NIU men’s basketball transfer portal tracker: Who’s left for Rashon Burno?

After having its roster ravaged again by transfers, NIU has a busy offseason of recruiting ahead

By Skyler Kisellus, Senior Sports Reporter

April 16, 2025

NIU sophomore guard Quentin Jones (1), junior guard Quaran McPherson (24), sophomore guard Kailon Nicholls (5), junior forward Ethan Butler (15) and redshirt freshman forward Tsvet Sotirov (2) look toward NIU’s sideline for instruction during a Mid-American Conference basketball game against Central Michigan University on Jan. 18 inside the Convocation Center in DeKalb. The five players were among the wave of Huskies to enter the transfer portal this offseason. (Erin Marie Barker | Northern Star)

Another mass roster exodus is underway within NIU’s men’s basketball program as more than a dozen players have entered their names into the NCAA transfer portal following the team’s 5-26 season.

The 30-day transfer window for men’s basketball – 15 days shorter than it was in previous years – opened March 24 and runs through April 22. As of 8 p.m. April 23, 14 Huskies have entered the portal, including several key starters.

NIU is currently set to return a single player from its 2024-25 roster: freshman forward Terry Copeland Jr.

With the alarming number of departures, and only two high school recruits signed for next season, the Huskies are expected to rely heavily on incoming transfers to replenish the roster. Head coach Rashon Burno previously said the team will place a special emphasis on toughness in its recruiting process – as injuries have decimated NIU’s ranks for the better part of two seasons.

“We’ve got to recruit guys that can battle through injuries, because injuries are part of the game,” Burno said March 1 during a postgame press conference. “There’s no way that a team’s going to get from start to finish with the same amount of bodies and all of them are going to be healthy.”

Burno also outlined other team needs during the presser, such as adding a point guard and bringing in players with size, girth, athleticism and experience.

To help keep track of NIU’s arrivals and departures, the Northern Star has created this transfer portal tracker.

This story will be updated throughout the offseason as more movements are announced.

STORY UPDATES

March 26: Quentin Jones, Quaran McPherson among 4 NIU guards entering transfer portal

INCOMING TRANSFERS (1)

G Daemar Kelly

Previous school: Saint Francis University

Size: 6-foot-5, 195 pounds

Class in 2025-26: Junior

Years of eligibility remaining: Two

After having a career year at Saint Francis, Kelly joins an NIU team that lost most of its starting guards. The Pittsburgh native began his career at Quinnipiac University before transferring to Saint Francis in 2024. He averaged 8.1 points and 3.2 rebounds while starting all 33 games last season, helping the Red Flash win the Northeast Conference title and reach the First Four. Kelly should be a strong candidate for a starting role with the Huskies in 2025-26.

OUTGOING TRANSFERS (11)

G Steven Tipton

NIU junior guard Steven Tipton (22) prepares to shoot a free throw during the second half of a Mid-American Conference regular season basketball game on Jan. 14 inside the Convocation Center in DeKalb. Tipton joined the men’s basketball team as a student manager in 2022-23 before being adding to the roster as a walk-on midway through the season. (Tim Dodge | Northern Star)

Size: 6-foot-2, 183 pounds

Class in 2025-26: Senior

Years of eligibility remaining: Two

Tipton, a former student manager, entered the transfer portal roughly two years after he joined the Huskies as a walk-on during the 2022-23 season. This past season, he averaged a career-high 10.5 minutes in 21 games, logging double-digit minutes in eight. Tipton neared double-digit scoring twice, recording 9-point performances against Ball State University on Feb. 15 and Central Michigan University on March 7.

F Tsvet Sotirov

NIU redshirt freshman forward Tsvet Sotirov (2) shoots a 3-pointer against University of Louisiana at Lafayette freshman forward Jeremiah Evans, left, and senior guard Christian Wright (13) during the first half of a regular season non-conference basketball game on Feb. 8 inside the Convocation Center in DeKalb. Sotirov started 14 of the 27 games he played in his only season with the Huskies. (Erin Marie Barker | Northern Star)

Size: 6-foot-9, 210 pounds

Class in 2025-26: Redshirt sophomore

Years of eligibility remaining: Three

Sotirov, one of the tallest players on NIU’s roster, is moving on after one year with the program. The 6-foot-9 Bulgarian averaged 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game last season after transferring from Saint Louis University. Sotirov turned in his strongest performances late in the season, averaging 8.7 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 39.4% from 3-point range in the final six games.

G Mo Sall

Size: 6-foot-5, 185 pounds

Class in 2025-26: Senior

Years of eligibility remaining: Two, maybe three

Yet another guard is out the door for NIU as Sall, a former DePaul University transfer, enters the portal for the second time in his career. He played just three games in an NIU uniform after a knee injury derailed his lone season with the Huskies. Sall may have three years of eligibility left because of his injury, pending a decision from the NCAA.

F Ethan Butler

NIU junior forward Ethan Butler (15) drives past Miami University sophomore center Reece Potter (35) during the first half of a Mid-American Conference regular season basketball game on Jan. 14 inside the Convocation Center in DeKalb. Butler entered the transfer portal April 2 after two seasons with the Huskies. (Tim Dodge | Northern Star)

Size: 6-foot-7, 220 pounds

Class in 2025-26: Senior

Years of eligibility remaining: One, maybe two

Butler will finish out his college career elsewhere after spending the past two seasons with the Huskies. The former University of Oregon transfer posted his best season in 2024-25, starting all 19 games he played in while averaging 8.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and a team-high 1.5 blocks per contest. He’s a two-way player with strong defensive instincts who can have an immediate impact at his next stop.

