Around 1,300 Division I men’s college basketball players and counting have entered the transfer portal this spring, a number that likely won’t slow down significantly until the calendar flips to May. And while the total number of players in the portal this year may not top the more than 1,700 that entered their names last spring, there has never been a time in the sport’s history where transfers have been relied upon more. Now that all transfers can play right away the first time they transfer, coaches are building teams with proven commodities who can fill the holes on their rosters in real time, rather than relying on young players to develop.
From proven high-major talents moving on due to a coaching change to mid-major stars looking to move up and other players just looking for a fresh start, the portal is full of names that will impact the 2022–23 season in a major way. Here are the 25 best players still available in the portal, plus more names to watch as teams fill out their rosters for next season.
Chris Jones/USA TODAY Sports
Best-available transfers (as of April 13):
*Listed school is where player is transferring from
1. Nijel Pack, Kansas State
Pack hit the portal after KSU coach Bruce Weber resigned this spring. The first team All-Big 12 honoree is about as safe a recruit to invest resources in as there could possibly be: He’s a proven scorer in the sport’s toughest league, shoots the lights out from three and can play either guard spot. He’d be a plug-and-play starter at virtually every school in the country. Plus, he has two years of eligibility left, and a third if he elects to use his extra COVID-19 year. The Indianapolis native has already visited Purdue and Miami and has a trip to Ohio State planned as well, per CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein.
2. Kendric Davis, SMU
Davis jumped to the top of the boards of every team in need of a point guard when he hit the portal Monday evening. He has tallied over 1,500 points and 500 assists in his career, most of those coming in the last three years as an all-conference contributor for the Mustangs. What Davis lacks in height at 6’0”, he makes up for in passing ability and savviness operating in ball screens. He’ll go through the NBA draft process like he did a season ago and hasn’t closed the door on a return to SMU, but Davis will be recruited heavily by some of the sport’s biggest programs in need of PG help.
3. Kenneth Lofton Jr., Louisiana Tech
Coaches at top programs across the country had been waiting for Lofton’s name to hit the portal since Eric Konkol took the Tulsa job in March. The burly forward burst onto national radars last summer when he helped lead Team USA to a gold medal at the U-19 World Cup alongside the likes of top draft prospects Chet Holmgren, Johnny Davis and Jaden Ivey. Lofton’s 6'7", 275-pound frame makes him less of an ideal fit at the next level, but he should be a highly productive high-major player and has already had contact with a laundry list of big-name schools since entering the portal.
4. Norchad Omier, Arkansas State
Omier’s journey to becoming a coveted recruit is a fascinating one: He’s the first-ever Nicaraguan-born player to earn a D-I men’s basketball scholarship and didn’t start playing the game until his teenage years. But his combination of an elite motor and great hands quickly made him into one of the most productive mid-major players in the country, with one Sun Belt coach telling Sports Illustrated that Omier is like a mid-major version of Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe. There are some lingering questions about how his offensive game will translate to the highest level, but Omier’s statistical profile has drawn the interest of NBA evaluators, and his rebounding prowess makes his floor relatively high. He’s set to visit West Virginia and Miami, per The Portal Report.
5. Johni Broome, Morehead State
High-major coaches have been clambering for a chance to recruit Broome for more than a year, ever since he burst onto the scene with 27 points and 12 rebounds in the 2021 OVC championship against Belmont. Broome’s an impressive rim protector who ranked in the top 10 nationally in block rate this season, and he’s also an effective post scorer and rebounder. He’ll be a starting-caliber frontcourt piece right away at a high-major and is set to take visits to Auburn and Kentucky.
6. Courtney Ramey, Texas
With more than 100 career starts in the Big 12 under his belt, Ramey is as proven a transfer as they come for high-major teams in need of guard help. He can play on or off the ball, has shot 37% from deep in his career and is known as a strong perimeter defender. Pretty much any coach could plug Ramey into their system and find a role for him, which is perhaps the reason he has heard from the likes of Villanova, Kentucky, UConn, Gonzaga and Maryland since hitting the portal.
7. KJ Williams, Murray State
Williams is currently focused on going through the draft process, which means this recruitment could drag on for a while. But should he decide on another year of college ball, he’ll be among the best players to change teams this offseason. He’s a well-rounded frontcourt player who led Murray State to the best record in men’s college hoops this season, capable of stretching the floor or punishing teams in the post. Expect LSU and Williams’s former coach Matt McMahon to be in the mix for Williams’s services should he head back to school, but the line will be long.
