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College basketball transfer portal: Highlighting the best available players by position – 247Sports
The No. 1 player in the transfer portal is off the board. Seton Hall star guard Kadary Richmond committed to St. John’s on Tuesday. What’s left in the college basketball transfer portal?
Let’s dive into a position-by-position look at the top players left. But instead of just looking at guards, wings or big men, let’s whittle down the field even more into specific roles that these transfers play and what they’d add to their next programs.
We split up the top names left in the portal into these 10 buckets:
RELATED: Transfer portal deadline retention winners, losers
Let’s dive into the best available transfers at the 10 various roles.
1. AJ Hoggard, from Michigan State: Hoggard is a big-bodied, pass-first point guard who can be an absolute pest defensively when he wants to be. An inconsistent jumper has plagued Hoggard over the years. He’s one of the few veteran guards left on the board.
2. Ty-Laur Johnson, from Louisville: Johnson has three years of eligibility left, and he flashed plenty of off-the-bounce creation. If the decision-making improves, Johnson can be a difference-maker.
3. Miro Little, from Baylor: The former prized recruit was blocked in Baylor’s jam-packed backcourt picture, so he hit the transfer portal. The Finnish product still has plenty of upside.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Little committed to Utah on Tuesday afternoon.
4. Dai Dai Ames, from Kansas State: Ames’ defense is ahead of his offense at this point, but he’s an energizer who ramps up the tempo and the ball-pressure when he checks into the game.
5. Braeden Smith, from Colgate: Smith had the highest assist rate in the Patriot League, and he was well-schooled by Matt Langel. Smith had a 14-point, 11-rebound, eight-assist showing against Syracuse. There’s definitely something here, but his efficiency around the rim would be a major question at the high-major level.
1. Chaz Lanier, from North Florida: Lanier is a straight-up bucket. Lanier was a flamethrower from downtown, and he was fantastic both on and off the ball. He’s one of the best players left in the portal.
2. DJ Wagner, from Kentucky: Wagner still has plenty of talent, but the former five-star was outshined by Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard at Kentucky. The jumper isn’t broken, but it’s not a strength yet. Wagner’s drives are tantalizing, but he has to prove whether he’s a true point guard or if he’s destined to just be a combo guard. He’s a big positive regression candidate.
3. Arterio Morris, from Kansas: Morris’ off-the-court issues are well-documented. The former five-star cracked the rotation for a loaded Texas team. He was slated to be a big contributor for a talented Kansas team. The talent has always been there.
4. Bronny James, from USC: LeBron James’ son didn’t put up buzzy offensive numbers, but the defensive tape? It was good, folks.
5. Garwey Dual, from Providence: Dual is another former ballyhooed recruit who is on the move, again. Dual has great positional size and tons of creation flashes, but his jumper is a major question. That’s a make-or-break part of his game.
1. Jaylen Wells, from Washington State: Wells is a pure shooter with a ton of size (6-foot-8). Wells shot 42% on 131 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers this past season. But he didn’t get to the rim often and didn’t finish around the trees well. But Wells can shoot that thing, which could keep him in the 2024 NBA Draft.
2. Jaxson Robinson, from BYU: Robinson is on the floor to get it going from downtown, but BYU gave him a few more creation reps in ball screens. He’s got more to his game than just shooting, but the jumper sets everything up. Robinson is one of the top marksmen in the portal.
3. Cam Christie, from Minnesota: The NBA Draft is the priority, but if Christie returns to school, he’s going to have a huge market. The 6-foot-6 guard was a big-time 3-point specialist who would be looking to improve his off-the-bounce game if he came back to college.
4. Jaden Schutt, from Duke: Schutt was buried on the depth chart at Duke, and he suffered a season-ending injury this past year. But Schutt was a big-time sniper in high school. His floor-stretching abilities is a big part of his appeal in the portal.
1. Wesley Yates, from Washington: An injury kept Yates out of the lineup as a freshman at Washington, but the former prized recruit was billed as a big-time, creative bucket-getter in high school. He might need time, but there’s a lot of upside with potential addition.
2. Lu’Cye Patterson, from Charlotte: Charlotte transfers have been productive (see: Brice Williams, Aly Khalifa), and Patterson is another good one. Patterson is capable from all three levels.
3. Anthony Dell’Orso, from Campbell: Dell’Orso shot over 66% at the rim and over 40% from 3-point range. That’s an impressive combination for a 6-foot-6 sophomore. He’ll likely have a chance to prove himself even more at the high-major ranks next season.
4. Keyon Menifield, from Arkansas: When he’s cooking, Menifield can put the ball in the bucket. But the former Arkansas and Washington guard has to find a way to be more efficient offensively and hold up defensively.
1. Wooga Poplar, from Miami: Poplar has all the tools to be a beast. The Miami transfer is a proven, knockdown sniper who can drill pull-ups and finish over everyone at the rim.
