Men’s college basketball’s 60-day transfer portal window closed Thursday, concluding a chaotic stage in the sport’s offseason that saw more than 1,500 players hunt for a new school. Roster movement is far from complete: Players could still trickle into the portal over the next few days as paperwork clears, and graduate transfers can enter the portal at any time. But for the most part, the players left in the portal at this point are the primary names to watch for as teams fill out their rosters for the 2023–24 season.
Here’s a look at the big names still left on the board.
Tyrin Lawrence (Vanderbilt)
This recruitment has been a bit of a wild ride since Lawrence entered the portal in late April, with multiple SEC programs rumored to be in hot pursuit and pro options also on the table. Lawrence looked like one of the better guards in the SEC down the stretch last season, averaging more than 18 points and five rebounds on 59% shooting in the season’s final 10 games. He’s another G League Elite Camp participant, so clarity may not come until later this month.
RayJ Dennis (Toledo)
Dennis is the best pure point guard still on the board, fresh off a season in which he averaged nearly 20 points and six assists per game en route to MAC Player of the Year honors. While not an explosive athlete nor an above-average defender, Dennis’s skill level as a primary ballhandler is valued by several top programs. He’s an Illinois native from just over two hours north of Champaign, so playing for the Illini has been the primary speculation. But wherever he lands, he’ll serve as a significant upgrade at the point guard spot.
Julian Phillips (Tennessee)
A former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American, Phillips struggled as a shooter in his lone year at Tennessee but made an impact defensively and is likely the highest-upside player available in the portal. If his shot bounces back as a sophomore, he has a chance to rebuild his stock into a potential first-round, and even lottery, pick in the 2024 draft. Staying in this year’s draft and likely landing as a second-rounder or potential two-way contract recipient is also on the table.
Arthur Kaluma (Creighton)
Kaluma remains focused on the NBA draft process but kept his options open by hitting the portal ahead of the deadline. Kaluma didn’t have the breakout sophomore year some expected but is still an above-average starter at the high-major level with the ability to defend multiple positions and a strong slasher. He received a combine invitation, and how he performs there could decide whether a return to college is in the works.
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Olivier Nkamhoua (Tennessee)
Nkamhoua is a draft-and-portal guy and is set to participate in the G League Elite Camp in Chicago over the weekend. That event should provide clarity on whether his NBA hopes this spring can be a reality. If he pivots back to the college ranks, he’ll have no shortage of suitors, especially given the dearth of quality frontcourt players still available. He played almost exclusively at power forward at Tennessee but could be used as a center in smaller lineups. He’s a skilled offensive player capable of making a catch-and-shoot three, attacking a closeout and scoring around the rim.
Grant Nelson (North Dakota State)
Nelson’s highlights this season went viral, and there’s no question that his skill set is unique for a player of his size. As a 6'10" forward, Nelson’s ability to attack the rim off the bounce and play with the ball in his hands is very rare and a big reason NBA scouts have paid close attention to the Devils Lake, N.D., native. Should he elect to transfer, playing at a high major with more talent around him could boost his draft stock. Arkansas has been most connected to Nelson’s recruitment at this point.
Warren Washington (Arizona State)
Washington is hunting for his fourth school to round out a six-year college career after stops at Oregon State, Nevada and Arizona State. He had an impactful season with the Sun Devils in 2022–23, starting 34 games and averaging nine points, seven rebounds and nearly two blocks per game. He’s a proven starting-caliber frontcourt option, which fills a hole a lot of teams still have, making him one of the most sought-after players still on the board. Washington has visited TCU and Texas Tech and is also considering Oklahoma State, Michigan and Memphis, per The Portal Report.
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Andrew Taylor (Marshall)
A four-year starter at Marshall, Taylor hit the portal this week and is expected to garner considerable high-major interest. He averaged 20 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game on a Thundering Herd team that won this year’s Sun Belt regular season. This is the type of point guard upgrade many big-time programs are looking for at this point in the offseason, and if nothing else Taylor provides value as a high-level shooter capable of making shots both off the catch and off the dribble.
Aziz Bandaogo (Utah Valley)
Bandaogo’s stock soared in his lone year at Utah Valley, where he averaged a double double on a team that won 28 games and went to the NIT semifinals. He’s not a traditional post presence, but his activity level and length allow him to put pressure on the rim on both ends of the floor as a lob catcher and shot blocker. That makes him an easy plug-and-play piece for even some of the best teams in the nation. Duke, Illinois and Cincinnati are among those that have reached out. One potential complication is that he’ll need a waiver to play right away as a second-time nongrad transfer.
Ernest Udeh Jr. (Kansas)
The fallout from Hunter Dickinson’s commitment to the Jayhawks was a pair of young Kansas centers hitting the portal. Udeh is the more highly touted of the two, a former McDonald’s All-American who settled in as Kansas’s backup center as a freshman. He’s a high-motor big who’s active around the rim and could blossom into a high-level defender in time. He’s good enough to start at the five for some high-major teams and, if nothing else, profiles as an elite reserve.
Allen Flanigan (Auburn)
Flanigan has yet to regain the form that put him squarely on draft radars after the 2020–21 season after dealing with an Achilles injury, but is still a rotation-caliber SEC wing with upside who is in the portal for his final year of eligibility. Flanigan has been widely speculated to be Ole Miss–bound, where he’d reunite with his father Wes, a former Auburn assistant who joined Chris Beard’s new staff in Oxford this offseason.
Keshad Johnson (San Diego State)
A starter on the Aztecs team that made the national championship game, Johnson is being recruited by some of the sport’s heaviest hitters as a plug-and-play rotation piece. Johnson’s somewhat limited offensively as a position-locked power forward who has made just 28 career threes, but he’s a high-level defender and glue guy who could help a team with ball-dominant guards. Arizona, Kentucky, USC, Oklahoma and Texas Tech are in the running for his services.
Mika Adams-Woods (Cincinnati)
Quality ballhandling options are few and far between at this point in the portal, so Adams-Woods’s late entry makes him a valued commodity. He’s more game manager than high-level shot creator but steadily has improved as an outside shooter to 37% this past season and had 115 assists against just 53 turnovers last season. The upstate–New York native should garner plenty of interest.
Moussa Cisse (Oklahoma State)
Cisse is limited as an offensive player but impacts the game defensively as one of the sport’s best rim protectors. His combination of elite mobility, length and timing allows him to block and impact almost every shot around the rim. He’s another two-time nongrad transfer who’ll need a waiver to play right away, but he’d be an upgrade to most center rooms assuming he’s eligible to suit up in 2023–24.
Zuby Ejiofor (Kansas)
Like Udeh’s, Ejiofor’s path to playing time was blocked by Kansas’s big offseason. Still, there’s plenty of pedigree from his time as an elite recruit, and Ejiofor posted an eye-popping 12.5% block rate when on the floor last season and strong rebounding numbers in his limited action. He’s set to visit Villanova, St. John’s, TCU and San Diego State and has also heard from Kentucky.
