College basketball transfer portal's 10 best available players during 2023 NCAA Tournament – 247Sports

Heading into the 2023 NCAA Tournament’s Final Four, there is a slew of high-end players available in college basketball’s transfer portal according to the 247Sports updated transfer portal player rankings. The portal opened on March 13 and numerous well-known stars quickly made the jump, some following early exits from March Madness.
The portal is the great equalizer of sorts and adds to college basketball’s rampant parity. FAU coach Dusty May said prior to his team advancing to the Final Four for the first time in program history over the weekend that a few of his current players have been recruited to the portal during the NCAA Tournament.
“Absolutely, you’re always concerned because they’re getting recruited now,” May said. “They’ve been recruited through this tournament. There’s so many outside parties. It’s part of it. Our job as coaches is to do the best job we can every single minute of every single day to provide the environment that they think this is the best thing for them long-term. Not today, not in a week, not in a month but long-term. And the missing piece that is very understated is these guys truly love each other, and when you love your teammates, it’s hard to go jump into deep waters that you don’t know what’s out there.”
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Here’s a look at the 10 highest-rated uncommitted players in the transfer portal during the NCAA Tournament.
Per 247Sports reporter Travis Branham, Armstrong has the “highest floor” of any point guard available and is a tough cover at 6-foot-5 in the backcourt. He averaged 11.2 points, five rebounds and 4.5 assists per game this season, despite not living up to expectations as a preseason “draftable” player among NBA conversations. Armstrong’s recruitment is still early, but Rutgers, West Virginia, Xavier, LSU, Gonzaga, Washington, Memphis and Oklahoma reached out, Branham reports.
If you want a backcourt sensation with scoring punch and a proven ability to distribute, the son of the former NBA star with the same name is your guy. Nelson averaged 20.6 points per game this season at Delaware and is the second-highest rated player available. Branham says, “Nelson Jr. is very talented and is going to make a major impact next season wherever he lands. If he elevates his jumper back up to the 36-percent we saw the season prior, it won’t be a surprise to see us start talking about him as a NBA Draft prospect.”
The portal’s top big man available, the 6-foot-11, 245-pound center out of Utah Valley averaged 18.9 points, 13.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 blocks a game this past season, ranking second in the country in double-doubles totaling 27. Aimaq began his career at Mercer before transferring to Utah Valley in 2019, prior to the new NCAA transfer policies. Per 247Sports, Aimaq already received interest from a number of high-profile programs including Gonzaga, Texas, Arkansas and Miami.
Per Branham, Battle is arguably the best bucket-getter in the transfer portal right now. He averaged 17.9 points a game and inflicts his damage at all three levels but particularly the three-point line where he drilled 35-percent of his 8.1 attempts a game this season. Despite a bench role for Temple most of the year, Battle still led the team in scoring. On 13 occasions, Battle scored more than 20 points this season in 27 games played and his bucket-getting will be a useful tool for whoever lands him next year.
Abram has a 94 transfer rating per 247Sports, making him one of the more highly-ranked players available. Abram says he has only heard from a “few” schools since entering the portal but the process still has kept him busy. Abram says Georgia, LSU, Maryland, Ole Miss, and SMU are the programs he hears from the most. Houston and Louisiana Tech are two schools that have reached out recently. 
“It has been great but it has not been outrageous,” Abram told 247Sports’ Brandon Jenkins. “I had a few schools hit me. I can definitely handle it. I have not been getting calls consistently but it has been crazy and it has been a great process.”
A 6-foot-4 grad transfer out of Braintree (Mass.) Timberlake averaged 17.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game for the Tigers. Timberlake said Auburn, Boston College, Connecticut, Clemson, Iowa State, LSU, Loyola-Chicago, Loyola Marymount, Maryland, Memphis, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and others have reached out to him about his services for next season.
“It has been hectic ever since calls started coming in,” Timberlake told 247Sports this month. “The feedback I have received so far has been great. I am enjoying the process right now.” 
Oquendo, a two-year starter at Georgia, averaged 12.7 points and 2.6 rebound for the Bulldogs this season as one of the program’s most reliable players. Per Branham, Oquendo made his way to Georgia out of the JUCO route, committed to Tom Crean and staying for the first year of the Mike White tenure. He is one of several high-end scorers available in the portal and the top-rated prospect on the market within the SEC.
Listed at 6-foot-6 and 190 pounds, Reeves plays multiple positions on the perimeter. Reeves initially committed to former Florida head coach Mike White and played for White as a freshman in 2021-22 before White left for Georgia. Earlier, Branham reported that Reeves received interest from Stanford, Arkansas, Maryland, Clemson, Cincinnati, Boston College, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Ole Miss, NC State, Louisville, Dayton, Kansas, Georgia State, Tulane, Georgia Southern and Appalachian State.
According to Peegs.com, Indiana (among others) is in the mix for Battle. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 12.4 points, shot 31.1 percent from 3-point range and averaged 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists. During his career, Battle has averaged 14.4 points and shot 35.0 percent from 3-point range in 103 games. He spent the last two years with the Golden Gophers. The Hoosiers previously looked at Battle when he transferred from George Washington after the 2020-21 season.
Bynum entered the transfer portal just days after his team’s season ended with a first-round loss to Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reported. Bynum averaged 10 points and 4.3 assists this season, and averaged 12.2 points and four assists a season prior. The transfer news comes amid Georgetown hiring Providence coach Ed Cooley for its vacant head coaching position. The Hoyas are expected to be in pursuit of Bynum with the Cooley hire.
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