Transfer tracker: Jamir Watkins returning to Florida State for senior season – ESPN

Nearly two months after the transfer portal opened — and more than two weeks after it closed — there are still a number of players in ESPN’s top 100 transfer rankings without a destination. Schools around the country are finalizing rosters, but seven top-20 transfers and 10 of the top 52 names in the rankings remain on the board. And don’t count out some surprises along the way; Florida transfer Riley Kugel decommitted from Kansas earlier this week after committing in late March.
The one major wrinkle in the recruiting process for many of these remaining ranked transfers is the NBA draft. Several are going through the process and were invited to either the NBA draft combine or the G League Elite Camp. With the draft withdrawal date set for May 29, expect plenty of these recruitments to drag into June.
Let’s take stock of the portal landscape. Where do things stand with some of the top transfers, and what are some of the most intriguing 2024-25 teams still looking for in the portal?
Keep track of ESPN’s ranking of the top 100 transfers here and the full rosters for 2024-25 here.
Florida State wing Jamir Watkins, who withdrew from the NBA draft at the deadline, announced Friday he’s returning to the Seminoles for his senior season. He earned honorable mention All-ACC honors after averaging 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Went for 34 points against Virginia Tech in the ACC tournament. Watkins was invited to the NBA draft combine and had a chance to be selected had he remained in the draft.
Outlook: Watkins’ decision to return to Tallahassee comes after a battle between Michigan and St. John’s for his commitment. Both schools will have to look elsewhere, particularly St. John’s, which still needs another frontcourt piece. As for Florida State, Watkins will return to be the team’s go-to guy for the second season in a row. The Seminoles added a slew of new faces, highlighted by Hampton transfer Jerry Deng and four-star point guard DaQuan Davis.
Talented forward Trevon Brazile announced Tuesday he was going back to Arkansas, withdrawing from the transfer portal just over a week after withdrawing his name from the NBA draft. A high-ceiling 6-foot-10 sophomore, Brazile averaged 8.6 points and 5.9 rebounds last season under Eric Musselman, but looked on the verge of a breakout campaign in 2022-23 before tearing his ACL after nine games. He’s got size, can shoot from the perimeter and is an effective shot-blocker.
Outlook: Arkansas had been in pursuit of a number of options to round out John Calipari’s first roster in Fayetteville, but Brazile could be the final piece. He brings SEC experience, he brings more size and length to the frontcourt and he offers a different dimension to Calipari’s current options down low. Expect Brazile to provide inside-outside balance to Jonas Aidoo’s around-the-basket offensive game.
Kentucky transfer Ugonna Onyenso, who withdrew from the NBA draft last week, announced his commitment to Kansas State on Tuesday. Onyenso is one of the best shot-blockers in college basketball, averaging 2.8 blocks last season despite averaging just 18.6 minutes. The 7-footer from Nigeria failed to show consistency in Lexington, but showed flashes of dominance: 13 points, 16 rebounds and eight blocks vs. Florida and eight points and 10 blocks vs. Ole Miss.
Outlook: Jerome Tang has quietly built an intriguing squad for next season despite missing out on some of his earlier portal targets. Onyenso is the third top-100 transfer to commit, following former Michigan point guard Dug McDaniel and Samford transfer Achor Achor. All three should start. Brendan Hausen is a terrific shooter and David Castillo is a top-50 recruit. There’s enough here to have NCAA tournament hopes.
BYU Cougars transfer Jaxson Robinson has withdrawn his name from the NBA draft and is committing to Kentucky, he told ESPN on Thursday. Robinson was one of the best players left in the portal, earning honorable mention All-Big 12 honors last season after averaging 14.2 points and shooting 35.4% from 3. He was the league’s Sixth Man of the Year.
Outlook: Robinson is the best of Kentucky’s nine transfers this spring, and already knows Mark Pope’s system from the two years spent under him in Provo. He will play on the wing alongside Oklahoma transfer Otega Oweh and Dayton transfer Koby Brea, two other perimeter shooters with size. Pope prioritized 3-point shooting when building this roster and Robinson gives him more shot-making plus a legitimate go-to guy offensively.
Read more: Jaxson Robinson out of draft, goes from BYU to Kentucky
Lost in the midst of the Wednesday night’s NBA draft withdrawal deadline was the impact it had on the transfer portal. After recent commitments from D.J. Wagner (Arkansas), JT Toppin (Texas Tech), Chaz Lanier (Tennessee) and Miles Kelly (Auburn), the only top-100 transfers left in the portal were also players who had entered the NBA draft.
But after the dust settled at midnight, there were six top-100 transfers choosing to return to college: Coleman Hawkins, Jamir Watkins, Wooga Poplar, Arthur Kaluma, Trevon Brazile and Ugonna Onyenso.
Top-20 transfers Cam Christie and Jaylen Wells stayed in the draft.
Providence’s Garwey Dual and Eastern Washington’s Cedric Coward also withdrew their names; both are among the Next in line group in ESPN’s transfer rankings.
Expect the competition for the remaining big-name players on the board to ramp up in the next few days so teams can finalize their rosters before the summer.
New Mexico transfer JT Toppin, the Mountain West Freshman of the Year, signed with Texas Tech on Tuesday. A 6-foot-9 forward from Dallas, Toppin averaged 12.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks – earning second-team All-Mountain West honors. He was the third-best transfer still in the portal.
Outlook: It’s a massive pickup for Grant McCasland and the Red Raiders, who can now anchor their frontcourt around Toppin. They had already landed Minnesota transfer Elijah Hawkins to start at the point guard spot and will surround him with a long list of wing options. With Toppin up front, this is now a potential top-25 team.
