By R.L. Bynum
Former Notre Dame combo guard Jalen Haralson has drawn plenty of interest since announcing on April 2 that he would enter the transfer portal.
CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported Saturday that Haralson has cut his list to North Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio State in a race for one of the most productive freshmen to hit the portal this cycle.
Haralson is a 6–7, 220-pound perimeter player who produced immediately, averaging 16.2 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 51.5% from the floor.
“When I first got the job here, from a recruiting perspective, immediately Jalen was a top target for us,” Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsberry said. “Jalen was someone who we knew was an elite player and a great kid as well. His combination of size, athleticism, passing ability, and versatility has long made him one of the top players in his class nationally, and given him the ability to represent the country with USA Basketball.”
He appeared in 27 games, including 23 starts, and describes himself as a player who can affect the game in multiple ways.
“I’m a versatile guy. I can do a lot of things on the court,” he said. “Coming in, I don’t want to hold myself to just one position or doing one thing. I can rebound, push the pace. I can score the ball. I can pass. I can do a lot of things. So, it’s really just making an impact on the game.”
Haralson scored at least 20 points eight times last season, including 26 points in an 86–72 loss at Syracuse on Jan. 31. He dished out at least four assists four times, including when he collected 20 points and nine assists in an 87–85 overtime victory on Dec. 5 at TCU.
He pulled down a season-high nine rebounds when he scored 25 points in a 96–90 overtime win Feb. 28 against N.C. State and 21 points on Dec. 21 against Purdue-Fort Wayne.
The 247Sports’ evaluation of him in 2024 described him as “a playmaking big wing, and maybe even a jumbo initiator,” noting, “Offensively, he’s most comfortable with the ball in his hands. He loves to grab and go off the defensive glass where he can both get downhill and pass off the dribble.”
Haralson’s portal value comes from being the kind of big guard or wing who can bend a defense without needing a set play drawn for him. 247Sports’ assessment emphasizes his comfort playing out of ball screens, his ability to “deliver some advanced passes,” and the fact that he is “a good cutter off the ball.”
In Notre Dame’s 91–69 loss at UNC on Jan. 21, he had 13 points and six rebounds.
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| No. | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Freshman | Maximo Adams | SF | 6–7 | 205 |
| 30 | Freshman | Malloy Smith | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| 21 | Freshman | Sayon Keita | C | 7–0 | 215 |
| 5 | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–7 | 190 |
| 35 | Sophomore | Cade Bennerman — U | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 17 | Sophomore | Neoklis Avdalas — W | G | 6–9 | 215 |
| 2 | Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 180 |
| 3 | Sophomore | Matt Able — X | G | 6–5 | 196 |
| 22 | Junior | Alexandros Samodurov | C | 6–11 | 212 |
| 1 | Senior | Terrence Brown — Y | G | 6–3 | 174 |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson | F | 6–10 | 215 |
| 14 | Graduate | Angelo Brizzi — Z | G | 6–3 | 193 |
| 54 | Graduate | Cameron Fens — V | C | 7–0 | 255 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 99 | Junior | John Holbrook — SA | F | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | G | 6–1 | 195 |
V — South Dakota transfer; U — Northwestern transfer; W — Virginia Tech transfer; X — N.C. State transfer; Y — Utah transfer; Z — Buffalo transfer; SA — Holbrook is a designated student-athlete, so he doesn’t count against UNC’s 15-player limit.
Michael Malone’s coaching staff: Chuck Martin, Bryan Tibaldi, Sean May, Jorge Sanz, and Pat Sullivan; Deon Thompson will be a graduate assistant, and Brandon Robinson will reportedly have a support staff position.
Players who entered transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | Howard |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 | Pacific |
Non-conference schedule
| Date | Month/day | Opponent/event (final ranks) |
|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |
| 9 | 7 p.m. Friday | vs. USC in Greensboro |
| 18 | 5 p.m. Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis |
| 27 | Tuesday | vs. Charlotte |
| November | Regular season | |
| 2 | Monday | vs. Western Carolina |
| 6 | Friday | vs. Wofford |
| 10 | Tuesday | vs. Wyoming |
| 13 | Friday | vs. Georgia |
| 20 | Friday | vs. Marshall |
| 23 | Monday | vs. Monmouth |
| 27 | Friday | Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte |
| December | ||
| 1 | Tuesday | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 13 Arkansas |
| 6 | Sunday | vs. Butler |
| 12 | Saturday | at Georgetown |
| 15 | Tuesday | Tobacco Road Classic vs. N.C. State in Greensboro |
| 19 | 2:30 Saturday, CBS | CBS Sports Classic vs. Kentucky in New York |
| 21 | Monday | vs. The Citadel |
| January | ||
| 30 | Saturday | Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 5 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. |
ACC opponents
Home and away: Duke and Louisville
Home only: California, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, SMU, Stanford and Virginia
Away only: Boston College, Florida State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest
Don’t play: Clemson
Photo via @NUNC_Basketball
Photo via @NDmbb
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