Y’all better buckle up because the Auburn Tigers just landed themselves a slam dunk! Florida International transfer Denver Jones has committed to Auburn, bringing his 6-foot-4, 195-pound shooting guard prowess to the Plains.

The Huntsville, Alabama native put up impressive stats during his time at FIU, averaging 20.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and two assists per game. Jones was also shooting hoops with a 47.8% field goal rate and a 37.1% three-point rate. No wonder teams like Alabama, LSU, DePaul, Florida State, and Oklahoma had their eyes on him too. But ultimately, the allure of returning to his home state led Jones to choose the Tigers.

Now let’s dish on this mysterious NCAA Transfer Portal. Essentially, it’s a private database containing the names of student-athletes who want to transfer schools, and is not accessible to the public. If a player wants to transfer, they provide written notice of their intent and their school’s compliance office then has 48 hours to put their name in the database. Other schools can then swoop in and start talking to the player, trying to woo them onto their team.

A player can change their mind and take their name out of the portal, but beware – once you’re in there, your current school no longer has to honor your scholarship. So if you dip your toe in the portal but decide to stay at your current school, they aren’t required to continue giving you that sweet, sweet financial aid.

The Transfer Portal has been around since October 15, 2018, with the portal’s new calendar cycle kicking off each August. For example, the 2021-22 cycle started on August 1. In recent years, more than 1,000 Division I basketball players have entered the portal annually, making the process even more competitive and high stakes for athletes and schools alike.

Now that Auburn has secured their prized FIU transfer, Denver Jones, fans can’t wait to see what magic he’ll bring to the court next season. Let the games begin!