Read more: New Mexico transfer JT Toppin signs with Texas Tech
North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier committed to the Volunteers on Friday, giving Rick Barnes the shot-maker he needed to find this spring. Lanier was a first-team All-ASUN selection last season, averaging 19.7 points and shooting 44% from 3-point range. He scored 30 points or more on four occasions and had 22 points against Florida State in December.
Read more: Former North Florida guard Chaz Lanier commits to Tennessee
Outlook: With the departure of All-American Dalton Knecht, Lanier should be one of the players stepping in to replace him in Knoxville. He’s one of three incoming transfers to shoot at least 37% from 3 last season, joining Darlinstone Dubar (Hofstra) and Igor Milicic Jr. (Charlotte). The Volunteers made massive offensive strides last season, and it’s clear Barnes is hoping to continue the trend in 2024-25.
Braeden Smith, one of the top point guards left in the portal and the No. 100 transfer in our rankings, committed to Mark Few on Friday. Smith, a 6-foot Seattle native, earned Patriot League Player of the Year honors after averaging 12.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists last season. In an interesting twist, though, Smith will redshirt the 2024-25 season.
Outlook: Gonzaga has a preseason top-five team and is well-stocked on the perimeter. Returning starters Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman in the backcourt and transfers Michael Ajayi (Pepperdine), Khalif Battle (Arkansas) and Steele Venters (Eastern Washington) are all productive offensive players with shooting ability. So Smith wouldn’t exactly have a clear role this season. But most of that group will be gone after next season, so he could have a path to a starting job in 2025-26.
Carolina’s pursuit of an impact big man finally paid off Thursday, with the commitment of Vanderbilt transfer Ven-Allen Lubin. Lubin, 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, operates most effectively around the rim, averaging 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds, including 16.2 points and 7.7 rebounds over his last nine games. He also established himself as one of the best offensive rebounders in the SEC.
Read more: Vanderbilt transfer Ven-Allen Lubin commits to North Carolina
Outlook: The Tar Heels badly needed frontcourt reinforcements after the departures of Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram, and after missing on transfer targets Oumar Ballo, Jonas Aidoo and Clifford Omoruyi. Lubin will team up with returners Jae’Lyn Withers and Jalen Washington to occupy most of the minutes. What does this mean for transfers Coleman Hawkins and Ugonna Onyenso, two other bigs with whom Carolina has been linked? Arkansas has also been mentioned heavily with both.
Texas transfer Dillon Mitchell committed to Cincinnati on Friday afternoon, giving Wes Miller the potential missing piece to what should be a preseason top-25 team. Mitchell is a versatile forward who impacts the game at both ends of the floor. He averaged 9.6 points and 7.5 rebounds for the Longhorns last season and started 71 games over two seasons in Austin.
Outlook: Cincinnati is bringing back six of its top eight scorers from a team that won 22 games but fell short of the NCAA tournament in its first year in the Big 12. With Mitchell, the Bearcats now get a jolt of length and explosiveness in the frontcourt. Miller is also bringing in Bradley transfer Connor Hickman, a high-level perimeter shooter. All the pieces are in place for Cincinnati to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in Miller’s tenure.
Utah State transfer Great Osobor committed to the Huskies on Monday, choosing them over Louisville and Texas Tech for a reported $2 million in NIL deals. It’s a reunion with Danny Sprinkle, who coached Osobor at Montana State and Utah State. Osobor averaged 17.7 points and 9.0 rebounds and won Mountain West Player of the Year last season.
Read more: Great Osobor transferring to Washington with big NIL deals
Outlook: This is a coup for Sprinkle and Washington, as the perception early in Osobor’s process was that he wouldn’t end up following Sprinkle to the Pacific Northwest. It will be interesting to see how Osobor’s game translates to the Big Ten, given his 6-foot-8 size and lack of perimeter threat. But he was incredibly productive in the Mountain West and will be Washington’s fulcrum offensively.
Great Osobor (No. 6): Kentucky initially looked like a potential landing spot, but then the Wildcats received commitments from Amari Williams, Andrew Carr and Brandon Garrison, taking them out of consideration. Texas Tech, Louisville and Washington — where Danny Sprinkle, Osobor’s coach at his previous two schools, is now in charge — are in the mix.
Cam Christie (No. 8): A very late entrant to the portal, Christie will attend the NBA draft combine and is currently a projected early-second-round pick.
Coleman Hawkins (No. 11): Another late portal entry, Hawkins will attend the NBA draft combine and has said he’s focused on going pro but has still left the door open. Has already been linked to a number of schools, including North Carolina, Louisville and Arkansas.
JT Toppin (No. 12): One of the biggest breakout freshmen this past season, Toppin was also invited to the NBA draft combine. Most of the transfer buzz surrounds him transferring closer to home in the state of Texas: the Longhorns, Texas Tech, TCU, etc.
Jamir Watkins (No. 14): Watkins entered late but his size and shooting ability make him an intriguing target. He’ll attend the NBA draft combine.
Jaylen Wells (No. 16): An underrated NBA draft prospect, Wells brings size, shooting and two-way ability. He’s going through workouts for NBA teams before diving heavily into his recruitment.
Jaxson Robinson (No. 17): Robinson entered the portal a couple of weeks after Mark Pope left BYU for Kentucky — the Wildcats were the presumed favorite even before he announced he was leaving. A return to BYU is unlikely. He’s also going to the NBA draft combine.
Wooga Poplar (No. 18): A G League Elite Camp invitee, Poplar has heard from Kentucky, Louisville, Arkansas, Villanova, Auburn, Oregon and others.
D.J. Wagner (No. 28): The former top-five recruit took a visit to USC and is expected to visit Arkansas. The Razorbacks have been considered the favorite, and while USC closed the gap, the expectation is that he ultimately will land in Fayetteville with former Kentucky coach John Calipari.
