Key adds, major losses, full overhauls: grading the 2024 transfer portal classes

The men’s basketball transfer window opened more than three months ago and closed more than six weeks ago — but we’re finally nearing the end of the portal season. Following Coleman Hawkins‘ commitment to Kansas State, just one player in the top 100 of ESPN’s transfer rankings remains uncommitted. All eyes are on Arthur Kaluma.

It was the busiest transfer window we’ve seen since the portal was introduced, with more than 2,000 players entering with the intent to switch schools. According to EvanMiya.com’s transfer database, three teams — Louisville, USC and DePaul — signed at least 11 transfers, while 16 programs saw at least 10 players enter the portal.

While there are still uncommitted players and recruiting classes won’t be 100% complete until deep into the summer, there’s now more than enough data to determine which programs came out of this transfer season with an improved roster, and which programs saw an exodus of talent leave via the portal.

We’ve broken more than 50 transfer classes into four categories: big winners, programs that faced total rebuilds, teams that needed just one or two pieces to complete their rosters, and the teams that lost more talent than it gained via the portal.

Big winners

Kansas Jayhawks: Bill Self didn’t lose anyone to the portal yet reloaded in a dramatic way via the transfer market. He landed top-five transfer AJ Storr (Wisconsin) and two more top-25 transfers in Rylan Griffen (Alabama) and Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State). Mississippi State transfer Shakeel Moore is also a proven high-major rotation player.

Indiana Hoosiers: The Hoosiers were the winners of the first wave of the portal, landing three big-name additions within weeks of it opening: Myles Rice (Washington State), Kanaan Carlyle (Stanford) and Oumar Ballo (Arizona). Rice and Carlyle should start immediately in the backcourt, while Ballo was the best frontcourt player in the portal. Illinois transfer Luke Goode adds shooting.

Arkansas Razorbacks: Unlike some other new coaching staffs, John Calipari and Co. didn’t go out and land double-digit transfers. But the Razorbacks did reel in two of the best transfers in the portal, Johnell Davis (Florida Atlantic) and Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee), while also bringing over three players from Kentucky.

Baylor Bears: The Bears already had a high-level recruiting class coming in, but then Scott Drew picked up pledges from double-double machine and All-ACC selection Norchad Omier (Miami) as well as Jeremy Roach (Duke), perhaps the best point guard in the portal. Jalen Celestine (California) adds depth.

St. John’s Red Storm: Rick Pitino’s transfer class begins with ESPN’s No. 1 transfer, former Seton Hall guard Kadary Richmond. He and Utah transfer Deivon Smith will form one of the best backcourts in the country, while Aaron Scott (North Texas) fills another need for Pitino. Vincent Iwuchukwu (USC) is a former top-50 recruit with size.

Kansas State Wildcats: Jerome Tang finished the spring as strong as any other coach in the country, adding Coleman Hawkins (Illinois), Achor Achor (Samford) and Ugonna Onyenso (Kentucky) — all top-100 transfers — to the roster. That’s on top of top-50 transfer Dug McDaniel (Michigan), shooter Brendan Hausen (Villanova) and three others.

Alabama Crimson Tide: Seeing Rylan Griffen enter the portal wasn’t ideal, but Nate Oats rebounded effectively. Clifford Omoruyi (Rutgers) was one of the best interior defenders in the country last season, while Chris Youngblood (South Florida) and Houston Mallette (Pepperdine) will provide wing scoring. Aden Holloway (Auburn) was a former five-star recruit.

Tennessee Volunteers: Rick Barnes had his priorities clear in the portal, especially with the loss of Dalton Knecht. Chaz Lanier (North Florida), Darlinstone Dubar (Hofstra) and Igor Milicic Jr. (Charlotte) all shot at least 37.5% from 3 last season, while Felix Okpara (Ohio State) will help replace Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka down low.

UCLA Bruins: Mick Cronin clearly wasn’t planning to go the inexperienced route again after a less-than-stellar 2023-24. Instead, he landed four transfers with high-major experience — Kobe Johnson (USC), Tyler Bilodeau (Oregon State), Eric Dailey Jr. (Oklahoma State) and Skyy Clark (Louisville) — as well as two impact mid-major players in William Kyle III (South Dakota State) and Dominick Harris (Loyola Marymount).

Ole Miss Rebels: Chris Beard landed four top-75 transfers: Dre Davis (Seton Hall), Sean Pedulla (Virginia Tech), Mikeal Brown-Jones (UNC Greensboro) and Malik Dia (Belmont). The Rebels had success with transfers last season, and they’ll be hoping that trend continues next season.

Michigan Wolverines: After taking over in Ann Arbor, Dusty May lost five players to the portal, but added six, including three players ranked in the top 65: Yale’s Danny Wolf, Florida Atlantic’s Vladislav Goldin and Ohio State’s Roddy Gayle Jr. Rubin Jones (North Texas), Sam Walters (Alabama) and Tre Donaldson (Auburn) should all also contribute.

