“Huge blow” as Miami transfer 6-foot guard commits to Villanova

According to a source from On3, Wooga Poplar, a former guard from Miami, has made a commitment to join Villanova under head coach Kyle Neptune.

The 6-foot-5 junior, hailing from Philadelphia, posted averages of 13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game during his most recent season with the Hurricanes. Poplar has completed all three years of his college basketball journey at Miami but decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal at the end of the season.

While considering Villanova, Poplar also had a strong interest in Oregon. During the process of exploring his options in the transfer portal, he attracted attention from schools such as Kentucky, Arkansas, TCU, Auburn, Louisville, and Kansas, as reported by Jon Rothstein.

Wooga Poplar’s decision to commit to Villanova and background information on the NCAA Transfer Portal

The NCAA Transfer Portal is a confidential database that encompasses all NCAA sports across divisions I, II, and III. It contains the names of student-athletes seeking to transfer but is not open to the public.

To enter the portal, a player must notify their school’s compliance office in writing of their intent to transfer. Subsequently, the office adds the player’s name to the database, initiating the transfer process. The compliance office is required to act on the player’s request within 48 hours, and the player’s decision to transfer cannot be declined.

Once a player’s name is listed in the portal, other schools are permitted to reach out to the player. Players retain the option to retract their decision and remove themselves from the portal at any time. However, entering the portal relinquishes the school’s obligation to maintain the player’s current scholarship. Consequently, if a player chooses to remain at their current school after entering the portal, the school is no longer bound to provide financial aid.

The database functions like a typical database, allowing for sorting by various criteria, including sport and name. Each player’s entry contains fundamental information such as contact details, scholarship status, and whether the player intends to transfer as a graduate student.

Players can request a “do not contact” designation to prevent schools from reaching out to them unless the player initiates the communication.