Days after PJ Haggerty's departure, Memphis teammate Dain Dainja clears the air on transfer portal reports

Memphis forward Dain Dainja denied initial reports that he'll be placing his name in the transfer portal one season after helping the Tigers reach the NCAA Tournament and win the AAC regular season and tournament titles this past season.

College Gameday insider Pete Thamel wrote on X, citing Dainja's agents Noah Reisenfeld and Adie Vongontard of Young Money APAA Sports, that the first-team All-AAC honoree and newcomer of the year plans to enter the transfer portal.

But the 6-foot-9 forward denied the reports, tweeting he is still in Memphis and hasn't made any decision.

"Not going anywhere. No decisions have been made," the Memphis forward said on X.

Rumors about Dainja's plan to transfer schools surfaced after Tigers' top scorer PJ Haggerty announced his plan to enter the transfer portal for the third straight season.

Haggerty, who posted averages of 21.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals in 35 games last season, played for TCU in the 2022-23 season, then in Tulsa in the 2023-24 season, before Penny Hardaway acquired him during the offseason.

Haggerty still has an option to stay with Memphis, but the guard reportedly added a "do not contact" tag on his status, meaning he has an idea of which team would acquire him from the portal.

Memphis finished the 2024-25 season with a 29-6 record and defeated former champions UConn, Michigan State, San Francisco, UNLV and Virginia in the non-conference rounds. The Tigers' record placed them as the No. 5 seed in the West Regionals, but they were shocked by No. 12 Colorado State 78-70 in the first round.

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Dain Dainja hopes to play for another year in the NCAA

Memphis forward Dain Dainja has announced plans to play another year in the college basketball ranks before pursuing a professional career. The senior initially played at Baylor in the 2021-22 season before suiting up for Illinois in the next two seasons.

The Brooklyn Park native sent a waiver request to the NCAA to grant him another year of eligibility next season. The NCAA has yet to respond and there is no guarantee it will allow Dainja's petition.

The Tigers picked Dainja up from the portal after a forgettable 2023-24 season with the Fighting Illini, during which he posted averages of 6.1 ppg and 3.8 rpg. Penny Hardaway and his coaching staff trained the 6-foot-9 forward during the offseason and the Tigers reaped rewards.

Dainja started in 19 of 35 games with Memphis and averaged 14.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 blocks per contest in the 2024-25 season.