Every player currently on a college basketball roster is eligible to play in the 2021-22 season if they so choose. The NCAA granted every player an extra year of eligibility, regardless of how many games played this season.
What does that mean for the transfer portal? Well, it should be busier than ever this spring. The extra year of eligibility means freshmen or sophomores who expected to see an increase in minutes next season after the departure of a senior might find themselves still blocked on the depth chart. A different dilemma could face fifth-year seniors whose minutes might decrease with the arrival of a touted freshman. Throw in the possibility that the NCAA will either pass the long-awaited one-time transfer rule or grant another blanket waiver, and extreme roster turnover is the expectation.
The floodgates opened earlier than ever this season, too. With the Ivy League canceling its season, we saw 20-plus players enter the transfer portal to get the ball rolling. Some of those players are below, and because we’re expecting everyone to be eligible immediately, we’re combining the traditional transfers and graduate transfers into one ranking for now.
Updated Feb. 3, 2021. Will be updated regularly.
1. Oscar Tshiebwe, 6-foot-9, 260 pounds, PF, sophomore, West Virginia
Committed to Kentucky
Tshiebwe was one of the best big men in the country as a freshman (11.2 PPG, 9.3 RPG), but struggled through 10 games this season before leaving. He ultimately chose Kentucky over Miami, Illinois and NC State.