Arthur Kaluma (No. 35): In the portal for the second year in a row, Kaluma last offseason chose Kansas State over Kentucky and Alabama. A number of schools have been linked. Also invited to the G League Elite Camp.
Dillon Mitchell (No. 41): St. John’s is making a strong push after landing Deivon Smith and Kadary Richmond, but Cincinnati is squarely in the mix. Louisville and Auburn are also potentially in the mix.
Chaz Lanier (No. 42): Tennessee was immediately considered the front-runner when this player from Nashville entered the portal. That’s still the case, although Kentucky is also involved. He’ll attend the G League Elite Camp.
Other top-100 names still available: Trazarien White (No. 51), Achor Achor (No. 52), Ven-Allen Lubin (No. 68), Miles Kelly (No. 74), Trevon Brazile (No. 78), A.J. Hoggard (No. 83), Ugonna Onyenso (No. 90), Riley Kugel (No. 94), Braeden Smith (No. 100)
Looking through the top 10 teams (and a couple other notable ones) in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings, what some of the bigger programs are still aiming for in the portal.
No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks: Well-stocked across the roster, but will Kugel‘s decommitment push Bill Self to look for another wing scorer? On paper, the Jayhawks don’t need it.
No. 2 Houston Cougars: Kelvin Sampson’s team needed a Jamal Shead replacement in the portal and landed it in the form of Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan. The Cougars are at the scholarship limit.
No. 3 Iowa State Cyclones: Did work early in the portal, landing four transfers. The Cyclones also have a full roster.
No. 4 Gonzaga Bulldogs: Mark Few wanted some perimeter scoring pop and got it by adding Arkansas transfer Khalif Battle earlier this month.
No. 5 Baylor Bears: There are plenty of scholarships left to give, but the Bears filled their two biggest needs with name-brand stars: Duke’s Jeremy Roach and Miami’s Norchad Omier.
No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide: Nate Oats solved his biggest issue last week with Rutgers transfer Clifford Omoruyi, adding him as an interior anchor to balance a loaded perimeter. Does he need another guard if Mark Sears doesn’t return?
No. 7 UConn Huskies: The lone roster question here is whether Alex Karaban will stay in the NBA draft; if he does, Dan Hurley needs another shooting forward.
No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels: It’s been no secret Carolina has been in pursuit of big men all portal season, most recently seeing Omoruyi go to Tuscaloosa. Could pivot to Hawkins or Onyenso.
No. 9 Duke Blue Devils: Likely completed the roster Friday by adding Tulane transfer Sion James, who brings size to the backcourt as well as an ability to get to the rim.
No. 10 Arizona Wildcats: Tommy Lloyd accounted for Caleb Love potentially staying in the NBA draft by getting a commitment this week from Campbell scorer Anthony Dell’Orso.
No. 12 Auburn Tigers: Still active in the portal, recruiting forwards such as Achor Achor and also showing interest in junior college guard Dior Johnson.
No. 18 Tennessee Volunteers: Rick Barnes clearly wants a bona fide scoring replacement for Dalton Knecht and has targeted North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier. Has already solidified the frontcourt with three additions.
No. 25 Arkansas Razorbacks: Calipari said he wants only eight or nine players on his roster, but he’s still a couple away from that number. Plus, he has to protect against Florida Atlantic transfer Johnell Davis staying in the draft. The Razorbacks are involved across the board, and they are in particularly good shape for D.J. Wagner.
When Seton Hall star Kadary Richmond entered the portal in late April, St. John’s was immediately mentioned as a potential destination. On Tuesday, he officially committed to Rick Pitino and the Red Storm. Richmond was the No. 1 transfer in the portal, a first-team All-Big East guard who averaged 15.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists and led the Pirates to an NIT championship.
Read more: Kadary Richmond transfers from Seton Hall to St. John’s
Outlook: St. John’s now has its backcourt. Utah transfer Deivon Smith committed Monday, and Richmond completes the pair. Both are high-level playmakers and passers, while Smith can make shots from the perimeter and Richmond uses his 6-foot-6 size to finish over opposing guards at the rim. Richmond and Smith could be Rick Pitino’s best guard duo in a decade.
Deivon Smith, one of the best point guards remaining in the portal, announced his commitment to Rick Pitino on Monday morning. Smith is coming off the best season of his college career, averaging 13.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists and shooting 40.8% from 3-point range. He started out at Mississippi State and spent two seasons at Georgia Tech before landing at Utah.
Outlook: Pitino badly needed an immediate impact player, especially after previous top targets Clifford Omoruyi and Norchad Omier went elsewhere. Smith will start at point guard, joining a versatile perimeter group that also includes returning double-figure scorer RJ Luis Jr. and North Texas transfer Aaron Scott. What does this mean for the Johnnies’ pursuit of No. 1-ranked transfer Kadary Richmond, though?
Khalif Battle, one of the best pure scorers in the portal, is headed to Spokane. Although he started only 13 games during his one season at Arkansas, he averaged 14.8 points and shot 35.3% from 3-point range. He was terrific down the stretch, averaging 29.6 points over his last seven games of the season, including 42 points against Missouri, 36 points against Vanderbilt and 34 points against Kentucky.
Outlook: Gonzaga was looking for some extra scoring pop on the perimeter, and Battle fills that void — as a starter or as instant offense off the bench. Mark Few brings back starters Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman, while also welcoming transfers Michael Ajayi (Pepperdine) and Steele Venters (Eastern Washington). One of the most efficient offenses in the country is only getting more explosive.
Norchad Omier committed to Baylor on Sunday night, giving Scott Drew the best frontcourt player remaining in the portal. He was a two-time All-ACC selection who averaged 17.0 points and 10.0 rebounds this past season, tallying 17 double-doubles. Has averaged a double-double in each of his four collegiate seasons.