Saint Louis Billikens: Top-10 transfer Robbie Avila and teammate Isaiah Swope both followed Josh Schertz from Indiana State, giving the Billikens a great start to their roster for next season. They then landed Kalu Anya (Brown), Kobe Johnson (West Virginia) and three others. All-conference guard Gibson Jimerson also withdrew from the portal and returned to SLU.

Texas Tech Red Raiders: Grant McCasland landed Mountain West Freshman of the Year JT Toppin from New Mexico and second-team All-Big Ten point guard Elijah Hawkins from Minnesota to make up for the loss of Pop Isaacs. Throw in Drake transfer Kevin Overton and former Pitt big man Federiko Federiko, and the Red Raiders have reloaded well.

Missouri Tigers: After an 8-24 campaign that featured zero wins in 19 games against SEC opponents, retention wasn’t exactly top of mind. But Dennis Gates did land some immediate-impact transfers, including high-major starters Tony Perkins (Iowa) and Mark Mitchell (Duke), as well as prolific mid-major scorer Marques Warrick (Northern Kentucky).

Xavier Musketeers: The loss of Desmond Claude to the portal was a blow, but the Musketeers reinforced the perimeter with Marcus Foster (Furman), Ryan Conwell (Indiana State) and Dante Maddox Jr. (Toledo). Lassina Traore (Long Beach State) and John Hugley IV (Oklahoma) are insurance policies for the health of Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter.

Providence Friars: Kim English was done with his portal class fairly early, adding potential starters Bensley Joseph (Miami), Jabri Abdur-Rahim (Georgia) and Wesley Cardet Jr. (Chicago State) on the perimeter. He also landed Saint Joseph’s transfer Christ Essandoko, a high-ceiling big man.

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Complete rebuilds

Louisville Cardinals: Pat Kelsey had the biggest portal rebuild of anyone in college basketball. Twelve scholarship players entered last season; zero returned after Kenny Payne was fired. So Kelsey went out and landed 12 transfers. Sun Belt Player of the Year Terrence Edwards Jr. from James Madison is the highlight, but Chucky Hepburn (Wisconsin), Koren Johnson (Washington) and Kasean Pryor (South Florida) are all impact players.

USC Trojans: Eric Musselman is used to building rosters via the portal, but this was on an entirely different level. The Trojans will bring back just one player from last season, along with 11 new transfers. Desmond Claude (Xavier), Chibuzo Agbo (Boise State), Saint Thomas (Northern Colorado), Josh Cohen (UMass) and Terrance Williams II (Michigan) are the headliners.

Kentucky Wildcats: Mark Pope was another new coach with zero returning players. The likes of D.J. Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw leaving after just one season hurts, but the Wildcats landed seven transfers ranked inside the top 100. Most intriguing will be the amount of size and shooting this team has on the wings and up front: Jaxson Robinson (BYU), Koby Brea (Dayton), Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), Andrew Carr (Wake Forest), Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia) and Ansley Almonor (Fairleigh Dickinson) can all really shoot.

West Virginia Mountaineers: With new head coach Darian DeVries’ son, Tucker DeVries, following him from Drake, the Mountaineers’ rebuild was off to a strong start. They ended up landing eight transfers, with DeVries and former Oklahoma State guard Javon Small as the headliners.

DePaul Blue Demons: Zero scholarship players are returning from last season for new coach Chris Holtmann, so the former Ohio State boss replaced seven portal entries with 11 transfers. Holtmann did most of his work early in the cycle, with a mix of intriguing high-major transfers (Arkansas’ Layden Blocker) and productive mid-major players (Davidson’s David Skogman, Coastal Carolina’s Jacob Meyer).

Vanderbilt Commodores: This was a massive undertaking for new head coach Mark Byington: nine players out, nine players in. Only 3.8 points per game returned. Six of the Commodores’ new arrivals have high-major experience, however. Jason Edwards (North Texas) can really score, while A.J. Hoggard (Michigan State) is a two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten selection.

Seton Hall Pirates: The first program in this category without a new coach. Shaheen Holloway lost seven players to the portal, including Kadary Richmond and Dre Davis. But he’s bringing in eight transfers, led by Scotty Middleton (Ohio State), Garwey Dual (Providence) and Chaunce Jenkins (Old Dominion). It’s probably a downgrade overall, but a late surge of commitments over the past few weeks will keep them competitive.

Memphis Tigers: Penny Hardaway is only bringing back one player from last season but has a high-ceiling transfer group — and is still on the hunt for more players. Tyrese Hunter (Texas) is a proven high-major point guard, while PJ Haggerty (Tulsa) was a terrific scorer as a freshman.