8. Terrence Shannon Jr., Texas Tech
The Chicago native had a disappointing third year in Lubbock after testing the draft waters last offseason. There’s some context to those struggles, namely back and knee injuries that had the junior in and out of the lineup all season long as well as an early-season suspension. That context, combined with Shannon’s pedigree as a former top-100 recruit and his elite physical tools, makes him one of the most-desired players in the portal. At his best, Shannon is a legit shot-maker on the wing with high-level defensive chops.
9. Manny Bates, NC State
The market for big men is deeper than for guards right now, but Bates remains among the best options for teams in need of frontcourt help despite playing just one minute all season due to a shoulder injury. The best trait Bates brings to the table is his ability to block shots—he posted a block rate better than 10% (among the top 20 nationally) in 2020–21. Without him this season, NC State’s defense fell off a cliff, becoming one of the worst high-major defenses in the country. Bates has great size, finishes well at the rim and great shot-blocking instincts, a skill set that has the likes of Auburn, Houston, Illinois and Ohio State interested.
10. Jahmir Young, Charlotte
Once overshadowed when coming out of high school by playing on the same AAU team as Justin Moore (Villanova), Armando Bacot (North Carolina), Jeremy Roach (Duke) and Hunter Dickinson (Michigan), Young is no longer being overlooked. The Charlotte transfer is one of the most sought-after players in the portal after three magnificent years in Conference USA, including a 2021–22 season that saw him average close to 20 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. He also proved it against higher-level competition, including a 27-point, nine-rebound, four-assist explosion against Wake Forest in December.
11. Tristen Newton, East Carolina
One of just four players in the country this season to average at least 17 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, Newton is a top target of major programs looking for guard help after departing East Carolina this offseason. He blossomed into a steady outside shooter this past season, which in turn unlocked his playmaking ability even more. Plus, his experience playing in the AAC should prepare him better for high-major life than some of the one-bid league stars looking to move up.
(Update: Newton committed to UConn on April 13.)
12. Elijah Harkless, Oklahoma
He may stand just 6’3”, but Harkless is one of the more versatile defenders in the sport thanks to his physicality and length. He spent much of the 2020–21 season playing as a small-ball power forward under Lon Kruger before being deployed on the wing by Porter Moser this past season in Norman. Harkless is capable of shutting down an opponent’s best player and has been through plenty of battles in the Big 12. Plus, he’s a good enough outside shooter to keep defenses honest. Teams searching for a glue guy will be all over Harkless in the portal.
13. Jalen Bridges, West Virginia
Bridges may not be a star, but he’s another example of a potential plug-and-play starter for teams trying to fill out their rotations for next season. A versatile wing/forward who can guard multiple positions and has made 36% from three over his two collegiate seasons, Bridges is a guaranteed contributor and has logged a lot of minutes in college basketball’s most competitive conference already in his career. He has visits planned to Alabama, Baylor and Michigan State, per Rothstein.
14. Fardaws Aimaq, Utah Valley
One of college basketball’s most effective glass-cleaners, the Canadian big man is going through the draft process for the second straight offseason and is also exploring transfer options. He has heard from many of the nation’s elite programs, including Kentucky, Gonzaga, Arizona, Texas and Houston, per ESPN’s Jeff Borzello. Aimaq’s combination of elite rebounding chops, solid low-post game and ability to occasionally stretch the defense makes him one of the most coveted transfers on the board for teams looking for frontcourt help. His decision could be somewhat drawn out as he also awaits pro feedback.
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15. Devin Carter, South Carolina
Carter is among a mass exodus of Gamecocks after Frank Martin departed as the program’s coach. The scoring guard showed flashes of brilliance in his freshman campaign, tallying double-figure scoring outputs in 13 games this season. He showed a knack for getting to the rim and drawing fouls, and his outside shot didn’t look broken despite knocking down just 28% from deep this season. Plus, coaches love the chance to add a transfer with multiple years of eligibility who’ll be ready to contribute from day one, and Carter still has three years to play. He’s down to six schools, per On3’s Joe Tipton: Arkansas, LSU, UConn, Providence, Oregon and UNLV.
16. Nahiem Alleyne, Virginia Tech
A three-year starter for Mike Young at Virginia Tech, Alleyne hit the portal this week and will be highly coveted among teams in need of shooting. He’s a 39% career three-point shooter with over 150 made triples to his name in his career. With up to two years of eligibility remaining should he choose to come back for his extra year, Alleyne is the type of high-floor immediate contributor coaches are looking for to fill holes created by early draft departures or surprising portal entries.
17. Andre Curbelo, Illinois
There may not be a more polarizing player in the sport than Curbelo, whose 2021–22 season was frankly disastrous after entering the year with potential All-American hype. Between significant offensive system shifts, lingering effects from a concussion and a COVID-19 diagnosis, there was far more at play than just poor performance from the sophomore. Still, coaches have to parse through whether rolling the dice on Curbelo’s dynamic ability to create in ballscreens is worth the often-erratic decision-making and inconsistent shooting that comes with him. The best version of Curbelo could be one of the best point guards in college basketball. The worst might do more to lose you games than win you them.
