Circling college basketball's best 2023 transfer hauls … so far – 247Sports

Porter Moser joked that he every time he looked up, the Big 12 was landing another elite transfer. Turns out, Moser got a few gems of his own. But Oklahoma entered the offseason in a different place than others. It had just two starters returning, so the portal was Moser’s best place to buff up his depth in a hurry. He didn’t need just one good transfer. He needed four or five.
Not every program had those same necessities.
Wisconsin got all five starters back, but it’s a big transfer portal winner because of the emergence of St. John’s wing AJ Storr. Tennessee had a large chunk of its core returning, but Dalton Knecht’s barrage of buckets has helped Tennessee be a major transfer portal victor. UConn had a dazzling freshman class on the way, but Dan Hurley needed a shooter who could add some veteran flavor to the Huskies’ rotation. Hello, Cam Spencer. Purdue needed another guard who could really guard and knock down some treys. Southern Illinois’ Lance Jones was the lone transfer portal addition for Matt Painter, but that’s gone about as well as possible for the heavyweight Boilers.
RELATED: 247Sports’ Midseason All-Transfer team
It’s not easy to hit on a transfer, but finding one transfer for one spot is a bit smoother. For this exercise, we looked for winning teams that found three or more transfers who have been instrumental. 
Let’s dive in:
The big hits:
Joe Toussaint, from West Virginia: 14.1 points, 3.9 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.0 steals
Warren Washington, from Arizona State: 10.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.7 blocks
Chance McMillian, from Grand Canyon: 9.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 41.6% from 3-point range
Darrion Williams, from Nevada: 9.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals, 39.6% from 3-point range
Devan Cambridge, from Arizona State: 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.9 blocks
The scoop: Grant McCasland only trusted six guys to play at least 26 minutes apiece in Saturday’s 60-59 win over Kansas State. Four of them were transfers from the 2023 cycle.
Seven-foot center Warren Washington has been … Warren Washington. He’s great on the glass, can finish everything around the rim and is one of the best rim protectors in the country. Opponents are shooting just 52% at the rim against Texas Tech, and Washington is a huge reason why. But Washington has help. Before he suffered a season-ending knee injury, Devan Cambridge buffed up Texas Tech’s interior defense in a big way. When Cambridge went down, McCasland shifted Nevada transfer Darrion Williams to the 4 and Grand Canyon transfer Chance McMillian became an even bigger part of the rotation. Texas Tech’s defensive numbers are slightly worse without Cambridge, but the Red Raiders offense has significantly more pop thanks to the barrage of shooting and spacing McMillian and Kerwin Walton can effortlessly provide.
Washington came to Texas Tech to protect the rim and be a rim-running big man. He’s done just that. McMillian came to Texas Tech to shoot, and he’s done just that. Williams came to Texas Tech to be a jack-of-all-trades forward who can pass, shoot, create, handle and guard literally everyone. Williams has done just that.
Joe Toussaint might be the biggest surprise of them all. Toussaint came to Texas Tech late in the process after Bob Huggins’ DUI blew West Virginia into smithereens. Toussaint was supposed to settle into Texas Tech’s backcourt as the defensive menace to complement Pop Isaacs’ brilliant shotmaking, but Toussaint is playing the best basketball of his career. The senior guard has more than a few moments where he looks like Texas Tech’s best player. Toussaint has turned shooting jumpers off the bounce from a weakness into a significant strength. Toussaint is shooting 50% on off-the-dribble 2s and over 39% on off-the-dribble 3-pointers. Oh, and he’s still a defensive menace.
Texas Tech’s transfers have their fingerprints all over the 14-2 start and perfect 3-0 mark in conference play.
The big hits:
The scoop: Where would Arizona be without Caleb Love? The UNC transfer has become the most dangerous guard in the Pac-12 and one of the best players in the country. His defense, long considered a weakness, has been much more serviceable, and Love puts so much pressure on opposing defenses from the moment he crosses halfcourt. San Diego State transfer Keshad Johnson doesn’t block a lot of shots, but Arizona’s rim defense is nearly 10% better when he’s on the floor. Johnson’s timely drives have been a quality counter to Arizona’s offense, and the chiseled forward is shooting over 75% at the rim. Jaden Bradley would start for dozens of high-major clubs. For 12th-ranked Arizona, he comes off the bench. He’s embraced it, but Kylan Boswell’s inconsistency could force Tommy Lloyd to make Bradley an even bigger part of the rotation moving forward.
