Where roster stands in transfer portal season

There’s a scene in the 1983 movie classic in which the character played by Tom Cruise announces that he’s decided where to go to college.

On Tuesday night, former Notre Dame men’s basketball forward Carey Booth basically stated the same on Instagram, announcing that he will transfer to Illinois after spending 15 days in the transfer portal.

Booth’s first comment in his post was, “Still Fighting.”

The Fighting Illini finished 29-9 overall, 14-6 in the Big Ten last season.

A native of Englewood, Colorado, the 6-foot-10 Booth announced April 1 that he would transfer. He also left open the possibility of returning to the Irish. Booth continued working out at Rolfs Hall after he announced he would/ might leave, but returning was never a choice.

In the culture that head coach Micah Shrewsberry is building, it couldn’t be.

Shrewsberry often said this season, one that saw Notre Dame go 13-20 overall and 7-13 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, that he needed guys with both feet in. Booth too often had one foot in and one foot out. He now has both feet out.

After averaging 6.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 19.9 minutes a game with 19 starts, the former Top 50 recruit was the third Irish to announce transfer plans since the portal window opened March 18. Former Irish power forward Matt Zona, a native of Blauvelt, New York, recently announced a commitment to Fordham, a team that, like Notre Dame, was 13-20 last season. Former walk-on guard Alex Wade, who spent last season on scholarship, has yet to announce his college plans.

Notre Dame forward Carey Booth drives to the basket as Wake Forest forward Andrew Carr defends on March 13 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

The Irish lost five players to the transfer portal after the 2022-23 season.

With seven returning players (for now) and three incoming freshmen (guards Cole Certa and Sir Mohammed and forward Garrett Sundra), Notre Dame has three scholarships it can offer portal players for the 2024-25 season.

The Irish recently hosted former NAIA Grace (Ind.) College power forward Elijah Malone for a visit. A 6-10 native of LaGrange, Indiana, Malone was named the 2024 Bevo Francis Award, which goes to the nation’s best small college player. He averaged 17.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 24.4 minutes last season. He shot .634 percent from the field, .364 percent from 3 and .811 percent from the foul line.

Malone also has visits set for Colorado and Indiana.

Former Princeton guard Matt Allocco will decide soon between Notre Dame and Ohio State. The suburban Columbus, Ohio native averaged 12.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 33.7 minutes over 29 games last season, his fourth at Princeton. The 6-4 Allocco also was a rare 50-40-90 player, shooting .508 percent from the field, .427 percent from 3 and .909 from the foul line.

Notre Dame will host former Colorado swingman guard Luke O’Brien for a visit this spring. The 6-8 O’Brien averaged 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 23.6 minutes last season.

Former Michigan swingman Terrance

Williams, a former Georgetown commitment who considered Notre Dame coming out of Gonzaga College Prep High School, is scheduled to visit next week. Williams, who would be a graduate transfer, averaged 12.4 points and 4.5 rebounds in 33.3 minutes over 31 games for the Wolverines.

Notre Dame also may get involved with former Illinois freshman forward Amani Hansberry, who averaged 2.4 points and 2.1 rebounds in 7.5 minutes over 19 games last season. Shrewsberry recruited the 6-8 Hansberry while the head coach at Penn State.

Notre Dame could use interior size and experience and a proven wing scorer/defender. The Irish have not added a player out of the transfer portal after taking three last season — swingman Tae Davis (Seton Hall), power forward Kebba Njie (Penn State) and guard Julian Roper (Northwestern).

As of Wednesday morning, there were nearly 1,700 current college players in the transfer portal, which remains open until May 1.

Notre Dame also awaits future word on freshman guard Markus Burton. The ACC’s reigning rookie of the year, Burton declared last week for the 2024 NBA draft. Burton averaged team highs in points (17.26), assists (4.26), steals (1.97) and minutes (33.5). He has left open the possibility (likelihood?) of returning for his sophomore season.

Burton has until May 29 to remain in the draft or return to school. The Mishawaka native could be the second oneand-done in program history (Blake Wesley) or the first to weigh his NBA options but return to South Bend the following season since Luke Harangody in 2009.

Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact: (574) 235-6153.