18. Tyreke Key, Indiana State
Key’s a sixth-year senior who sat out all of 2021–22 with a shoulder injury. With nearly 100 starts and over 1,600 points to his ledger in the always-competitive Missouri Valley, he’s an experienced option for teams in need of scoring help. Key is a terrific finisher around the basket and shot 40% from three in his sophomore and junior years before regressing some as a senior. Players with the experience level and scoring ability Key possesses are hot commodities this time of year, with Tennessee, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Ole Miss among his current suitors.
19. Antonio Reeves, Illinois State
Reeves is one of the best pure scorers in the portal. He averaged more than 20 points per game for the Redbirds this season, one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise-gloomy season in Normal that eventually led to the firing of coach Dan Muller. He’s a gifted isolation player who can create his own shot but also improved significantly as an outside shooter after struggling from deep his first two seasons at ISU. Reeves took his first visit this past weekend to Nebraska but has a long line of suitors hoping to add some scoring pop to their team for 2022–23.
20. Kario Oquendo, Georgia
This former JUCO product spent last season at Georgia in what was a trying season for the Bulldogs but hit the portal this offseason after Tom Crean was ousted in favor of Mike White. Oquendo is clearly a gifted scorer, particularly at the rim, where he shot an impressive 66% per T-Rank. His weakness is as a shooter—Oquendo shot just 27% from deep and also 27% from midrange this season. But athletic wings who can score don’t grow on trees, which is why several high-majors are interested.
21. Adam Miller, LSU
In the portal for the second time in as many years, Miller never played a game at LSU after tearing his ACL in the preseason and is now in the market for a new home after Will Wade was dismissed in Baton Rouge. Because he’s a second-time transfer and isn’t graduating, there’s a chance he won’t be eligible right away; the combination of the injury and coaching change makes a waiver feel more likely. Regardless, his elite recruiting pedigree and impressive freshman campaign at Illinois in 2020–21 makes him one of the more tantalizing pieces of this year’s portal class.
22. Jarod Lucas, Oregon State
Sharpshooters are a valuable commodity in the portal, and Lucas can knock down threes with the best of them. He’s perhaps best known for his role in bringing Oregon State to the Elite Eight in 2021, drilling multiple threes in all nine games across those magical Pac-12 and NCAA tournament runs. He averaged over 13 points per game this season in a brutal three-win year for the Beavers. Teams out west in need of shooting will be in pursuit.
23. Terry Roberts, Bradley
Roberts’s list of 10 schools he’s considering is a laundry list of some of the top programs in the country. The first team all-MVC selection is an older option at the point guard position who posted impressive numbers on a top-100 team this past season. He’s a skilled operator in ballscreens, is a steady shooter from deep and is known as an excellent perimeter defender. Roberts spent last weekend on campus at Florida and would be a logical fit for first-year head coach Todd Golden and the Gators.
24. Sean McNeil, West Virginia
McNeil has averaged over 12 points per game in back-to-back seasons for the Mountaineers. He’s primarily known as a three-point shooter, but also has some game off the bounce getting downhill. He’s another in the mold of a few others mentioned above that won’t be anyone’s best or likely even second-best player next season, but should be an essential contributor thanks to his ability to knock down shots. He’s down to a final six of Ohio State, Virginia, Louisville, Cincinnati, Indiana and Texas Tech, per Rothstein.
25. Tyree Appleby, Florida
Teams in need of point guard help will be interested in Appleby given his experience the last two years starting at Florida. He’s not the most efficient offensive player, but he’s crafty enough getting to his spots to score and was a high-assist guy at Cleveland State for two years before transferring up. He’s a sixth-year guy who has played in the NCAA tournament, scored over 1,500 career points and more than held his own in the SEC the last two seasons. That’s enough to create a long line for his services.
Other names to know
Recent elite recruits looking for fresh starts:
- Alex Fudge (LSU) [committed to Florida]
- Bryce Hopkins (Kentucky)
- Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Tennessee)
- Franck Kepnang (Oregon)
- Khristian Lander (Indiana)
- Efton Reid (LSU)
High-scoring mid-major stars:
- Grant Basile (Wright State)
- Souley Boum (UTEP)
- Marcus Hammond (Niagara)
- D’Moi Hodge (Cleveland State)
- Jao Ituka (Marist)
- Dylan Penn (Bellarmine)
- Cam Spencer (Loyola Maryland)
- Camren Wynter (Drexel)