The big hits:
Hunter Sallis, from Gonzaga: 18.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals, 38% from 3-point range
Boopie Miller, from Central Michigan: 17.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 38.5% from 3-point range
Efton Reid III, from Gonzaga: 8.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.1 blocks
The scoop: Steve Forbes’ expectations were very high for Gonzaga transfer Hunter Sallis. The buzz started in the summer that the former five-star was starting to find himself again. That wasn’t just offseason smoke.
Sallis has been the most improved player in the country. The 6-foot-5 guard is sixth in the ACC in scoring, and he might be even higher if he didn’t have to share some of the load with Boopie Miller. The Central Michigan transfer has erupted into a dude in a hurry. Sallis and Miller give Forbes two lead guards who can handle it and create a shot out of nothing.
But the addition of Efton Reid III has completed Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons are 8-1 with the 7-foot center cleared, and Wake Forest owns a sparkling +23.5 net rating with Reid on the floor, per hoop-explorer.
Forbes’ three biggest swings in the portal have all been immense needle-movers for a Wake Forest club that’s suddenly a real threat in the ACC.
The big hits:
Marcus Domask, from Southern Illinois: 14.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists
Quincy Guerrier, from Oregon: 11.1 points, 7.3 rebounds
Justin Harmon, from Utah Valley: 6.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 42.1% from 3-point range
The scoop: It didn’t take long for Brad Underwood to flip his roster from one of the youngest in the country to a grizzled, veteran-laden group. Marcus Domask, Quincy Guerrier and Justin Harmon are all fifth-year seniors who have become rotation staples. Guerrier, long an Underwood heart flutter, has been the rangy, versatile forward Illinois just hasn’t had. Guerrier’s rim pressure has been a revelation, and he’s on pace to shoot over 60% at the rim – a feat he didn’t accomplish in each of his two seasons at Oregon. Harmon is shooting 44% on 34 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. He’s accepted a lower volume and the efficiency has spiked.
Guerrier has been very good, Harmon has been good, but Domask has been borderline exceptional.
The Southern Illinois transfer is in the middle of a special season. Domask showed flashes against Marquette (18 points) and FAU (33 points) of being Terrence Shannon Jr.’s smooth No. 2 operator. When Shannon got indefinitely suspended for a rape charge, Domask leveled up into Illinois’ unquestioned alpha. Domask is averaging 22.0 points per game since Shannon was sidelined using a few fadeaway jumpers and a bunch of bootyball. Domask is pound-for-pound as good as any transfer in the country right now.
Underwood has landed difference-makers in the transfer portal consistently throughout his Illinois tenure (Andres Feliz, Jacob Grandison, Alfonso Plummer, Matthew Mayer and Shannon), but this group might end up being his best overall haul because very few saw this coming.
The big hits:
The scoop: Oklahoma had to fight an uphill battle in the transfer portal, but Porter Moser still looks like one of the biggest winners. Siena transfer Javian McCollum has been one of the best point guards in the Big 12. McCollum is shooting over 72% at the rim which is so underappreciated because of his lightning-quick speed, tight handle and feathery jumper.
Jalon Moore, Le’Tre Darthard and Rivaldo Soares have helped Oklahoma’s wings look like a Big 12 unit. Moore is an excellent cutter who eats in transition and crashes the offensive glass violently. Moore and Soares are both switchable, confrontational defenders, and the threat of Darthard’s jumper opens up space for Otega Oweh, Milos Uzan and McCollum to drive the basketball.
Hugley’s foul issues keep him from eating up a bunch of minutes, but Oklahoma has been awesome when he’s on the floor (+24.3 net rating).
McCollum is the game-changer and program-elevator, but the rest of OU’s transfers have settled in snugly to Moser’s rotation.
The big hits:
The scoop: Ta’Lon Cooper, Myles Stute and BJ Mack were Lamont Paris’ biggest offseason acquisitions, and all three have become instant starters for a South Carolina squad that looks well on its way to outplaying its preseason billing.
Cooper, Stute and Mack have gotten their numbers, but what they’ve allowed Meechie Johnson to become might be their biggest asset. Cooper can handle the pressure which has shifted Johnson to more of a score-first role. Mack is a pick-and-pop big man who teams up with Stute to provide real floor spacing for Johnson’s bullyball drives. Johnson looks like an All-SEC guard, and South Carolina’s transfers are a big reason why.