Outlook: With Omier now in the fold, Baylor has one of the best starting fives in college basketball for the 2024-25 season. The perimeter group was already loaded with talent, with Duke transfer Jeremy Roach and top-five recruit V.J. Edgecombe joining double-figure scoring returnees Jayden Nunn and Langston Love. Omier will anchor the interior and provide balance for the Bears.
Rutgers transfer Cliff Omoruyi was one of the best frontcourt players left in the portal, and on Sunday, he picked Alabama over North Carolina. A truly elite post defender and rim-protector, Omoruyi is a two-time All-Big Ten and two-time All-Defensive team selection. He averaged 10.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks this past season.
Outlook: On paper, Alabama is loaded. Post defense, and shot-blocking, was one of the few weak points on the roster, and Omoruyi solves that issue. He should anchor the Tide’s defense and is perhaps the most important newcomer of a group that includes four impact transfers and four top-75 high school prospects. The key in Tuscaloosa moving forward will be the status of Mark Sears; will he come back for another year?
Mark Pope’s first roster at Kentucky is taking shape, as the Wildcats landed commitments from two veteran guards who can both really shoot it from the perimeter. Dayton transfer Koby Brea announced his commitment first, an outcome that was expected after UConn opted for Aidan Mahaney and Kentucky brought Brea in for a visit. Then West Virginia transfer Kerr Kriisa opted for the Wildcats. Brea was arguably the best shooter in the portal, making 49.8% of his 3s last season, while Kriisa made 42.4% of his 3s and averaged 11.0 points and 4.7 assists.
Read more: Dayton transfer Koby Brea brings 3-point prowess to Kentucky
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Outlook: Kentucky’s roster should be just about finalized, with just one or two players pending. Brea and Kriisa join Lamont Butler (San Diego State), Otega Oweh (Oklahoma) and freshmen Travis Perry and Collin Chandler on the perimeter, with Amari Williams (Drexel), Andrew Carr (Wake Forest) and Brandon Garrison (Oklahoma State) anchoring the frontcourt. The top target left on the board is likely BYU transfer Jaxson Robinson.
Read more: West Virginia transfer Kerr Kriisa commits to Kentucky
Calipari pulled off his biggest coup since taking over at Arkansas, earning a commitment from former Florida Atlantic star Johnell Davis: one of the best players in the transfer portal, a potential NBA prospect who shared AAC Player of the Year honors last season after averaging 18.2 points and 6.3 rebounds while making 41.4% of his 3-point attempts. He’s still going through the NBA draft process, but if he returns to college, it will be in Fayetteville.
Read more: Former Florida Atlantic star Johnell Davis commits to Arkansas
Outlook: There’s still plenty of work to do with the roster, but there’s certainly some star power now in Fayetteville. Another top-tier transfer, former Tennessee big man Jonas Aidoo, committed earlier in the week, while top-40 recruits Boogie Fland, Karter Knox and Billy Richmond will all play for the Razorbacks. Kentucky transfer Zvonimir Ivisic is also following Calipari to Arkansas.
With big men flying off the board the past week, the number of high-level frontcourt players in the portal had taken a hit. On Tuesday morning, however, Lobos forward JT Toppin entered the portal. Toppin won Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors after averaging 12.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in his debut season, also getting named second-team All-Mountain West.
Outlook: Toppin’s departure is a huge hit for what looked to be a talented New Mexico starting five. The Lobos did add Arizona transfer Filip Borovicanin over the weekend, but losing a potential NBA player in Toppin is tough to replace. Richard Pitino does return Donovan Dent, Nelly Junior Joseph, Mustapha Amzil and Tru Washington, and he is also bringing in North Texas transfer CJ Noland.
Tennessee‘s Jonas Aidoo was one of the best big men in the SEC this past season, earning second-team all-conference honors after starting 36 games and averaging 11.4 points and 7.3 rebounds. He entered the portal a couple weeks ago but the Razorbacks brought him on campus this past weekend and closed the deal.
Outlook: John Calipari now has five players on his Arkansas roster, with Aidoo joining Zvonimir Ivisic, Boogie Fland, Karter Knox and Billy Richmond. Aidoo is the first player who wasn’t already at or lined up to go to Kentucky. He’ll start immediately in Fayetteville, regardless of whoever else the Razorbacks sign. Baylor and North Carolina had also pursued Aidoo, and they’ll now have to look elsewhere for their big man.
Dan Hurley needed to replace nearly his entire starting lineup from the Huskies’ second straight national championship team, and he’s close to finalizing his roster after landing this Saint Mary’s transfer. Mahaney was a first-team All-WCC selection after averaging 13.9 points and shooting 37.5% from 3 over two seasons in Moraga. He’ll slot into Cam Spencer’s starting spot from day one in Storrs.
Read more: UConn lands Saint Mary’s transfer guard Aidan Mahaney
Outlook: UConn is likely done finalizing its perimeter rotation with the addition of Mahaney. The Huskies are bringing back four reserves from this past season, while adding three ESPN 100 prospects and now Mahaney. What does that mean for Dayton sharpshooter Koby Brea? UConn was the perceived leader for Brea, but does Mahaney’s decision now open the door for Kentucky to land the Atlantic 10 Sixth Man of the Year?
The point guard market added a noteworthy name on Friday when Michigan State senior A.J. Hoggard entered the transfer portal. It wasn’t a huge surprise, given that Tom Izzo said earlier this month that Hoggard wouldn’t be returning to East Lansing, but the two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten selection will be a sought-after option as a transfer.
Outlook: Michigan State likely doesn’t need to go after a replacement point guard in the portal. The Spartans already have Jeremy Fears, assuming he’s fully recovered from his December surgery, and top-25 recruit Jase Richardson is also entering the fold. But Hoggard becomes one of the best available point guards in the portal, joining Kadary Richmond, Pop Isaacs, Deivon Smith, Javon Small and D.J. Wagner.
