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College basketball transfer portal: Top 30 classes in 2023 headlined by West Virginia, Kansas, Texas – 247Sports
The college basketball transfer portal closes next week, bringing an end to a hectic two-month window where several teams underwent massive roster overhauls, while others added finishing pieces to their championship-caliber rosters. With all but three of the top-50 portal prospects committed, we decided to look at the top transfer classes in the nation. The Big 12 trio of West Virginia, Kansas and Texas looms large.
The growing demand for SEC basketball was evident this offseason. Headlined by Arkansas’ five-man class, the conference boasts four of the top 10 transfer classes, tied for the most of any league. The Big 12 is an attractive destination as well. It is the only conference with multiple teams in the top six, with four.
The ACC’s lone top-10 class belongs to North Carolina, which endured arguably the biggest roster overhaul of any team this offseason. The Tar Heels had six players leave via the portal since March but have done an admirable job finding replacements. With two open scholarships, Hubert Davis and company are expected to be active as things wind down over the next few weeks.
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Here are the top 30 transfer portal classes in the nation:
30. Alabama Crimson Tide
– Total Commits: 2
– Top Player: Aaron Estrada (Hofstra)
29. Michigan Wolverines
– Total Commits: 3
– Top Player: Caleb Love (UNC)
28. Florida Gators
– Total Commits: 4
– Top Player: Micah Handlogten (Marshall)
27. Nebraska Cornhuskers
– Total Commits: 4
– Top Player: Rienk Mast (Bradley)
Caleb Love is a boom-or-bust addition to Michigan’s backcourt after a junior season in which he averaged 16.7 points and 2.8 assists while shooting 37.8% from the field and 29.9% from 3-point range. Aaron Estrada, a two-time CAA Player of the Year, is a welcome addition to a Crimson Tide backcourt that has lost five guards to the portal and awaits NBA Draft decisions from Mark Sears and Jahvon Quinerly.
26. Georgia Bulldogs
– Total Commits: 3
– Top Player: RJ Melendez (Illinois)
25. South Carolina Gamecocks
– Total Commits: 4
– Top Player: B.J. Mack (Wofford)
24. Xavier Musketeers
– Total Commits: 4
– Top Player: Dayvion McKnight (Western Kentucky)
23. Ohio State Buckeyes
– Total Commits: 3
– Top Player: Jamison Battle (Minnesota)
Jamison Battle was the third-best portal prospect to commit to a school this offseason, trailing Kel’el Ware (Indiana) and Adrian Baldwin (Penn State). Battle boasts averages of 14.4 points and 5.2 rebounds across four years of college ball and should instantly bolster the Buckeyes’ frontcourt.
22. Villanova Wildcats
– Total Commits: 2
– Top Player: TJ Bamba (Washington State)
21. Georgetown Hoyas
– Total Commits: 4
– Top Player: Jayden Epps (Illinois)
20. Oklahoma Sooners
– Total Commits: 4
– Top Player: Javian McCollum (Siena)
19. Houston Cougars
– Total Commits: 2
– Top Player: LJ Cryer (Baylor)
Outside of Texas and Arkansas, Villanova signed the highest-ranked duo of portal players in TJ Bamba and Hakim Hart. Houston’s LJ Cryer was the portal’s most sought-after point guard after Taran Armstrong opted to go professional. He should be on Big 12 Player of the Year radars after a strong junior season at Baylor in which he averaged 15.0 points and shot 41.5% from 3-point range.
18. Indiana Hoosiers
– Total Commits: 3
– Top Player: Kel’el Ware (Oregon)
17. Syracuse Orange
– Total Commits: 2
– Top Player: JJ Starling (Notre Dame)
16. Virginia Cavaliers
– Total Commits: 4
– Top Player: Jordan Minor (Merrimack)
15. Creighton Bluejays
– Total Commits: 3
– Top Player: Steven Ashworth (Utah State)
Kel’el Ware, the No. 2 transfer prospect, should take a major step at Indiana with a pick-and-roll maestro at point guard in Xavier Johnson. Jordan Minor has the makings of another Tony Bennett success story after averaging 17.4 points and 9.4 rebounds a season ago.
14. Memphis Tigers
– Total Commits: 6
– Top Player: Caleb Mills (Florida State)
13. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
– Total Commits: 6
– Top Player: Amaree Abram (Ole Miss)
12. NC State Wolfpack
– Total Commits: 5
– Top Player: MJ Rice (Kansas)
11. Penn State Nittany Lions
– Total Commits: 6
– Top Player: Adrian Baldwin (VCU)
Damon Stoudamire has done wonders at Georgia Tech during his first offseason with the team, signing two top-40 portal prospects in Amaree Abram and Kowacie Reeves, two proven scorers from the SEC ranks. Pound for pound, Adrian Baldwin is as talented as any lead guard in the transfer portal. But it’s all the other stuff (competitive spirit, fire, work ethic, leadership) that could help Penn State take the next step in 2023-24.
– Total Commits: 3
– Top Player: Dalton Knecht (Northern Colorado)
Rick Barnes’ turnaround of the Tennessee program has been nothing shoot of impressive. The veteran head coach looks to take the Volunteers to the next level in 2023-24 with the help of a duo of four-star portal prospects, including small forward transfer Dalton Knecht, who averaged 20.2 points and 7.2 rebounds at Northern Colorado last season. Adding Chris Ledlum from Harvard gives Tennessee an embarrassment of riches along the wing. Ludlum averaged 18.8 points and 8.5 rebounds en route to All-Ivy honors last season.
