By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Following the transfer portal is sort of like training a puppy in that you have to stay alert at all times and be ready for that moment when something is about to drop.

Hawkeye fans are paying extra close attention to the transfer portal this spring as new Iowa men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum starts building his roster almost literally from the ground up, and as Iowa women’s basketball coach Jan Jensen tries to add key pieces to her roster.

McCollum and Hawkeye fans received some good news when freshman forward Cooper Koch recently announced that he will return to Iowa next season.

But then news broke on Monday that Iowa freshman point guard Aaliyah Guyton was planning to enter the transfer portal.

Her decision raised some eyebrows because Guyton figured to be a key piece moving forward under Jensen.

Guyton, who is the daughter of former Indiana star A.J. Guyton, played in 29 games this past season with one start. She averaged 16.4 minutes and 4.7 points per game.

She had missed almost her entire senior season in high school due to an ACL injury, and it was uncertain how Guyton’s knee would respond coming off surgery. But she quickly earned a spot in Iowa’s rotation, and had some big moments this past season.

But now she’s looking elsewhere like so many other college players, both men and women.

And just because Guyton is searching for a new school doesn’t mean that she is disloyal or that Iowa is to blame for allowing it to reach this point.

This is just the new landscape where switching schools is to be expected.

It almost seems bigger news these days if a player doesn’t enter the transfer portal.

The Iowa women’s basketball team just recently hosted Arizona guard Jada Williams on a visit, though, now she reportedly isn’t coming to Iowa, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

And while Williams would have filled the void left by Guyton’s departure, it’s uncertain if Williams was being recruited by Iowa in response to Guyton entering the portal.

Williams also visited Iowa State and is expected to visit Baylor.

Guyton reportedly has heard from at least a dozen schools according to On3, including Nebraska, Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue, Oregon and Bradley, which is in her hometown of Peoria, Illinois.

Koch’s decision to return to Iowa is significant because it shows that Iowa has something worth staying for under this new regime.

Drake point guard Bennett Stirtz also plans to follow McCollum to Iowa, which would be a massive development.

However, Stirtz also plans to test the NBA Draft process, so there is no guarantee right now that he will be a Hawkeye next season.

It would make sense for McCollum to recruit as if Stirtz won’t be on the team next season because stabilizing the point guard position has to be among McCollum’s top priorities coming out the gate.

McCollum made it abundantly clear at his introductory press conference last Wednesday that he wanted Koch, Josh Dix and Pryce Sandfort, all of whom were in the portal at the time, to stay as Hawkeyes.

Dix, a 6-foot-6 guard from Council Bluffs, has visited Creighton and Illinois and will soon visit Indiana, while Pryce Sandfort recently visited Nebraska.

If Dix and Pryce Sandfort are motivated just by money, that could be a problem for McCollum as he tries to close each deal.

But if money is just part of what is driving them, and if growing up in Iowa and being a Hawkeye truly means something to both players, then McCollum might have an edge.

On3 also reported Tuesday that the Iowa men’s basketball team is among the five finalists for 6-10 Portland forward Austin Rapp, along with Michigan, Wisconsin, Clemson and Oregon.

Rapp averaged 13.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game this season while also making 83 shots from 3-point range.

You put up those kinds of numbers for a mid-level program and the transfer portal will undoubtedly come calling.

As for the Iowa women, even without Guyton and Jada Williams, there still will be depth in the backcourt, assuming all the guards return.

From Kylie Feuerbach to Taylor McCabe to Taylor Stremlow to incoming five-star recruit Addie Deal, Iowa has multiple guards to build around.

Solon native Callie Levin also will have a year of college under her belt heading into next season and she could figure in the backcourt mix.

That’s five guards right there.

But is it enough?

And is there a true point guard in that group?

What Iowa does or doesn’t do in the portal this spring and summer will be the answer to that question.

Jensen and former Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder knew that Iowa needed more help in the backcourt after losing four guards from last season’s NCAA runner-up team, including all everything point guard Caitlin Clark.

So, they zeroed in on high-scoring Villanova guard Lucy Olsen, and it’s good that they did since Olsen would go to make first-team All-Big Ten this past season while leading Iowa to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The transfer portal is a fan’s best friend when it gives, but also its worst enemy when it takes away.

Big-time college football and men’s basketball have basically become pay for play, while women’s basketball and wrestling are trending that way.

There were reportedly more than 1,100 women’s basketball players in the portal as of Tuesday.

But if you’re surprised by that total, you haven’t been paying attention.