Since the end of the season, Kadary Richmond was being watched around the country as a potential transfer. It finally happened Thursday. He earned first-team All-Big East honors this past season after averaging 15.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
Outlook: Richmond immediately enters the conversation as the best player in the transfer portal. He’s a 6-foot-6 matchup nightmare at the guard position, using his size to consistently finish in the lane over smaller defenders. St. John’s has long been considered a potential landing spot for the Brooklyn native.
Read more: Seton Hall star Kadary Richmond enters transfer portal
Norchad Omier plans to enter the transfer portal, sources told ESPN, immediately becoming arguably the top available player in the portal. The 6-foot-7 forward is a two-time All-ACC selection who averaged 17.0 points and 10.0 rebounds this past season. He’s averaged a double-double in each of his four seasons in college.
Outlook: Frontcourt-needy teams will be all over this one. Omier chose Miami over Florida State, Texas Tech and Georgetown back in 2022 but should expect a bigger list now. He will be right at the top of ESPN’s next transfer rankings update with Oumar Ballo, Johnell Davis and AJ Storr.
Read more: Sources: Miami star Norchad Omier to enter transfer portal
A year ago, the transfer portal was still humming well past the close of the undergraduate transfer deadline — highlighted by Cam Spencer leaving Rutgers in June to commit to UConn, and Will McNair spending the summer at Providence before reentering the portal and leaving for Kansas State. Those types of transfers will not exist anymore: The NCAA passed legislation last week saying all transfers need to be in the portal by the close of their sports’ transfer window. For college basketball, that’s May 1.
Read more: All college basketball transfers must be in portal by May 1
The NCAA confirmed to ESPN that the D1 Board of Directors approved this change on Monday and it’s indeed effective immediately.
Outlook: The new rule, which many coaches and players were unaware of when reached by ESPN on Wednesday, could lead to a flood of players entering the portal before next Wednesday. Those who are on track to graduate will have to enter before they actually complete all their classes, while players in the NBA draft could enter the portal just to keep all their options open.
In the last 36 hours, three of the best point guards on the market announced their commitments. Tyrese Hunter is headed to Memphis, Sean Pedulla committed to Ole Miss and Jordan Pope announced for Texas. The number of available point guards and combo guards is starting to thin out with just a week left for players to portal.
Outlook: Other backcourt players are moving forward with their recruitments. Ole Miss also hosted Oklahoma State transfer Javon Small on a visit and Saint Mary’s guard Aidan Mahaney is in the midst of a tour of Creighton, Virginia, UConn and Kentucky. Wisconsin transfer Chucky Hepburn arrived Wednesday night for his official visit to Louisville. Stetson scorer Jalen Blackmon also cut his list Wednesday to Miami, BYU, Northwestern, Cal and Villanova. Utah‘s Deivon Smith, who entered the portal last Friday, has become a hot commodity due to the lack of options.
Things had been quiet surrounding Stanford transfer Andrej Stojakovic, a former McDonald’s All American in the 2023 class. But sources told ESPN on Wednesday that Stojakovic isn’t likely to let his recruitment drag on much longer. He visited Cal last weekend, and Mark Madsen’s program is squarely in the mix. North Carolina, Kentucky and Michigan are all involved, while Creighton, Washington, USC and Louisville are looking to make up ground. He’ll take another visit this weekend, but the destination isn’t finalized.
Outlook: Madsen has been busy in the portal, already adding five players. Stojakovic would be by far the best of the group, and it would also give him a chance to stay closer to home. North Carolina is the favorite to land Belmont transfer Cade Tyson, which would likely take the Tar Heels out of the mix. Kentucky has become increasingly involved and has plenty of shots to offer. Michigan could use another shooter on the wing.
Utah State transfer Great Osobor, a top-five overall transfer and the top uncommitted frontcourt player in the portal, has scheduled four visits. He’ll take a trip to Kentucky next week, immediately followed by Louisville, Texas Tech and Washington. Osobor averaged 17.7 points and 9.0 rebounds this season, winning Mountain West Player of the Year honors.
Outlook: Osobor would dramatically improve any of the four schools on his visit tour. Kentucky and Louisville have very few players on their respective rosters, and the Wildcats just landed Drexel transfer Amari Williams, Osobor’s close friend with whom he shares an agent. Danny Sprinkle, Osobor’s coach at Utah State, is now at Washington, while he could be viewed as the missing piece at Texas Tech.
The Horizon League Player of the Year, Oakland forward Trey Townsend is expected to decide this week between Ohio State and Arizona. Townsend averaged 17.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists this past season, going for 17 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Kentucky and 30 points and 13 rebounds in the overtime loss to NC State.
Outlook: Jake Diebler has restocked his Ohio State roster since taking over for Chris Holtmann, and Townsend would complement Kentucky transfer Aaron Bradshaw in the paint. Arizona is loaded on the perimeter, even with Kylan Boswell transferring to Illinois, but the Wildcats are in need of a physical frontcourt presence next to Motiejus Krivas.
Since taking over for Juwan Howard in Ann Arbor, May has had to rebuild nearly an entire roster. And it was a slow start, but the squad is now coming together. Over the past three days, the Wolverines have landed ESPN 100 prospect Justin Pippen, Yale transfer Danny Wolf, North Texas transfer Rubin Jones, Auburn transfer Tre Donaldson, Ohio State transfer Roddy Gayle Jr. and Alabama transfer Sam Walters.
Outlook: Despite the six additions, Michigan still has only 10 players on the roster — which means more reinforcements are on the way. At the top of the board is Florida Atlantic transfer Vladislav Goldin, who played for May in Boca Raton and has been considered a Michigan lean since he went into the portal.