The big hits:
Rienk Mast, from Bradley: 13.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists
Brice Williams, from Charlotte: 12.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Josiah Allick, from New Mexico: 6.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists
The scoop: Fred Hoiberg’s bet on landing experienced transfers from winning teams has worked. Brice Williams’ Charlotte squad won 22 games last year. Josiah Allick came from a 22-win New Mexico team. Bradley went 25-10 and Rienk Mast was the Braves’ best player.
All three have been Godsends for a Nebraska team that has its sights set on the first NCAA Tournament berth in a decade.
The Huskers have some point guard questions, but those are mitigated because Hoiberg can funnel the offense through Mast at the top of the key. The 6-foot-10 big man is good at so many things. He stretches the floor with 3s, finishes with both hands in the pant, drops slithery backdoor passes, sets strong screens to free up Keisei Tominaga, bangs with just about any traditional center and chases down rebounds left and right.
Williams is a polished wing who is shooting nearly 35% from 3-point range and has showcased far more playmaking than some thought he was capable of. Williams cracked No. 1 Purdue’s code for nine points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Allick is an all-time vibes guy. The poofy hair, the all-out effort and engaging quips in the press conferences have made him a fan favorite. But he can ball, too. Nebraska can hurt you on the offensive glass, and Allick is a big piece of that.
The big hits:
The scoop: Brandon Murray and Moussa Cisse were supposed to be Chris Beard’s big-time transfer portal additions. But Allen Flanigan and Jaylen Murray have taken that baton. Murray has turned Ole Miss’ point guard questions from a concern into a genuine strength, and he’s a fearless gunner (44.4% on 81 attempts from downtown). Flanigan has removed some of the 3s from his shot diet and has made driving the basketball a huge point of emphasis. Flanigan is uber-consistent with double figures in 15 of 16 games. Brandon Murray is slowly, but surely, working his way into the rotation, and the Cisse-Sharp platoon gives Beard some elite rim protection at all times.
North Carolina Tar Heels (13-3): UNC needed better role players, and Harrison Ingram and Cormac Ryan have bought into all of it. They’ve empowered RJ Davis to be one of the nation’s best guards. Ingram can create great shots with his work in the mid-post area, and Ryan’s catch-and-shoot brilliance scares every opposing defensive coordinator.
Florida Gators (11-5): Todd Golden’s top-three scorers have come via the portal. Walter Clayton Jr. is a sniper, Zyon Pullin’s drives are so important and Tyrese Samuel is the best two-way player on the team.
Utah State Aggies (16-1): Montana State transfers Darius Brown and Great Osobor followed Danny Sprinkle to Utah State and have been fabulous . Osobor is eighth (!) in KenPom’s Player of the Year ratings, and he flirts with a 20-point, 10-rebound performance basically every night. Don’t overlook the contributions of Maryland transfer Ian Martinez who is shooting 41% from 3-point range.
San Francisco Dons (14-4): Missouri State transfer Jonathan Mogbo has been a revelation for San Francisco, averaging 15.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 stea.s and 0.9 blocks while shooting 68% from the field. USC transfer Malik Thomas wisely found a spot where he could contribute, and his efficiency has been remarkable (88% on free throws, 63% on 2s and 40% from downtown). Mongolian Mike (Mike Sharavjamts) hasn’t popped in a huge way yet, but he’s still a huge piece of Chris Gerlufsen’s excellent transfer portal haul.
Memphis Tigers (15-2): Both David Jones and Jahvon Quinerly are playing the best basketball of their winding-road careers. Jones is in the conversation to be the best wing in the country, averaging 20.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. Quinerly is a late-game killer who seemingly can get the Tigers into a good set whenever they need it. If Nae’Qwan Tomlin keeps assimilating quickly and Jaykwon Walton’s hot shooting continues, Penny Hardaway could have a case for the best transfer portal haul in the country.
Butler Bulldogs (11-6): Butler is flirting with a NCAA Tournament bid thanks to its transfers. Pierre Brooks was cast as mainly a shooter at Michigan State, but he’s shown he’s got way more in his bag at Butler. Transfers like Posh Alexander, DJ Davis, Andre Screen, Jahmyl Telfort and Landon Moore are all in Thad Matta’s starting lineup or rotation, too.
Alabama Crimson Tide (11-5): Mark Sears is the best player on the team, but Alabama’s jet-pack offense is partially fueled by transfers Aaron Estrada, Grant Nelson and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. as well. WVU transfer Mohamed Wague needs to stay healthy because he can be a huge part of the solution for Alabama’s leaky defense. But Alabama’s offense will have no issues staying red hot even against a daunting SEC slate.
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