G David Mack

NIU freshman guard David Mack (21) drives on Benedictine University sophomore forward Dominick Ciegotura during the second half of a regular season non-conference basketball game on Dec. 3 inside the Convocation Center in DeKalb. Mack entered the transfer portal April 1 after appearing in six games as a walk-on in 2024-25. (Tim Dodge | Northern Star)

Size: 5-foot-10, 160 pounds

Class in 2025-26: Sophomore

Years of eligibility remaining: Three

After one season in DeKalb, Mack is searching for a new school. The Los Angeles product saw limited action as a walk-on last season, playing 25 minutes and scoring 12 points over six games. Mack’s best performance to date came in NIU’s double-overtime win over Central Michigan on March 7, where he finished with 7 points.

G Nasir Muhammad

NIU sophomore guard Nasir Muhammad (7) drives around University at Buffalo senior guard Tyson Dunn as NIU junior forward Ethan Butler (15) sets a screen during the second half of a regular season Mid-American Conference basketball game on Feb. 11 inside the Convocation Center in DeKalb. Muhammad entered the transfer portal March 28 after playing in 29 career games over his first two seasons. (Marco Alvarez | Northern Star)

Size: 6-foot-2, 186 pounds

Class in 2025-26: Junior

Years of eligibility remaining: Three

Muhammad is the third member of NIU’s 2023-24 high school recruiting class to leave the program. The sophomore began this past season as a bench player before emerging as a consistent starter in MAC play, starting the final 11 games of the season. He finished as the Huskies’ fourth-leading scorer, averaging 7.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

G Kailon Nicholls

NIU sophomore guard Kailon Nicholls (5) looks for an opening against Miami University redshirt sophomore wing Kam Craft (4) during a Mid-American Conference regular season basketball game on Jan. 14 inside the Convocation Center in DeKalb. Nicholls, like many other departing Huskies, entered the transfer portal after one season at NIU. (Tim Dodge | Northern Star)

Size: 6-foot-0, 160 pounds

Class in 2025-26: Junior

Years of eligibility remaining: Two

A key contributor on Burno’s squad, Nicholls will transfer for the second consecutive year. He was one of three Huskies to appear in all 31 games last season, starting 12. The Toronto native averaged 5.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 22.4 minutes per contest. Nicholls’ next school will be the third of his college career, which began at Duquesne University in 2023-24.

G Quaran McPherson

NIU junior guard Quaran McPherson (24) calls for the ball during the first half of a non-conference regular season basketball game against the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on Feb. 8 inside the Convocation Center in DeKalb. McPherson spent two seasons at NIU after beginning his career at the University of Nebraska. (Erin Marie Barker | Northern Star)

Size: 6-foot-4, 197 pounds

Class in 2025-26: Senior

Years of eligibility remaining: Two

Coming off the best season of his college career, McPherson will seek better opportunities with his final two years of eligibility. The 6-foot-4 wing, who spent his first two seasons at the University of Nebraska, averaged 12.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last season in a complementary role to NIU’s star duo of Dent and Jones. McPherson also recorded a team-high three double-doubles in 2024-25.

G Peyton Ackerman

NIU redshirt sophomore guard Peyton Ackerman (12) drives down court past Benedictine University junior guard Ben Peacock during the second half of non-conference basketball game on Dec. 3 inside the Convocation Center in DeKalb. Ackerman played sparingly in his lone season with the Huskies in 2024-25, appearing in just four games. (Tim Dodge | Northern Star)

Size: 5-foot-10, 150 pounds

Class in 2025-26: Redshirt junior

Years of eligibility remaining: Two, maybe three

Already a two-time transfer, Ackerman enters the portal once more following an uneventful stint with the Huskies. He seldom saw the floor in his lone season at NIU, logging just nine minutes across four games without scoring a point. Though he couldn’t carve out a role in DeKalb, Ackerman will bring high-major and junior college experience from Kansas State University and Grayson College to his next destination.

G Quentin Jones

NIU sophomore guard Quentin Jones (1) dribbles the ball against Miami University sophomore guard Mekhi Cooper (11) during a Mid-American Conference regular season basketball game on Jan. 14 inside the Convocation Center in DeKalb. Jones finished his only season with the Huskies as the team’s leading scorer with 16.6 points per game. (Tim Dodge | Northern Star)

Size: 6-foot-5, 180 pounds

Class in 2025-26: Junior

Years of eligibility remaining: Two

Jones will play at his third school in three seasons after announcing his commitment to Saint Louis out of the transfer portal. The Chicago native was one of the MAC’s top scorers last season, averaging 16.6 points per game while starting all 31 games for NIU. With Jones’ move to “The Lou,” the Huskies lose a key backcourt piece known for his long, athletic frame and dynamic shot creation.

G Dominic Gooden

Size: 6-foot-1, 180 pounds

Class in 2025-26: Senior

Years of eligibility remaining: Two

Gooden kicked off NIU’s wave of departures when he announced his decision to transfer in a post on X on March 24 – the same day the portal opened. The Cleveland native joined the Huskies last offseason after starring at Florida’s Hillsborough Community College. Gooden’s junior campaign was cut short after six games due to a stress fracture requiring surgery. His best game as a Huskie came in a 10-point outing at DePaul on Nov. 23.