Buchanan, Mims, other locals enter portal

Blake Buchanan, the former Lake City High basketball star who played the past two seasons at Virginia, has entered the transfer portal, "because there is a change in my coaching staff," he told The Press. 

The 6-foot-11, 227-pound sophomore started 22 of 32 games this past season for the Cavaliers of the Atlantic Coast Conference, who finished 15-17 after a second-round loss in the ACC tournament.  

Buchanan averaged 5.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots this past season, including 16 points and nine rebounds in a win at Miami, and 15 rebounds vs. SMU. 

As a freshman in 2023-24, he played in 34 games with six starts, and averaged 3.4 points and 3.1 rebounds. Virginia finished 23-11, ending with a first-round loss to Colorado State in the First Four of the NCAA tournament. 

Buchanan signed with Virginia when Tony Bennett was the head coach, and played for him as a freshman. But Bennett suddenly resigned just prior to the start of this past season. Assistant Ron Sanchez was named interim coach, but was told after the season he would not be considered to be the next head coach.  

Virginia has yet to name a head coach. Buchanan is the first Cavaliers player to enter the portal. 

Buchanan played three seasons at Lake City, leading the Timberwolves to an undefeated state championship in 2023. 

In high school, Buchanan also had an offer from Gonzaga. 

• At Idaho, redshirt sophomore Tyler Mrus and senior Julius Mims have entered the transfer portal. 

The 6-7 Mrus started all 31 games for the Vandals this past season, and averaged 9.7 points per game. He hit 73 of 192 3-pointers (38.2%). 

Mrus played at Alaska-Fairbanks as a freshman. Last year at Idaho, he suffered a season-ending leg injury in early November. 

The 6-9 Mims, who played his first two seasons at North Idaho College, entered the transfer portal as a grad transfer. 

He started 30 of 31 games this past season, averaged 8.6 points and 6.3 rebounds.  

As a junior at Idaho in 2023-24, Mims averaged 11.1 points and 7.2 rebounds. 

• Washington State sophomore guard Isaiah Watts announced on “X” he was entering the transfer portal. 

Watts played two seasons at WSU. This past season, he was the only returning letterwinner from a Cougar team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2024. 

He averaged 11.0 points per game in 2024-25, shot 34.8% (46 of 132) from 3, and started in 17 of the 23 games he played in. As a freshman, he averaged 6.8 points per game in 31 games. 

Watts is the grandson of Seattle SuperSonics legend “Slick” Watts, who passed away recently.