California Golden Bears: Mark Madsen was bringing back just 1.3 points per game from last season, requiring him to dip into the portal. The result: nine transfers. Stanford transfer Andrej Stojakovic — the son of Peja — was a major coup early in the cycle, while B.J. Omot (North Dakota) and Rytis Petraitis (Air Force) are intriguing additions.

TCU Horned Frogs: Jamie Dixon quietly had one of the busiest springs of any team in the country. Double-figure scorers Micah Peavy and JaKobe Coles entered the portal, so the Horned Frogs landed big-time mid-major shooters Noah Reynolds (Green Bay), Trazarien White (UNC Wilmington), Vasean Allette (Old Dominion) and Brendan Wenzel (Wyoming). They also signed Arizona State transfer Frankie Collins.

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Found the missing piece(s)

Houston Cougars: How does a program go about replacing someone like Jamal Shead? The epitome of a Kelvin Sampson point guard, one of the elite defenders in college basketball, a clutch bucket-getter at the other end — and a winner. That will fall on the shoulders of Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan, who will be given the keys the moment he steps on campus.

Creighton Bluejays: With the losses of Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander, Greg McDermott badly needed an injection of offense on the perimeter. And he got former Texas Tech guard Pop Isaacs, an all-conference selection in the Big 12. Arizona State transfer Jamiya Neal will also help.

UConn Huskies: Despite the departures of four potential NBA draft picks, the Huskies weren’t incredibly busy in the portal. One out, two in. But those two should make immediate impacts. Saint Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney is a high-level scorer and shot-maker, while Michigan transfer Tarris Reed Jr. will battle at the center spot.

Gonzaga Bulldogs: Given that they lost basically nothing to the portal, it’s hard to think of the Zags as anything but a portal winner. Mark Few needed to find some scoring on the wings, though, so he picked up Michael Ajayi (Pepperdine) and Khalif Battle (Arkansas). Patriot League Player of the Year Braeden Smith (Colgate), meanwhile, will redshirt.

Cincinnati Bearcats: With Wes Miller bringing back six of his top eight scorers, the Bearcats didn’t need many additions. But a versatile frontcourt piece with some size was on the list — and will be filled by Texas transfer Dillon Mitchell. Bradley transfer Connor Hickman will also help improve the team’s 3-point shooting.

Auburn Tigers: After the Tigers’ guard trio of Aden Holloway, K.D. Johnson and Tre Donaldson entered the portal, Bruce Pearl had to find someone who could run the show from day one. Furman transfer JP Pegues, a first-team All-SoCon selection, should be that guy. Georgia Tech transfer Miles Kelly will bring high-major size and scoring ability on the wing.

Arizona Wildcats: With Oumar Ballo and Keshad Johnson leaving, Tommy Lloyd needed proven frontcourt producers to help rising sophomore Motiejus Krivas. Oakland transfer Trey Townsend and Tennessee transfer Tobe Awaka will bring much-needed toughness. Campbell transfer Anthony Dell’Orso was an insurance pickup, but has become crucial after two freshman recruits decommitted.

North Carolina Tar Heels: Hubert Davis didn’t lose much of anything to the portal, but the departures of Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram necessitated going into it. Cade Tyson (Belmont) will replace Ingram’s shooting, while Ven-Allen Lubin (Vanderbilt) will start down low — although the Tar Heels did miss on several notable big man targets.

Michigan State Spartans: The Spartans lost a lot of production with the departures of Tyson Walker and A.J. Hoggard, and while Tom Izzo brings back seven players from last season, an experienced scorer was needed. Two-time all-league selection Frankie Fidler (Omaha), who averaged 20.1 points last season, should help in that department.

Florida Gators: Todd Golden gets elite scorer Walter Clayton Jr. back, along with double-figure scorer Will Richard on the perimeter; but he needed another wing scorer to replace Riley Kugel and Zyon Pullin. In steps Alijah Martin, who was a key part of Florida Atlantic’s Final Four run in 2023.

Maryland Terrapins: If the Terrapins can get effective point guard play, the frontcourt duo of Julian Reese and incoming recruit Derik Queen should be enough to get them to the NCAA tournament. Helping to replace Jahmir Young will be Belmont transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie and former Virginia Tech guard Rodney Rice. South Florida transfer Selton Miguel adds some additional scoring pop.

Texas A&M Aggies: Seven of the Aggies’ top eight scorers return, but Buzz Williams wanted a bit more pop on the perimeter and some interior depth. He’s landed Zhuric Phelps (SMU) and C.J. Wilcher (Nebraska) to help with the former and Pharrel Payne (Minnesota) to solve the latter.

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Hurt by the portal

Wisconsin Badgers: The Badgers took gut punch after gut punch via the portal. Leading scorer AJ Storr entered and ended up at Kansas. Connor Essegian leaving was predictable, but happened. Same with Gus Yalden. And then point guard Chucky Hepburn’s loss was the devastating one. He started 103 games in three years with Gard.

