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Baylor transfer guard Jalen Celestine commits to Cincinnati

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz04/21/25NickSchultz_7
Baylor guard Jalen Celestine
© Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Former Baylor guard Jalen Celestine committed to Cincinnati. He entered the transfer portal April 2 after one year in Waco and four at Cal.

Celestine appeared in 31 games for Baylor this past season, including 11 starts. He averaged 7.1 points and 3.5 rebounds during that time as the Bears advanced to the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Celestine started his career at Cal playing three seasons with the Golden Bears. He missed the 2022-23 season as he recovered from knee surgery, but bounced back to average 8.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in 27 games in 2023-24.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Jalen Celestine played high school basketball at Glen Head (NY) Long Island Lutheran before arriving at Cal as part of the 2021 recruiting class. He will have one year of eligibility remaining after the redshirt year in 2022-23.

Cincinnati finished 19-16 overall this past season, including a 7-13 mark in Big 12 play. The Bearcats still played in the postseason as part of the inaugural College Basketball Crown, and their season came to an end in the second round against eventual runner-up UCF.

Celestine will be the fourth transfer commitment for Cincinnati since the window opened after the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. The Bearcats also have two transfer players coming in, headlined by former West Virginia guard Sencire Harris – the No. 7-ranked combo guard and No. 117 overall player in the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings. Former George Mason forward Jalen Hayes also joined that group as the No. 150 overall player and No. 39-ranked power forward to hit the open market.

Former Kentucky guard Kerr Kriisa is also on his way to Cincinnati out of the portal. He spent this past year in Lexington, but suffered a season-ending injury after appearing in just nine games, including one start.

The men’s college basketball transfer portal window opened March 24 following the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. It will officially close next week on April 22.