Dayton transfer Koby Brea announced his final list of schools Monday, and it’s about as strong as one can get: Kansas, Duke, North Carolina, UConn and Kentucky. The 6-foot-6 guard is one of the premier shooters in college basketball, making 49.8% of his 3-point attempts this past season. He averaged 11.1 points off the bench, winning Atlantic 10 Sixth Man of the Year honors.
Outlook: Where will Brea go? Kansas is getting crowded on the perimeter, especially if the Jayhawks land Alabama transfer Rylan Griffen. North Carolina is bringing in two five-star guards and also could regain the services of All-American guard RJ Davis. Duke could use some shooting pop, but the Blue Devils have Tyrese Proctor, Caleb Foster and a slew of talented freshmen. Is UConn or Kentucky his best landing spot?
It didn’t take long for Baylor to emerge as the favorite for Roach, one of the most experienced and winningest point guards in the portal. Roach has started 108 games over four seasons at Duke, earning third-team All-ACC honors as a senior. He hit career-highs across the board this past season, averaging 14.0 points and 3.3 assists while shooting 42.9% from 3.
Outlook: Baylor will have one of the elite perimeter groups in the country next season. Roach will run the show from day one, but Jayden Nunn and Langston Love are back and Scott Drew is bringing in elite recruit V.J. Edgecombe and top-25 prospect Robert Wright III. The Bears are absolutely loaded in the backcourt – and are in good position with Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo, a top-10 big man.
Amari Williams visited Kentucky this weekend and the Drexel transfer ended his recruitment as the trip was ending. Williams was one of the best defensive players in the portal, winning the CAA Defensive Player of the Year award three times and earning first-team All-CAA honors in each of the last two seasons. He averaged 12.2 points and 7.8 rebounds this past season.
Outlook: Kentucky now has three players on its roster, with Williams joining freshmen Travis Perry and Collin Chandler. The Wildcats are firmly in the mix for a long list of transfers – perhaps most notably Utah State big man Great Osobor, who is friends with Williams and shares an agent with him. Saint Mary’s guard Aidan Mahaney, Oklahoma State big Brandon Garrison, Stanford wing Andrej Stojakovic and Dayton shooter Koby Brea are among the other players on the target list.
Stanford transfer Kanaan Carlyle announced his commitment to Indiana. The top-50 recruit in the 2023 class averaged 11.5 points as a freshman, including 31 points against Washington State and 28 against Arizona. The Hoosiers emerged pretty quickly as the favorites to land Carlyle.
Outlook: Indiana has the best portal class so far this spring, with Carlyle following Washington State transfer Myles Rice and Arizona transfer Oumar Ballo to Bloomington. Mike Woodson has now reloaded his team, with the three transfers joining three returning starters — including honorable mention All-Big Ten selection Malik Reneau and former top-10 recruit Mackenzie Mgbako. The Hoosiers badly need to add shooting to the roster, though.
Avila, one of the biggest breakout stars of the 2023-24 season, was always expected to follow his coach from Indiana State to Saint Louis, and he made that official Saturday. Avila was a first-team All-Missouri Valley pick after averaging 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting better than 39% from 3-point range.
Outlook: So far, Avila is the only Indiana State starter to join Schertz in the Atlantic 10. Ryan Conwell committed to Xavier, while Julian Larry and Jayson Kent are committed to Texas. Isaiah Swope is visiting Saint Louis, however.
Read more: Ex-Indiana St. star Robbie Avila follows coach to Saint Louis
After Dusty May landed his first two players Friday, he got his biggest commitment yet. A 7-foot center, Wolf was a first-team All-Ivy selection who averaged 14.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while shooting nearly 35% from 3-point range.
Outlook: Michigan was the perceived favorite for Wolf for a few weeks. Now, the question is how this news impacts the recruitment of Florida Atlantic transfer Vladislav Goldin, who was also likely to follow May from Boca Raton to Ann Arbor. But how will it work with two 7-footers on the roster?.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats got his next point guard. Holloway was a former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American in the 2023 class but struggled to make shots from the floor, shooting 31.8%. He averaged 7.3 points and 2.7 assists.
Outlook: While Holloway’s shooting is a bit of a question mark in a 3-point-heavy system such as Alabama’s, he was a terrific floor general in high school. The Tide have now added three perimeter players in the portal, including Houston Mallette (Pepperdine) and Chris Youngblood (South Florida).
After freshmen TJ Power and Sean Stewart entered the portal in back-to-back days, Jon Scheyer badly needed frontcourt reinforcements. Those came Saturday in the form of Syracuse transfer Maliq Brown, who averaged 9.5 points and 7.2 boards on the season — over his final five games, however, he tallied three double-doubles and put up 11.8 points, 9.6 boards and 3.0 assists.
Outlook: Duke is far from done in the portal when it comes to the frontcourt. The Blue Devils are the perceived favorites for Purdue transfer Mason Gillis, who made nearly 47% of his 3-point attempts this past season, and they’re in the mix for Stanford transfer Brandon Angel, a 6-foot-8 forward who shot nearly 45% from behind the arc.
Sean Stewart, a former top-20 recruit, announced he’s entering the transfer portal Friday. Stewart came out of high school with a reputation as an elite rebounder but failed to carve out a consistent role in Durham. He averaged 2.6 points and 3.2 rebounds in 33 games off the bench.
Outlook: Stewart follows Jeremy Roach, Mark Mitchell, TJ Power, Jaylen Blakes, Christian Reeves and Jaden Schutt, while Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain left for the NBA and Ryan Young is out of eligibility. Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster are the lone returnees for Jon Scheyer who is, however, bringing in a six-man recruiting class ranked No. 1 in the country.
