Portal chaos puts pressure on hoops coaches in lower levels

By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Basketball Writer

MARYVILLE, Mo. (AP) — It only takes a couple of marquee players to compete for championships at the lower levels of college basketball. But transferring is much easier now and players do not need to sit out a year anymore. They can also earn money based on their celebrity. Those two factors have made it more likely for smaller programs to lose top players to Division I powerhouse schools. That’s tough for smaller schools. Coaches coming off 20-win seasons could be left rebuilding their rosters or even fighting for their jobs if they struggle.