2. Miles Kelly, from Georgia Tech: Kelly’s efficiency stats are in the tank because he had to take a ton of tough shots for a short-handed Georgia Tech squad. But he’s an All-League player who can be a tough-shot taker and maker.
3. Arthur Kaluma, from Kansas State: Kaluma shot a respectable 36% on 127 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. He’s a good offensive rebounder and can finish through contact.
4. Sion James, from Tulane: James just lives in the paint. Nearly half of his attempts came at the rim, and he shot 64%. He owns a big, strong frame, and Tulane let him go to work in ball screens, too. He’s capable of filling lots of responsibilities.
5. Cedric Coward, from Eastern Washington: Eastern Washington used Coward in fascinating ways. He posted up smaller defenders often and found a ton of success. He can be a spot-up, knockdown shooter. Coward got to the rim a ton and finished at a high clip. He’s got plenty of game.
1. Dillon Mitchell, from Texas: Mitchell is a big-time athlete who can guard multiple positions, be a real lob threat and attack off the bounce. But he’s yet to assert himself as a true shooter. He was used more as a high-energy roamer for Texas last season.
2. Chris Ledlum, from St. John’s: Ledlum is fighting to get an extra year of eligibility. We’ll see how that progresses. He’d be one of the most-proven 4s on the board.
3. PJ Hayes, from San Diego: Hayes is on the floor to make 3s. The 6-foot-6 veteran shot over 42% on 146 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers last year for a so-so San Diego club.
1. Jamir Watkins, from Florida State: Watkins was one of the top pick-and-roll scorers in the country last year. The 6-foot-7, 210-pound wing is a matchup nightmare and one of the best all-around players left on the board for wing-needy teams.
2. Trazarien White, from UNC Wilmington: White isn’t a high-volume shooter, but he can slash through the defense and get to the paint at will.
3. Mike Sharavjamts, from San Francisco: Sharavjamts, dubbed ‘Mongolian Mike’, has all the measurables you’d want. He was an efficient scorer at multiple levels for San Francisco last year, but it was not on high volume.
1. Coleman Hawkins, from Illinois: Hawkins was a 4 who had to play the 5 for Illinois this past season. He shot a career-best 37% from 3-point range on 160 attempts. He has deep range and can smartly attack long closeouts. He’s a highly versatile defensive piece who can really pass.
2. Baba Miller, from Florida State: Miller fits the prototype. His length shows up on the defensive end. The former five-star recruit has pockets of real fluidity. The jumper should continue to come along. He’s another true post-hype sleeper.
3. Kasean Pryor, from South Florida: Pryor did a little bit of everything for an upstart USF club. He shot 35% from downtown on plenty of volume. The 6-foot-10, 210-pound big man was a great defensive rebounder in the AAC. He made good decisions when the ball was in his hands. Pryor is a good player who will help anybody.
1. Great Osobor, from Utah State: Osobor is a straight-up monster. He has super soft hands, and he dominated the Mountain West with his low-post brilliance and his rock-solid passing chops. Osobor lives at the free throw line.
2. Trevon Brazile, from Arkansas: College is on the backburner for Brazile who is solely focused on the NBA Draft, but if he returns, Brazile will have a massive market. He still has such an intriguing skillset with his length, athleticism, fluidity and jumper.
3. JT Toppin, from New Mexico: Toppin was an outstanding play-finisher for New Mexico this past season. The Mountain West Freshman of the Year was an outstanding offensive rebounder, and he was highly efficient as a roller or when he’d duck in and get a post-up chance. Toppin is already really good. He could be awesome next season.
4. Ven-Allen Lubin, from Vanderbilt: Lubin is just good at a little bit of everything. The motor is always revved up, and Lubin is so hard to keep off the glass. He shot over 66% at the rim. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward is probably best suited paired next to a skilled center who can stretch the floor.
5. Ezra Ausar, from East Carolina: Ausar has to refine his game a bit more, but there’s plenty to like. The 6-foot-8, 247-pound forward is a foul-drawing machine who has plenty of versatility on defense.
6. Achor Achor, from Samford: The 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward is an explosive athlete who improved a ton after one full offseason with Samford’s coaching staff. He’s a low-volume, efficient 3-point shooter who can get downhill in a jiffy. If Achor is the second-best rim protector on your team, your two-point defense will be great.
1. Ugonna Onyenso, from Kentucky: Kentucky’s rim defense was usually atrocious … unless Onyenso was on the floor. Onyenso has risen to the top of the pecking order for teams who need an elite rim-protecting big man after Cliff Omoruyi and Jonas Aidoo committed to Alabama and Arkansas, respectively.
2. Moussa Cisse, from Ole Miss: Cisse is good at what he does (rebounding and defending the rim). Before last year at Ole Miss, every defense that Cisse had anchored had finished in the top-12 nationally, per KenPom.
3. Abou Ousmane, from Xavier: Ousmane wasn’t much of an offensive threat at Xavier, but he is a stout interior defender who plays with fantastic effort on the offensive glass.
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