Read more: Sean Stewart to become seventh Duke player to enter portal
The 6-foot-8 Kentucky forward has cut his list to five schools, sources told ESPN: Pitt, North Carolina, Arkansas, Indiana and Kentucky. Thiero started 19 games this season for the Wildcats, bringing energy and explosiveness to the frontcourt. He averaged 7.2 points and 5.0 rebounds.
Outlook: The projected first-round pick in ESPN’s 2025 mock draft entered the portal before John Calipari left Lexington for Arkansas, so it’s interesting to see the Razorbacks make his final list. And Kentucky fans will be pleased to see a potential return to Lexington is still possible. Pitt has quietly had some buzz for a couple weeks due to Thiero being from the Pittsburgh suburbs.
Williams has cut his list to St. John’s, Kentucky and Mississippi State, his agent told ESPN. The 6-10 big man is one of the best interior defenders in the portal, winning CAA Defensive Player of the Year three times and earning first-team All-CAA honors this past season. He averaged 12.2 points and 7.8 rebounds.
Outlook: Williams will take his final visit to Kentucky this weekend, and the Wildcats could badly use an experienced post defender to anchor their frontcourt. They’ve made a strong push in recent days under new coach Mark Pope, but St. John’s remains involved, and Williams would be a good fit at Mississippi State given Chris Jans’ defensive history.
Shortly after AJ Storr committed to Kansas, Wisconsin took another hit: Three-year starter Chucky Hepburn is transferring. Hepburn started 103 games for Greg Gard, averaging 9.2 points and 3.9 assists this past season. He put up 12.2 points and shot 40.5% from 3-point range in 2022-23.
Outlook: Aside from Hepburn’s next destination, the story here is Wisconsin losing another key contributor to the portal. In addition to Storr and Hepburn, the Badgers have also lost Connor Essegian, who saw a diminished role this past season after a delayed start due to injury but averaged 11.7 points as a freshman in 2022-23. Gard hasn’t landed a player from the portal yet — and one of the Badgers’ top targets, Frankie Fidler, was a high school teammate of Hepburn’s.
Storr, the No. 3 player in ESPN’s transfer rankings, committed on Thursday. He was a second-team All-Big Ten selection after averaging 16.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in leading Wisconsin to the conference tournament title game and a 5-seed in the NCAA tournament.
Outlook: Bill Self has added some much-needed playmaking and shot-making — a major concern for the Jayhawks during the 2023-24 campaign. Storr is the third perimeter addition, following South Dakota State’s Zeke Mayo, the Summit League Player of the Year, and Florida’s Riley Kugel, a mercurial but talented wing with NBA potential. The Jayhawks are also still in the mix for Alabama transfer Rylan Griffen.
Read more: AJ Storr transfers to Kansas after year at Wisconsin
The Huskies clearly needed a big man this cycle in the portal, and they landed Michigan Wolverines transfer Tarris Reed Jr. on Wednesday. Reed visited Storrs this past weekend and ended his recruitment shortly after leaving. He’s a former ESPN 100 prospect who averaged 9.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks this past season.
Outlook: Dan Hurley essentially needs to rebuild the starting lineup that won the Huskies their second consecutive national title. Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer are out of eligibility, while Stephon Castle and Clingan could be NBA draft lottery picks. UConn is targeting a big man and at least one perimeter player. With Reed now in the fold, Hurley can turn toward guards and wings.
God got me…I ain’t stressin 😮‍💨 #Committed pic.twitter.com/dwrbVsOFGz
A big-name point guard just went on the market. Duke senior Jeremy Roach announced Tuesday he plans to enter the transfer portal and the NBA draft, which suddenly makes available one of the best and most experienced point guards in the country.
Outlook: Roach started 108 games over four seasons with the Blue Devils, earning third-team All-ACC honors this past season. He averaged career-highs across the board, putting up 14.0 points, 3.3 assists and shooting 42.9% from 3-point range. This move has been speculated for several weeks, with a long list of schools linked as potential landing spots: Syracuse, Villanova, Georgetown, Arkansas, Baylor, Ole Miss and more.
Read more: Jeremy Roach to enter draft, 5th Duke player to enter portal
After initially setting multiple visits, the Arizona transfer didn’t even get off Indiana’s campus before ending his recruitment and telling ESPN he’s committing to the Hoosiers. A two-time first-team All-Pac-12 selection, the No. 1 transfer has been one of the dominant big men in the country under Tommy Lloyd. He averaged 12.9 points and 10.1 rebounds this season.
Outlook: How Mike Woodson uses Malik Reneau and Ballo together will be interesting, given both players prefer to operate around the basket. It’s also worth taking a quick look at where the other programs in pursuit of Ballo will turn. North Carolina could look at Danny Wolf and Jonas Aidoo, while Louisville is battling Kentucky for Aly Khalifa. Arkansas just landed Zvonimir Ivisic.
Read more: Oumar Ballo, top player in transfer portal, picks Indiana
Townsend, who helped lead Oakland to a first-round NCAA tournament win over Kentucky with 17 points and 12 rebounds, has set the rest of his visit schedule, according to his agent George Langberg of GSL Sports Group. Townsend is currently on campus at Arizona, then will visit Ohio State on Thursday and Friday and finish up with a trip to Louisville this weekend. He also recently visited Michigan.
Outlook: Townsend is one of the most productive mid-major transfers in the portal. He averaged 17.3 points and 8.1 rebounds this season and was able to perform at a high level in big games. The 6-foot-6 power forward went for 28 points against Xavier, 19 points and 10 rebounds against Illinois, 30 points and 13 rebounds against NC State and also had 38 points in the Horizon tournament title game.
Kentucky transfer Zvonimir Ivisic announced Monday he’s committing to Arkansas, following John Calipari to the Razorbacks. Ivisic is the first player to officially follow Calipari to Fayetteville, but he likely won’t be the last.
