One of the most ubiquitous parts of a college basketball offseason is the chaos the transfer portal creates for every Division I program. In October 2018, Name, Image and Likeness was introduced in collegiate sports, allowing players to receive compensation based on their profile. In 2021, the NCAA removed the mandate requiring a sit-out season for transfers, forever changing the sport and how student-athletes approach their careers.
Hofstra University is no stranger to the portal, with some of its best players – Aaron Estrada, Tyler Thomas and Cruz Davis, all Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Players of the Year – being acquired through it.
Before the portal opened on Tuesday, April 7, the Pride had already lost five players to graduation: Silas Sunday, Biggie Patterson, Joshua Aaron Reaves, Alex Tsynkevich and, most notably, German Plotnikov, who spent the last four seasons with Hofstra.
CAA Rookie of the Year Preston Edmead announced that he entered the transfer portal on Monday, April 6. The Long Island native helped lead the Pride to their first conference championship since 2020. He punctuated the run with a game-winner over Towson University that sent Hofstra to the CAA championship game, where he earned tournament MVP honors. Edmead averaged 16.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game this season while shooting 38.7% from three. He has since committed to North Carolina State University.
Another major departure came when CAA Player of the Year Davis announced his decision to enter the portal on Monday, April 13. Davis became the third player to earn the award under head coach Speedy Claxton. The 6-foot-3-inch junior averaged 20.1 points and 4.7 assists per game this season while shooting 40% from beyond the arc. He has committed to Texas Tech University.
“These last two years have been nothing but incredible,” Davis said in an X post. “Certainly the best two years of my life! From the moment I arrived on campus I was embraced by this fan base who are the best in the nation. Coach Claxton and the entire staff took a kid from Texas and turned him into a man. We came in with big goals from day one and were able to achieve most of them. Being able to help lead my team to a CAA championship and play in the NCAA tournament is something I will cherish forever.”
The Pride is also losing Brandon Morgan, A.J. Wills, Amir Williams, Jaeden Roberts – who has committed to Western Carolina University – and Victory Onuetu, who is headed to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Between transfers and graduating seniors, Hofstra had 12 departures, with only three players from the 2026 championship roster returning: Joshua DeCady, Trey Boyd III and Carlos Lopez.
Despite the significant roster turnover, the portal is a two-way street, and Claxton and his staff have built a reputation for identifying and developing talent through it.
Hofstra has added center Imanuel Zorgvol from Youngstown State University, guard Tanner Thomas from Loyola Marymount University – brother of former CAA Player of the Year Tyler Thomas. The Pride has also added guards Justin Moore and Deywilk Tavarez from Loyola University Chicago, center Riley Dunn from Monroe University and guard Nick Jefferson from Salt Lake Community College.
The Pride will also bring in freshman guard Xavier Blake from The Phelps School.
The 2026 men’s college basketball transfer portal officially closed on Tuesday, April 21 at 11:59 p.m. While players can still commit to new programs, no additional names can enter the portal after the deadline.
