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8 schools with sneaky-great college basketball transfer portal hauls – 247Sports
After a few months of nonstop, frenzied action in the college basketball transfer portal, things have started to slow down with players starting to report to campuses across the country for summer school. Although there are still some high-value targets left on the board, most programs are pretty settled and their classes are either complete or very close to it.
While there are some big-time classes out there, some have also fallen a bit under the radar. Today, we look at eight classes that rank outside of the top 15 in the transfer portal team rankings that could end up making a major difference for their respective programs during the 2023-24 season.
The transfers: Harrison Ingram, Cormac Ryan, Jae’Lyn Withers and Paxson Wojcik.
Transfer portal team rank: 17
Bossi’s take: A former McDonald’s All-American and five-star prospect who was the Pac-12 freshman of the year in 2021-22, Ingram is the headliner of this portal group. He can play at the three or the four and will give North Carolina a guy they can run offense through in the high post. If he knocks down shots, he will be a huge difference maker. Speaking of knocking down shots, Ryan could go down as one of the best under-the-radar portal pickups. Adding a guy who has made over 200 career threes at just over 35% to a team that needs shot makers to open the floor is a very big get. Louisville has been so bad for the past two years that it’s really hard to know exactly what Withers will bring to the table. However, he did show a lot of promise as a freshman. He has also made nearly 35% of his threes and at least gives them an athlete with size to help with depth. Wojcik will give them a complimentary player who has four years of college experience.
The transfers: Jordan Gainey, Dalton Knecht and Chris Ledlum.
Transfer portal team rank: 19
Bossi’s take: Rick Barnes and the Volunteers were hoping to add some toughness via the portal and that’s exactly what they are getting in Ledlum. A first team All-Ivy League guy during the 2022-23 season, Ledlum is a hard-nosed player who gets a lot done around the rim despite being slightly undersized. He’ll really help out on the glass and has proven he can be a scorer. The road to the SEC has been a long one for Knecht. Lightly recruited out of high school, he went to junior college before erupting for over 20 points and seven rebounds per game as a senior at Northern Colorado. He’s got size, some athletic pop and is a dangerous shooter from deep. Last but not least, Gainey will arrive after making nearly 41% of his threes and earning All-Big South honors during each of his first two seasons. He’ll also be reunited with his father Justin Gainey who is a Tennessee assistant.
The transfers: Aziz Bandaogo, CJ Fredrick, Simas Lukosius and Jamille Reynolds.
Transfer portal team rank: 20
Bossi’s take: The class that Wes Miller and his staff at Cincinnati has landed has big potential but there are also some potential roadblocks. Bandaogo gives them a big athlete who can run the floor, protect the rim and finish lobs while Reynolds gives them another legitimate big who can help on the glass and provide some scoring as they make the move to the Big 12. However, both Bandaogo and Reynolds are transferring for a second time and whether or not they’ll be eligible next season will be dependent upon their ability to get waivers. Not getting those would be quite problematic. As a grad transfer, Fredrick won’t need a waiver. And if he can shoot anything like he did at Iowa — where he made 46.6% of his threes in two seasons — in a return to his hometown, then he will be extremely valuable to the Bearcats. Lukosius is a big and strong wing and another who will be counted on to help stretch the floor.
The transfers: LJ Cryer and Damian Dunn.
Transfer portal team rank: 29
Bossi’s take: Part of the reason that Houston’s class barely ranks inside the top 30 of the team transfer portal rankings is that Kelvin Sampson and the Cougars have only taken two transfers. But they are good ones who should be ready to play big minutes and put up numbers from the second they arrive on campus. Cryer flirted with the NBA Draft but is back in school. He’ll likely be a preseason All-Big 12 pick and should be one of the best perimeter scorers in all of the country. An All-AAC second and third teamer over the past two seasons, Dunn is an experienced guard who is long and rangy and wired to score off the dribble. He’s improved significantly as a jump shooter during his college career and fits the mold of the type of guard who has success in the Cougars offense.
The transfers: Marcus Domask, Justin Harmon and Quincy Guerrier.
Transfer portal team rank: 38
Bossi’s take: The Illini are going to be an interesting team to watch next season and maybe the most intriguing addition to the lineup is Utah Valley transfer Justin Harmon. A long and creative off the dribble scorer who is returning to his home state of Illinois, Harmon also has some finishing bounce in the lane. If he can adjust to the physicality of the Big Ten, he could be really valuable. One guy who should be ready for the physicality is Domask. He has to be respected as a jump shooter, will get in the mix in the paint, rebounds well and is a multiple time All-Missouri Valley performer who has scored over 1,600 points. The wild card here, though, is Guerrier. But he’s got over 130 games of experience under his belt. He gives the Illini another long and athletic guy on the interior who help them out on the glass.
The transfers: Ben Shtolzberg, Zach Clemence and Yohan Traore.
Transfer portal team rank: 42
Bossi’s take: If you only look at the numbers generated by the trio of transfers headed to UC Santa Barbara, it doesn’t seem so impressive. But look a little deeper and this group could end up doing some serious damage for the Gauchos. The jewel of the class is Traore. A top 25 player and five-star prospect coming out of high school, he couldn’t figure things out at Auburn. But he’s got tremendous size, skill and could be monster in the middle. During two seasons at Kansas, Clemence never found consistent time. However, he’s really mobile, has some skill facing the rim and there’s serious potential for him and Traore to become twin towers. A native Californian, Shtolzberg can score a bit and has some toughness to him. Throw in the signing of three-star high school senior Jason Fontenet, a big guard and potential steal, and it was a strong spring effort at Santa Barbara.
The transfers: Abramo Canka, Kevin Miller, Efton Reid and Hunter Sallis.
Transfer portal team rank: 43
Bossi’s take: When it comes to coaches who have a knack for getting the most out of transfers, there probably needs to be some more respect on Steve Forbes name. He’s put Jake Laravia and Alondes Williams into the NBA after they transferred to Wake Forest and Tyree Appleby was first team All-ACC this past season. Hopes are high that he can work that same magic with Sallis. A former McDonald’s All-American and five-star prospect, Sallis is a big time athlete who never found his confidence in the Gonzaga backcourt, if he can get back to the guy he was in high school, he could be a monster. Also coming to Wake from Gonzaga is Reid. A top 35 prospect who nearly went straight to the NBA out of high school, the near seven-footer will need a waiver to play in 2023-24 but could add serious size and interior scoring if he gets back on track. Miller is a quick, high-scoring guard who fits the profile of guys who have done well under Forbest while Canka will help to add depth on the wing.
The transfers: Jaden Bradley and Keshad Johnson.
Transfer portal team rank: 46
Bossi’s take: North Carolina transfer Caleb Love hasn’t committed just yet. But if he does, then the class that Arizona has signed will make a huge leap. While they appear to be in good shape with Love, the Wildcats have already added a pair of players who can really help them out in Bradley and Johnson. Another former McDonald’s All-American who is finding a new home, Bradley is a big and strong floor general who takes care of the ball and does a nice job of getting everybody around him involved. A bit of a tweener in terms of size, Johnson is a big-time athlete with a strong motor who was a key part of a San Diego State team that made it all the way to the National Championship game. Both of those guys help to take care of some pretty big needs out in Tucson.
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