Oklahoma Sooners: Porter Moser lost all three of his guards to the portal, with all three inside the top 70 of ESPN’s transfer rankings. Javian McCollum had made an immediate impact during his lone season in Norman; Otega Oweh is a very good two-way player on the wing; and Milos Uzan started at the point guard spot. Big man John Hugley IV also left.

Virginia Tech Hokies: The Hokies lost All-ACC guard Sean Pedulla, double-figure scorer Lynn Kidd, starter MJ Collins and former North Carolina transfer Tyler Nickel, leaving Mike Young with a difficult rebuild on his hands. Hysier Miller (Temple) and Ben Burnham (Charleston) highlight the incomings.

Oklahoma State Cowboys: Not only did the Cowboys lose a proven producer in combo guard Javon Small, they also saw former top-50 recruits Brandon Garrison and Eric Dailey Jr. leave after promising freshman seasons in Stillwater. Small went to league rival West Virginia, while Garrison (Kentucky) and Dailey Jr. (UCLA) went to national powers.

Belmont Bruins: Belmont had three former players ranked in the top 80 of ESPN’s transfer rankings: Cade Tyson, who ended up at North Carolina; Malik Dia, who committed to Ole Miss; and Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who will play at Maryland. It will be an uphill battle for Casey Alexander to win 20-plus games for the ninth straight year.

Florida State Seminoles: This might have been the first team on this list had Jamir Watkins not withdrawn from the portal and returned to Tallahassee earlier this month. The Seminoles lost six of their top nine scorers to the portal, including four players who started at least 12 games and sixth man Primo Spears.

Utah Utes: It wasn’t the ideal spring for a roster making the move into the Big 12. The Utes lost three starters to the portal: Deivon Smith, Rollie Worster and Keba Keita. Craig Smith bounced back with a couple of useful additions via the transfer market, but it’s a net loss for the squad.

Saint Mary’s Gaels: What should have been a preseason top-15 team on paper took two major hits to the portal, with shot-making guard Aidan Mahaney and two-way forward Joshua Jefferson leaving Moraga to go to UConn and Iowa State, respectively.

Colorado Buffaloes: Losing KJ Simpson, Tristan da Silva and Cody Williams to the NBA would have been enough heartache for Tad Boyle. Then the Buffs saw Eddie Lampkin Jr., J’Vonne Hadley and Luke O’Brien all enter the portal, meaning six of the team’s top seven scorers will be gone. They didn’t get much proven Division-I production out of the portal, either.

Miami Hurricanes: Jim Larrañaga landed quality players via the portal — Jalen Blackmon (Stetson) and Lynn Kidd (Virginia Tech) were both top-100 transfers — but he also lost All-ACC forward Norchad Omier and top-20 transfer Wooga Poplar, as well as starting guard Bensley Joseph.

Duke Blue Devils: Bringing in the best recruiting class in the country means some players were inevitably going to depart. Top portal point guard Jeremy Roach and former key recruits Mark Mitchell, Sean Stewart and TJ Power all left. On the incoming side, Sion James (Tulane), Maliq Brown (Syracuse) and Mason Gillis (Purdue) bring experience.

Minnesota Golden Gophers: The Golden Gophers’ portal activity would have looked even worse had Cam Christie gone to another school instead of keeping his name in the NBA draft. As it stands, they still lost five players that started at least seven games — including Elijah Hawkins and Pharrel Payne — from a team that showed promise for long stretches last season.

San Diego State Aztecs: While Brian Dutcher and the Aztecs tend to win, regardless of personnel, the departures of 2023 NCAA tournament hero Lamont Butler, starter Micah Parrish and key rotation piece Elijah Saunders – who announced his decision just before the entry deadline — made for a difficult spring.

Indiana State Sycamores: This was easy to see coming. When Josh Schertz left for Saint Louis, the entire starting five from a team that won 32 games went out the door, too. Robbie Avila, Ryan Conwell, Isaiah Swope, Jayson Kent and Julian Larry all ended up in the portal; Avila and Swope followed Schertz, Kent and Larry went to Texas, and Conwell signed with Xavier.

Florida Atlantic Owls: New head coach John Jakus actually did a pretty good job rebuilding the roster, landing high-scoring mid-major guards Ken Evans Jr. (Jackson State), KyKy Tandy (Jacksonville State) and Leland Walker (Eastern Kentucky). But, losing top-100 transfers Johnell Davis, Vladislav Goldin and Alijah Martin is difficult to overcome.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights: While Steve Pikiell is bringing in two top-five freshmen, as well as four transfers, he did lose two names that were the driving forces behind one of the elite defenses in college basketball last season: Clifford Omoruyi and Mawot Mag. Talented freshman Gavin Griffiths also departed.