The first call rang at 6:43 a.m. ET.
By 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Preston Murphy had completed 73 phone calls. Seventy. Three.
“I don’t know the (number of) text messages,” Murphy said.
It’s good Murphy likes coffee. Starbucks medicine ball tea, too. He needs them. This week, the Alabama men’s basketball assistant coach requires all the energy and sustenance he can get.
Such is the nature of helping coach a team still alive in the NCAA Tournament while the doors to the transfer portal swing wide open.
The portal has been open since Monday during a week in which No. 2 seed Alabama has been preparing to face No. 6 seed BYU in the Sweet 16 on Thursday (6:09 p.m. CT, CBS) at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
“It’s non-stop for sure,” Murphy said. “Want to make sure you’re not falling behind on the task at hand.”
Winning, after all, remains the best tool in recruiting top talent (high school and transfer portal) to your program. So Murphy helping Alabama prepare for and win tournament games is important. The Crimson Tide making Sweet 16s, Elite Eights and Final Fours is good for business.
But Murphy, who leads Alabama’s talent acquisition efforts, can’t solely focus on winning basketball games.
“You want to stay current with the guys who are getting inside the transfer portal,” Murphy said. “You don’t want to fall behind because you have practice or you’re preparing for the game. It’s around the clock right now. You’ve got to make sure you’re in contact with the guys that you want.”
Murphy added that it’s key to know what positions you are trying to fill. Consider it a roster building plan on top of this week’s game plan.
“Every team that is playing now is dealing with the same thing,” Murphy said. “I guess you can look at it as a gift and a curse. It’s a blessing to be one of the 16 teams still playing.”
How the active portal hurts Alabama
Teams out of the tournament inherently have more time to build next season’s roster, but that’s not the only advantage.
Athletes in the portal are going on visits. They’re already committing to places. Alabama hasn’t been back to Tuscaloosa for about a week and won’t be back until after the Crimson Tide’s time ends in Newark.
“Now we’re behind the eight ball as far as getting guys to campus and maybe securing commitments and things like that because we’re still playing,” Murphy said.
How the active portal helps Alabama
Despite the cons, there is a major benefit the Crimson Tide and the 15 other teams still playing have. Prospective players in the transfer portal don’t have to do much digging for proof of concept.
They can just flip on their TVs.
“Everyone is in the portal gets to actually watch you play live” Murphy said. “Some of the other schools that are recruiting them are having to resort to film … they’re not actually seeing live action. There’s something attractive on being one of the teams that’s still standing in March. That’s a positive for us. You’re able to take that momentum into the recruiting process with you."
To Murphy, it seems obvious.
“I don’t know what’s the harm in extending until after the Final Four or waiting until after the Final Four and extending it a week or two on the back end,” Murphy said. “If the goal is to have everyone on an even playing field, I think that’s what does it.”
