Big Ten Daily (March 25): Fran McCaffery Rightfully Rips NCAA Transfer Portal

Iowa basketball coach Fran McCaffery isn't happy with the transfer portal opening during the start of college basketball's postseason. He calls the move by the NCAA "idiotic," and says there needs to be a plan to fix the "mess" the organization has created.

Feb 11, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffery reacts during the first / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Fran McCaffery has gained a lot of support for his recent comments about the NCAA transfer portal. The longtime coach at Iowa hates the fact that student-athletes are able to begin searching for a new school during college basketball's postseason.

The transfer portl opened on Monday, March 18, just one day after Selection Sunday. So, while some coaches are preparing for the NCAA Tournament, NIT and other postseason events, others are getting a head start on their 2024-25 rosters.

When asked about the situation, McCaffery didn't hold back. He rightfully ripped the NCAA, the organization responsible for the current chaos regarding the transfer portal.

"Just another ridiculous, idiotic move. You know, the portal was nuts, anyway. Somehow, some way, we have to figure out that mess, because it's an absolute mess. And it's created by the organization that's supposed to make sure that there isn't a mess — that's what's really disappointing McCaffery said.

"I think we can all agree, at some level — if you go back, all of the rules were written for one thing and one thing only, and that was to protect the institution. There were no rules that protected student-athletes. Now, it's completely the other way. I think we can all agree, they're no longer student-athletes. They're professional athletes. And that's OK. They deserve to be paid. NIL is a good thing. Everybody thinks it's a horrible thing, it's a good thing."

Although Iowa fell short of reaching the NCAA Tournament, the Hawkeyes did accept a bid to play in the NIT. That decision didn't prevent McCaffery and his staff from reaching out to players in the transfer portal, but it certainly makes life more complicated.

So, what's the solution? McCaffery didn't get too deep into the specifics, but he does believe that signing student-athletes to contracts is the next major move in college athletics.

"But until we have a two-way street which is, you get paid but you have a contract," he said.
"You can't get paid and be a free agent at every point in time. Just completely idiotic to think that situation would work."

Iowa defeated Kansas State 91-82 in the first round before falling 91-82 to Utah in the second round of the NIT. The Hawkeyes concluded the year with a 19-15 record.

Matt Painter defends Zach Edey

Purdue coach Matt Painter is another Big Ten personality who isn't afraid to speak his mind. Following the Boilermakers' 106-67 win over Utah State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, Painter made comments that went viral on social media.

After Sunday's blowout win to advance to the Sweet 16, Painter was asked how he'd respond to the people who say Zach Edey isn't a talented basketball player, saying he's "just tall."

Painter didn't hold back.

"They just shouldn't cover basketball," he said. "So like, you go to school and you learn things, but we all don't like every single class we're in, right? ... I just think everybody should like, take tests on their knowledge of what they're doing.

"I think all coaches should take a test so they understand refereeing, and I think all referees should take a test so they understand coaching. I think all journalists should have to take a basketball quiz or a test. Or anybody that tweets, they should have to be able to do it and they say something so moronic as that, then they should have to have a probationary status where they can't tweet for like three months."

Edey was dominant through Purdue's first games of the NCAA Tournament, leading the Boilers to a pair of blowout victories. He finished with 30 points, 21 rebounds, three blocks and two assists in a 78-50 win over Grambling on Friday. Sunday, the reigning National Player of the Year totaled 23 points, 14 boards, three blocks and three assists.

Despite his dominance on the hardwood over the past two seasons, there are still some people who refuse to give Edey the credit he deserves. Clearly, Painter doesn't think too highly of those individuals.

Related Big Ten stories

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• HOLMES LEADS IU TO SWEET SIXTEEN: Indiana trailed by four points in the closing minutes of Monday's NCAA Tournament Round of 32 game against Oklahoma at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, but All-American Mackenzie Holmes refused to let it be her final game. CLICK HERE