By Mike Patton
Another college basketball offseason is here, and along with excitement for the coming year, there is the thought of the unknown. The biggest unknown each offseason is the transfer portal. Tennessee State University head coach Brian “Penny” Collins is no different than any other coach, having to assemble a new roster for the Tigers. He heads into his sixth season needing to replace twelve players, including eight seniors.
With the birth of the transfer portal, you never know how many players you are going to need to replace. For Penny, it has definitely changed his recruiting style.
“Usually, in the past, high school kids were the way to go. Now, you have to stay old because you don’t necessarily want to have a group of young kids going against a bunch of older kids. Having a good mix of high school, junior college, and transfer portal kids is the way to go at this point.”
With over 1,600 players in the transfer portal, there are tons of options. However, finding the right one for your team can be hit or miss.
“You can do all the background checks you want with parents, coaches, uncles, aunts, and in some cases, girlfriends, but until you get them on campus and really get to know them when things get tough, that is when you know their true character. You try to check as many boxes as you can for what you are looking for in recruiting.”
Along with changes brought by the transfer portal, the way to build team chemistry has also evolved. Gone are the days when teams would stick together for long periods and grow together. Now, the mission is to build team chemistry as quickly as possible. With his experience coaching junior college, Coach Penny believes he has found a way to make that happen.
“When we get the players in, we do more things together on and off the court. Whether it’s shooting shots on the court or eating lunch, we encourage players to do these things together, and as time goes on, that chemistry continues to build.”
Going into this season, Coach Collins faces the task of replacing twelve players. But with all that he has accomplished over the past two seasons, including back-to-back 18-win seasons, Collins is up for the challenge.
