Cal Poly Basketball players Peter Bandelj and Cayden Ward plan on entering the transfer portal when it opens on April 7, according to multiple reports on social media.
Bandelj, a 6-foot-4 sophomore from Slovenia, entered the portal after his freshman year at Cal Poly last year, but eventually withdrew and returned for his sophomore campaign, where he averaged 13 points, four rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.
He is represented by AMR agency, and his move to the portal was first reported by The Field of 68 on X.
Bandelj has previously praised Cal Poly’s developmental philosophy and credited the staff for his personal improvements. Bandelj led the team with 106 assists and finished third on the Mustangs in scoring in 2025-26.
Ward became a regular starter as a sophomore for Cal Poly, after not starting a game his freshman year. The Stockton, Calif. native finished second on the team with 14.5 points-per-game and was an All-Big West Honorable Mention.
Ward is represented by U’u Sports Management, and his move to the portal was first reported by Joe Tipton on X.
He has been a spark plug throughout his time at Cal Poly, fueling the stadium with dunks and high energy on the court. This year Ward scored a season high of 28 points against Long Beach State.
If Bandelj and Ward choose not to return to Cal Poly next season, Head Coach Mike DeGeorge will need to find replacements for their production, whether internal or external. The Mustangs’ leading scorer, Hamad Mousa, has not entered the transfer portal, but losing their top three scorers is a reality that Cal Poly may face going into next season.
Cal Poly faces a pivotal offseason ahead, and will need to continue being creative with their international and portal scouting, something that they’ve excelled at under DeGeorge’s tenure.