The National Collegiate Athletic Association transfer portal brings change to collegiate sports teams across the country every year, and Western Washington University’s men’s basketball team is no exception.
At the end of the 2025-26 season, six of Western’s 16 players announced that they were entering the portal. With three graduating seniors, this leaves the roster at just seven players.
One of these seniors, center Janko Drammeh, came to Western after attending two junior colleges, and has moved through the portal multiple times.
“In the time span of being in the portal, it was very intense because you had so many choices you had to make; you're literally choosing a school that's going to be your home for the next few years,” Drammeh said. “It's a great opportunity to branch out and seek a new home, while making money and also (getting) the best education you can.”
Three out of the six players in the portal have already committed to other schools. Freshman guard Dennis Johnson and junior guard Nehemiah Pollard are sticking together at Portland State University, and sophomore guard Aidan Rice is headed on to the University of California, Riverside.
The other three players, sophomore forward Trevor White, junior forward Louis Grante-Halliday and junior guard Malachi Miller haven’t announced where they will be transferring to.
These roster changes follow major changes to the transfer portal itself within the last two years. In 2024, the NCAA removed limits on the number of times a player may transfer teams. Penalties for immediate playing time for multiple transfers within a season were also relieved, so long as the athlete retains academic standing and enters the portal within the allotted window, according to a press release from the NCAA.
In January 2026, the NCAA announced more updates, this time to the transfer windows. The windows for basketball will open for 15 days following the championship games, and an additional 15-day window may open in the event of a head coaching change.
This lets athletes move more freely between divisions and programs. Many of Western’s players have transferred into its Division II program from junior colleges.
One athlete taking advantage of the ability to transfer between divisions is freshman guard Dennis Johnson, who committed to Division I Pennsylvania State University on April 16, 2026.
“I’m kind of living my dream now. I always wanted to go DI and now I am,” Johnson said.
Despite losing players to the portal, Dominguez, who is entering his 32nd year coaching at Western, is hopeful for the upcoming season.
“The kids that are returning are very talented and with the right mindsets, and I'm pretty optimistic,” Dominguez said.
Dominguez prioritizes building character and leadership among players, emphasizing that they are people first, as well as assets to the team. Drammeh felt this dynamic during his time on the team.
“Seeing your teammates as family definitely helped me grow into knowing I can go to many different places and find my own home there,” he said.
Next season, recruiting agent and Assistant Coach Tyler Buchanan hopes to rebuild the roster with players who click as a team.
“(We want to create) a team that's not only exciting for the community, but (up to) the standard we hold ourselves to and the university,” he said. He is hoping to find players who complement the core returning players and fill the necessary gaps that have been left by the end of this season.
Each year since he joined in 2020, Western has seen a 25-50% roster turnover. Buchanan admitted it’s hard to hold on to players at the DII level.
“It’s important for fans and the university and everyone else to understand that there's a high level of turnover that happens, and the opportunities our individuals have earned at the DI level is something that we should be proud of,” Buchanan said.
The portal allows athletes the chance to play for higher-paying institutions. Data collected in 2020 by Patrick O'Rourke, showed that out of the $4.2 billion awarded in athletic scholarships across 2,000 universities, DI schools accounted for 65% of the money awarded, compared to 18% of DII.
“All you need really is an opportunity to just go out there and do your thing; I was blessed enough to have that opportunity, and I took it and capitalized on it,” Johnson said.
Historically, DII schools have been seen to aid athletes who have goals to move into higher division teams. Data collected by the NCAA between 2023 and 2025 showed that out of 1,812 total basketball portal entrants, 1,494 transferred to DI schools.
“Competing with other players at that level – it’s just (about) getting better and elevating your game,” Johnson said.
Dominguez said Western has offered a place for athletes to grow their skills and get their name, image and likeness to resonate with upper division teams.
With the approach of the upcoming season, Western’s men’s basketball is hopeful for success with the players they have retained, and to rebuild with new recruits who can fill the spaces left behind.
Violet Mills (she/her) is a sports and recreation reporter for The Front. She is in her second year at Western and is a double major in journalism public relations and communication studies. When she isn't hunting down the latest news, she is usually working out at the rec center or spending time outdoors with her friends. You can reach her at violetmills.thefront@gmail.com.