– Total Commits: 4
– Top Player: Harrison Ingram (Stanford)
UNC needed an influx of talent after a 20-13 finish last season led to six Tar Heels entering the portal this offseason. The Tar Heels added much-needed playmakers at wing with Stanford’s Harrison Ingram and Notre Dame’s Cormac Ryan. Former Louisville power forward gives the Tar Heels depth and starting potential, while Brown transfer Paxson Wojcik could provide the occasional 3-pointer off the bench. UNC still needs another long-range shooter with its two remaining scholarships.
– Total Commits: 4
– Top Player: Jalen Cook (Tulane)
The Tigers look poised to bounce back after a 14-19 finish under first-year head coach Matt McMahon, the program’s first losing record since 2016-17. LSU lost Jalen Cook to Tulane after his freshman season but gets him back after a terrific junior campaign in which he averaged 19.9 points and 4.9 assists while shooting 45.2% from the field and 34.5% from 3-point range. Vanderbilt transfer Jordan Wright instantly factors into LSU’s wing rotation, while former Nevada center Will Baker should have plenty of opportunities in the post with KJ Williams out of the mix.
– Total Commits: 3
– Top Player: Brandon Murray (Georgetown)
Losing Amaree Abram to Georgia Tech hurt, but the Rebels managed to re-stock their backcourt in the portal anyways, adding shooting guard Brandon Murray (Georgetown) and point guard Austin Nunez (Arizona State). Murray has all the tools to be one of the best wing defenders in the country, and Nunez is “going to be Chris Beard’s next great lead guard,” according to 247Sports’ Isaac Trotter. Four-star center Jamarion Sharp (Western Kentucky) rounds out the Rebels’ class.
– Total Commits: 4
– Top Player: Jameer Nelson Jr. (Delaware)
Nelson, the No. 7 ranked player in the portal, is the perfect replacement for Mike Miles Jr. and averaged 20.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 44.5% from the field and 30.7% from 3-point range for Delaware last season. The Horned Frogs further bolstered their backcourt with former Oklahoma State point guard Avery Anderson III, who has averaged double-digit scoring in each of the last three seasons.
– Total Commits: 3
– Top Player: Ryan Nembhard (Creighton)
Ryan Nembhard just made too much sense for the Bulldogs. The former Creighton Bluejay helps replenish a Gonzaga backcourt that lost Julian Stawther and Rasir Bolton this offseason and gives head coach Mark Few a strong vocal leader on and off the court. Wyoming transfer Graham Ike, along with the returning Ben Gregg, gives Gonzaga one of the best frontcourts in the WCC next season. Don’t sleep on Eastern Washington transfer Steele Venters either.
– Total Commits: 5
– Top Player: Khalif Battle (Temple)
Eric Musselman was rolling on the recruiting trail this offseason and has signed the SEC’s best portal class to date. When El Ellis, a 17+ point scorer in the ACC, is your fourth-best transfer — you’ve done well. Temple transfer Khalif Battle shot over 46% on wide-open, catch-and-shoot 3s last year for Temple and has been one of the AAC’s most prolific scorers over the past three seasons. Musselman will have a hard time putting former Houston point guard Tramon Mark on the bench due to his defensive skills, while fellow point guard transfer Keyon Menifield displayed a strong offensive game during his freshman season at Washington in 2022-23.
– Total Commits: 4
– Top Player: Max Abmas (Oral Roberts)
Max Abmas, a four-year standout with the Golden Eagles, has 123 games of starting experience and averages 20.8 points per game for his career while shooting 38.8% from beyond the arc. He will be must-watch TV under head coach Rodney Terry next season. Four-star center Kadin Shedrick hasn’t hidden his frustrations with the way Virginia utilized him last season. He better back it up with the Longhorns next season.
– Total Commits: 3
– Top Player: Hunter Dickinson (Kansas)
The Jayhawks skyrocketed up these rankings with their recent addition of former Michigan center Hunter Dickinson, the No. 1 player in the portal. However, Kansas’ new-look backcourt is just as exciting. Bill Self signed former Texas point guard Arterio Morris and added the portal’s No. 5 shooting guard, Towson’s Nick Timberlake. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 17.7 points per game on 45.5% shooting from the field and 41.6% shooting from 3-point range. Kansas has everything it needs to make a run at a national title next season.
– Total Commits: 5
– Top Player: Jesse Edwards (Syracuse)
Last season wasn’t pretty for West Virginia, and Bob Huggins sought to give his team a facelift via the portal. The Mountaineers secured the No. 4 player in the portal in former Syracuse center Jesse Edwards and added two more top-50 prospects in Montana State transfer RaeQuan Battle (No. 27) and Arizona transfer Kerr Kriisa (No. 42). According to 247Sports’ Isaac Trotter, Battle “might end up being West Virginia’s second-best player,” after averaging 17.7 points and 2.9 rebounds as a senior last season. The Mountaineers shored up their backcourt depth with a pair of three-star guards from Manhattan, Jose Perez and Omar Silverio.
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