Fagan is in the portal, and he said he's "exploring his options." It doesn't necessarily mean he's gone. Putting your name in the portal doesn't negate your scholarship.

That said, he probably will transfer, and that's a little discouraging because he's a nice player, but I'm having trouble drumming up much concern.

Maybe I'm reading it wrong and it really is rats from a sinking ship. Or maybe this is just kids exercising an option that simply wasn't available to them a handful of years ago. I know some hate it, but the portal has changed things, and Georgia is not the only team with kids putting their names in.

Now if Wheeler, Camara, or Johnson (in other words, kids who are actually in line for meaningful minutes) put their names in, yeah, we've got a problem. Until then, let's wait and see what happens. If Starks, Brown, and Fagan leave, but Crean brings in Kessler and a guy like Fleming, we're suddenly loving the portal, right?

Unlikely, I know, but as a Georgia basketball fan, it's my God-given right to choose hope unsupported by fact in the short term and deal with the crushing disappointment of reality down the road.

Sure, these transfers could signal a problem with Crean or they could also just signal the new normal in college hoops. Kids want to go where there's playing time. Granted, Fagan was getting plenty of PT at UGA, but maybe Crean sent him a message that his usage would decrease next season. Who knows? Losing Starks and Brown is no loss at all. I hope Ned follows them out the door. The transfer portal will create big problems for teams in terms of depth, but it also gives teams the opportunity to completely revamp their rosters in one season and become winners immediately. That could have rarely happened under the old system, where it would take maybe 3 classes to build up the depth and experience you need to win.