois next season.
What it means: Mirković’s announcement was the first by an Illinois player to say he’s returning after the Illini’s run to the Final Four.
The 6-foot-9 Montenegrin became a crucial piece for the Illini last season, averaging 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He was named to the Big Ten’s all-freshman team, received all-conference honorable mention and was selected to the NCAA Tournament’s All-South Region team.
He set an Illinois freshman rebounding record with 297, including 17 in the first-round win against Penn, a program record for an NCAA Tournament game.
The Illini are working to retain some of the core from their first Final Four team in 21 years. But the only other Illinois player to announce his next move as of Wednesday afternoon was freshman guard Keaton Wagler, who on Saturday declared for the NBA draft.
Illinois received a commitment over the weekend from Providence guard Stefan Vaaks, a top-10 player in the portal according to ESPN.
Mirković started a livestream on Twitch that had more than 3,000 people watching Wednesday afternoon. He talked with followers for 25 minutes before thanking his coaches, teammates and staff.
Just before announcing the decision, his feed cut to a screensaver, but he then posted a letter — reminiscent of the Michael Jordan fax in 1995 — that said, “I’m back.”
After the Illini’s loss to Connecticut in the Final Four, Mirković said Illinois “means everything to me,” noting how he felt accepted on and off the court. He said a full summer in the program would benefit him after arriving in the United States late last summer because of visa issues.
“I would say there is a dangerous summer in front of me, and after that there is a dangerous season,” he said. “I know I have so, so, so, so much room for improvement. … For sure, I see myself as a leader next year.”
Tuesday: Winthrop center Logan Duncomb has committed to Notre Dame, the Irish announced.
What it means: Duncomb, a 6-foot-10 senior, was the Big South Player of the Year in 2025-26 after averaging 18.3 points and 8.9 rebounds for the Eagles. He broke a program record with 194 free throws in a record 264 attempts.
Notre Dame will be his fourth school. He began his college career as a reserve at Indiana, redshirted during a season at Xavier and played the last two years at Winthrop, breaking out this past season.
Notre Dame is restocking its roster after several impact players — Markus Burton, Jalen Haralson and Cole Certa — entered the portal.
Tuesday: Northwestern received a commitment from Bellarmine forward Jack Karasinski, he announced on Instagram.
What it means: Karasinski, a 6-foot-7 senior, averaged 21.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists last season. The Grand Rapids, Mich., native spent two seasons at William & Mary before the last two at Bellarmine. He shot 56% from the field and 42% from 3-point range in 2025-26.
Northwestern has to replace its top two big men in Nick Martinelli, who is graduating, and Arrinten Page, who is transferring.
Monday: Former Notre Dame point guard Markus Burton posted his commitment to Indiana on Instagram.
What it means: Burton was averaging 18.5 points for the Irish as a junior last season when he suffered a left ankle injury Dec. 5 and underwent season-ending surgery. ESPN ranked him the No. 17 player in the portal.
He averaged 21.3 points and three assists in a second-team All-ACC season as a sophomore. He missed time during that season with a knee injury. The former Indiana Mr. Basketball from Mishawaka now joins a Hoosiers team looking to break its streak of three straight seasons without an NCAA Tournament berth.
Burton is the second Notre Dame player to commit elsewhere after guard Cole Certa signed with Clemson. Guard Jalen Haralson is also in the portal.
Monday: DePaul signed Arizona State transfer Noah Meeusen
What it means: Meeusen is the third portal commitment and first player to sign with the Blue Demons this spring.
The 6-foot-5 guard from Belgium averaged 5.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals last season, his first in college basketball. He scored a career-high 16 points, had five assists and made 4 of 7 3-pointers against top-ranked Arizona. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Meeusen played for Filou Oostende in the BNXT League and for the 2024 FIBA U20 Europe team.
Sunday: Wofford guard Kahmare Holmes committed to DePaul, he posted on Instagram
What it means: The 6-foot-3 sophomore was a first-team All-Southern Conference player after averaging 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists for the Terriers. Holmes made 48.3% of his field-goal attempts, including 35.2% from 3-point range.
Holmes is the second player to transfer to DePaul. Fresno State 7-foot center Wilson Jacques, who is from France, also committed, according to DraftExpress, after averaging 8.8 points and 8.8 rebounds in his freshman season.
DePaul, which finished 16-16 and 8-12 in the Big East, must replace multiple seniors who tried to help coach Chris Holtmann turn the program around, including guard CJ Gunn and forward NJ Benson.
Sunday: Providence guard Stefan Vaaks committed to Illinois, he posted on Instagram
What it means: Vaaks, a 6-foot-7 freshman from Estonia, was named to the Big East’s all-freshman team this past season. He averaged 15.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
Before coming to the United States, he played a season with BC Kalev/Carmo in the Latvia-Estonia Basketball League. ESPN ranked him as the ninth-best player in the portal.
He joins an Illinois team in need of a boost at guard with the departures of Keaton Wagler, who has declared for the NBA draft, and Kylan Boswell, who is out of eligibility.
Vaaks is the latest in a long line of international players to join the Illini, including Croatian twin centers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivišić and Montenegrin forward David Mirković. Those players had not announced their plans for next season as of Sunday afternoon.
Saturday: Illinois freshman guard Keaton Wagler declared for the NBA draft
What it means: Wagler was expected to move on to the NBA after the best freshman season ever by an Illini player.
After joining Illinois as the No. 261 recruit, Wagler became a consensus All-American and the Jerry West shooting guard of the year in one season in Champaign. He set multiple Illinois freshman records, including scoring average (17.9 points per game) and 3-pointers (87). He also averaged 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists while leading Illinois to its first Final Four appearance since 2005.
Wagler made the announcement on Instagram, thanking coach Brad Underwood and the Illinois staff “for believing in me when others did not.” Wagler had only two high-major offers out of high school, and ESPN now ranks him as the fifth-best prospect in the NBA draft.
Meanwhile, Illinois now has a big hole to fill with the departure of its leading scorer, along with backcourt mate Kylan Boswell, who is out of eligibility.
Two other Illini players also are reportedly leaving. Serbian point guard Mihailo Petrović and Croatian forward Toni Bilić are entering the portal, according to DraftExpress and 247Sports.
Petrović played in just 18 games, averaging 1.7 points. Bilić came to the Illini in December and practiced with the team but did not play.
Saturday: Northwestern’s Angelo Ciaravino, Jake West and Phoenix Gill announced their returns
What it means: Northwestern is on track for a roster reboot, but it will return guards Ciaravino and West, who had 35 starts between them in 2025-26. Ciaravino averaged 6.3 points and 3.9 rebounds as a sophomore, and West averaged 5.3 points and 2.4 assists in his first season.
Gill, the son of former Illinois star Kendall Gill, played in 11 games as a freshman.
Those announcements came after multiple reports of Wildcats players entering the portal following a 15-19 season (5-15 in the Big Ten).
Northwestern will lose second-team All-Big Ten forward Nick Martinelli to graduation, and it also could lose its next three scorers.
According to multiple reports, including from On3.com, forwards Arrinten Page and Tre Singleton and guard Jayden Reid were among eight Wildcats players to enter the portal.
Thursday: Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo will return for her senior year
What it means: Hidalgo announced on social media that she will return to Notre Dame for her senior season after leading the Irish to the Elite Eight in 2026. As a junior, Hidalgo was named the Naismith and WBCA national defensive player of the year and a first team All-American by multiple outlets.
She already holds the NCAA record for single-season and single-game steals and the Notre Dame single-season scoring record. She also ranks second in career scoring in program history.
Hidalgo averaged 25.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.6 steals and 5.2 assists last season.
