Transfer roundup: Maryland loses two starters as coach leaves

Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Rodney Rice, two starters for Maryland’s Sweet 16 team, reportedly entered the transfer portal Monday in the wake of coach Kevin Willard bolting the program for Villanova.

Both guards played a single season for the Terrapins; Gillespie transferred from Belmont last spring and Rice joined the Terps from Virginia Tech after sitting out 2023-24.

Gillespie averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game in 36 starts for Maryland. He shot 45.3 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from 3-point range.

Rice put up 13.8 points per game in 36 games (32 starts) for the Terrapins, shooting 43.4 percent overall and 37.4 percent from 3-point range.

Maryland, a No. 4 seed, beat Grand Canyon and Colorado State in the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 1 seed Florida in the Sweet 16.

–North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau announced on Instagram that he is transferring to Michigan.

A former five-star high school recruit, Cadeau averaged 9.4 points, 6.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game in 37 games (all starts) for the Tar Heels in his sophomore season. He also gave up 3.1 turnovers per contest.

Cadeau was a 33.7 percent shooter from 3-point range as he helped North Carolina reach the NCAA Tournament, where it defeated San Diego State in the First Four before falling to No. 6 seed Ole Miss. Cadeau had 12 assists against the Aztecs and eight against the Rebels.

In 74 games (68 starts) across two seasons in Chapel Hill, Cadeau has averaged 8.3 points, 5.1 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game.

–Kennesaw State guard Adrian Wooley is headed to Louisville, he revealed on Instagram.

Wooley averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 33 games (32 starts) as a freshman at Kennesaw State. He earned Conference-USA Freshman of the Year and first-team All-CUSA honors.

Wooley was considered a top-five transfer currently in the portal by 247Sports and On3.

–Nijel Pack is entering the transfer portal out of Miami, several reports said.

Pack spent three seasons at Miami after two at Kansas State. However, he only played in nine games for the Hurricanes in 2024-25 due to an ankle injury and was expected to apply for a medical redshirt.

Before his season’s premature end, Pack averaged 13.9 points, 4.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 45.4 percent overall and 38.6 percent from 3. In 122 career games (121 starts), Pack has put up 14.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game; he is a career 40.3 percent 3-point shooter.

–Arkansas big man Zvonimir Ivisic is entering the portal, his agent told ESPN.

Ivisic followed coach John Calipari from Kentucky to Arkansas after coming over from his native Croatia in 2023.

After appearing in 15 games off the bench at Kentucky, he became a part-time starter for the Razorbacks and averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game in 35 games (19 starts).

–UAB star forward Yaxel Lendeborg announced on social media that he is entering the portal.

Lendeborg played two seasons with the Blazers and was named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year both years. He also led the conference in rebounding both years (10.6 per game as a freshman, 11.4 per game as a sophomore).

Lendeborg averaged 17.7 points per game on 52.2 percent shooting in 2024-25 and has career marks of 15.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.9 blocks per game in 72 games (68 starts).

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