Outlook: Ivisic, a 7-foot-2 center from Croatia, has an incredibly high ceiling due to his offensive skill set. He can make shots from the perimeter, run the floor and is an adept shot-blocker at the other end. He had 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals in 16 minutes off the bench in his first college game against Georgia, and averaged 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 15 games as a freshman.
Read more: Zvonimir Ivisic to transfer from Kentucky to Arkansas
After a weekend that saw Rodney Terry land three players from the portal — Indiana State exports Julian Larry and Jayson Kent, and Arkansas transfer Tramon Mark — Monday brought the fallout. Tyrese Hunter and Dillon Mitchell, two Texas starters, are planning to enter the transfer portal.
Outlook: Hunter has started 106 games in three college seasons at Texas and Iowa State and had the best offensive season of his career in 2023-24, putting up 11.1 points and 4.1 assists. Mitchell, meanwhile, is a versatile frontcourt player who took major strides as a sophomore, averaging 9.6 points and 7.5 rebounds. The news comes on the heels of top-50 recruit Cam Scott requesting a release from his letter of intent to Texas to reopen his recruitment.
Read more: Texas loses starters Tyrese Hunter, Dillon Mitchell to transfer portal
Wagner, a former top-five recruit, was a household name in the high school ranks who originally chose Kentucky over Louisville after an intense recruiting process between the two schools. But the 6-foot-4 New Jersey native had an uneven freshman season: putting up big numbers during the first half then finishing with single-digit scoring output in 10 of his final 13 games. Averaged 9.9 points and 3.3 assists.
Outlook: It’s unclear where Wagner will look to continue his college career. He still has NBA hype, projected as a second-round pick if he opted to enter this year’s draft. He could follow former Kentucky coach John Calipari to Arkansas but he’s expected to have an open recruitment. Despite his up-and-down freshman campaign, he’s one of the most dynamic guards in the portal.
Read more: Kentucky freshman D.J. Wagner entering transfer portal
The former top-10 recruit had a delayed start to his Kentucky career due to a foot injury suffered last spring, but eventually made an impact once on the floor 00 including a double-double against Penn in his second game. Didn’t have a consistent role down the stretch of the season though, barely playing in the SEC and NCAA tournaments. Averaged 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds.
Outlook: Despite the middling numbers, Bradshaw’s ceiling makes him an intriguing addition for new head coach Jake Diebler. He can run the floor, he has some skill with the ball in his hands and he can finish around the rim and block shots. What does this mean for the other teams in the mix for Bradshaw? North Carolina was hoping to get him on campus and now the Tar Heels might have to turn to Yale transfer Danny Wolf.
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Mike Woodson is wasting no time rebuilding his roster after a down year in Bloomington. The Hoosiers already landed Washington State‘s Myles Rice, one of the best point guards in the portal.
Outlook: They’re also expected to host Stanford‘s Kanaan Carlyle for a visit this week. Carlyle is a former top-50 recruit capable of explosive performances. Neither Rice nor Carlyle is a knockdown shooter, but Indiana is also pursuing Connor Hickman (Bradley) and Ryan Conwell (Indiana State) to fill that role. Up front, the top target is No. 1 overall transfer Oumar Ballo. The Arizona big man is expected to visit Bloomington this week, and Indiana is thought to be in a pretty good spot. Should Ballo leave his visit without committing, the Hoosiers could turn to Drexel‘s Amari Williams, who also visits later in the week. Ballo is the far superior offensive player, but Williams is a three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year.
Check out some of the best highlights from newest Baylor transfer Norchad Omier, who contributed in a big way for Miami.
May didn’t have a completely empty cupboard in Ann Arbor when he took over for Juwan Howard, and George Washington III added to the returnees when he opted to remove his name from the transfer portal and stay at Michigan. But the former Florida Atlantic coach is looking to build a competitive roster in year one, and he’s taking some big swings in the portal.
Outlook: At the top of the target list: two of his former FAU players in Johnell Davis — arguably the top perimeter player in the portal — and center Vladislav Goldin. Houston was also pursuing Davis, but the Cougars landed Milos Uzan over the weekend; is Kelvin Sampson’s program still in play? Michigan is also in the mix for Yale‘s Danny Wolf, a first-team All-Ivy selection this past season. While the Wolverines are likely the leader for both Goldin and Wolf as things stand, the first 7-foot center to commit might send the other elsewhere — or perhaps they battle it out once they get to campus. Oakland‘s Trey Townsend, who posted dominant numbers against high-major competition this past season, was set to visit Ann Arbor on Sunday, too. On the perimeter, Michigan is perceived as the leader for Auburn‘s transfer Tre Donaldson. Ohio State‘s Roddy Gayle Jr. is expected to visit Ann Arbor soon, too. Keep an eye on another Auburn transfer, Aden Holloway. His sister, Mila Holloway, is signed to play basketball at Michigan next season.
It’s clear that Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels want a true 5-man from the portal this spring. Armando Bacot has used up his eligibility, James Okonkwo barely played and already hit the portal, and Jalen Washington is the lone option remaining for that position.
Outlook: Former top-10 prospect Aaron Bradshaw was expected to visit Ohio State this past weekend, but UNC is heavily in the mix and has him near or at the top of the target list.The Tar Heels are also battling a handful of schools for Oumar Ballo. Will Ballo get through his visits to Indiana, Louisville and Kansas State, though? Rutgers‘ Clifford Omoruyi, one of the best defensive players in the country, has had communication with North Carolina, as has the aforementioned Danny Wolf. Could the Tar Heels make a run at Tennessee‘s Jonas Aidoo, too? Aidoo, who entered the portal late last week, is a Durham native.

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