Michigan’s run to the national championship shines a light on how to use the transfer portal in this era of college basketball. The Wolverines won the title with a full starting lineup of players who had transferred to the school, with more transfer contributors off the bench.
Dusty May and Co. showed that you can build a championship-caliber roster in one offseason. With more and more elite players entering the transfer portal, that team-building avenue takes on more significance than ever before.
This article will keep track of the top players in the men’s college basketball transfer portal and keep a running log of their commitments.
Michigan and UCLA not only broke the Big Ten’s long basketball title droughts; they showed that the conference is better than ever.
College basketball portal updates
This will be a running log that is updated regularly with transfer commitments.
Saturday, 4/18Thursday, 4/16Wednesday, 4/15Tuesday, 4/14Former Georgia guard Jeremiah Wilkinson commits to Arkansas. Wilkinson has proven himself as a power conference scoring guard at both Cal (15.1 PPG as a freshman) and Georgia (17.4 PPG as a sophomore). Former SMU big man Samet Yigitoglu commits to Indiana. Yigitoglu has started all 66 games he has played in his collegiate career and gives Indiana a second high-profile transfer in as many days following the addition of guard Markus Burton.Former Providence forward Jamier Jones commits to Missouri. Jones was selected to the Big east All-Freshman Team but elected to find a new home after Providence replace Kim English with Bryan Hodgson.Former Villanova guard Acaden Lewis commits to Miami. Lewis played well as a freshman and steps into Miami’s lead guard position vacated by Tre Donaldson. Former Georgetown guard KJ Lewis commits to USC. A 2026 All-Big east Third Team selection, Lewis returns to the West Coast after starting his career with Arizona and offers the Trojans plenty of versatility.Former North Carolina guard Derek Dixon commits to Arizona. Dixon took steps forward when he became a starter in mid-January and projects to step into the Wildcats’ starting five.Former Georgia Tech big man Mouhamed Sylla commits to West Virginia. Sylla averaged 9.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 16 games before missing the final 11 contests with an ankle injury.Monday, 4/13Former Notre Dame guard Markus Burton commits to Indiana. Burton led the ACC in scoring as a sophomore in 2024-25 and provides Darian DeVries with a focal point for his offense.Former Virginia Tech guard Neoklis Avdalas commits to North Carolina. New Tar Heels head coach Mike Malone gets his first commitment in Avdalas, who stands 6-foot-9 and brings intriguing playmaking and scoring skills for his height.Former Kentucky guard Jaland Lowe commits to Georgetown. Lowe was a Third-Team All-ACC selection as a sophomore with Pitt, but he played just nine games with the Wildcats before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery.Former Oregon big man Kwame Evans Jr. commits to Villanova. Evans is a former 5-star recruit and averaged 13.3 points and 7.4 rebounds in 2025-26.Former Butler guard Finley Bizjack commits to West Virginia. Bizjack took on more and more responsibility each year with Butler, going from 4.2 points per game as a freshman to 10.3 as a sophomore to 17.1 as a junior.Sunday, 4/12Former Texas Tech guard Jaylen Petty commits to UCLA. Petty stepped up for an injured Red Raiders squad, starting 22 of 33 games as a freshman, and will play a key role for what would have been a thin Bruins backcourt without this addition.Former TCU forward David Punch commits to Texas. Longhorns head coach Sean Miller adds an all-conference caliber frontcourt player and top 10 player in the portal per 247’s rankings.Former Providence guard Stefan Vaaks commits to Illinois. Vaaks was one of the more productive freshmen in a stacked class and, as an Estonian, continues a strong European pipeline for the Illini under Brad Underwood.Former Kansas big Flory Bidunga and former Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad commit to Louisville. Pat Kelsey gets a huge win, adding two of the best players available, including 247’s top-ranked transfer in Bidunga.Saturday, 4/11Friday, 4/10Former Kansas State guard PJ Haggerty commits to Texas A&M. This will be the fifth team in as many seasons for Haggerty, whose 23.4 points per game ranked fourth in the country.Tuesday, 4/7Former San Diego State wing Miles Byrd commits to Providence. The Friars’ new head coach, Bryan Hodgson, wastes little time making a splash by adding one of 247’s top 10 players available in the portal.Former Tennessee big man J.P Estrella commits to Michigan. The 6-foot-11 redshirt sophomore averaged 10 points in just over 18 minutes per game for the Volunteers and continues Michigan’s emphasis on adding talented size through the portal.Who are the top players in the transfer portal?
Below is 247 Sports’ ranking of the top 50 players in the men’s college basketball transfer portal.
Flory Bidunga, C, Kansas → LouisvilleMilan Momcilovic, PF, Iowa State → ?John Blackwell, SG, Wisconsin → ?Allen Graves, PF, Santa Clara → ?Massamba Diop, C, Arizona State → ?PJ Haggerty, PG, Kansas State → Texas A&MJuke Harris, CG, Wake Forest → ?David Punch, PF, TCU → TexasPaulius Murauskas, PF, Saint Mary’s → ?Miles Byrd, SF, San Diego State → ProvidenceAiden Sherrell, PF, Alabama → IndianaMoustapha Thiam, C, Cincinnati → ?Isaiah Johnson, PG, Colorado → TexasStefan Vaaks, SG, Providence → IllinoisDonnie Freeman, PF, Syracuse → ?Dedan Thomas Jr., PG, LSU → HoustonJackson Shelstad, PG, Oregon → LouisvilleTerrence Hill Jr., PG, VCU → ?Acaden Lewis, CG, Villanova → MiamiSomto Cyril, C, Georgia → MiamiNeoklis Avdalas, SG, Virginia Tech → North CarolinaJ.P. Estrella, PF, Tennessee → MichiganMarkus Burton, PG, Notre Dame → IndianaJalen Haralson, CG, Notre Dame → TennesseeMouhamed Sylla, C, Georgia Tech → West VirginiaZoom Diallo, PG, Washington → KentuckyNajai Hines, C, Seton Hall → UConnCruz Davis, PG, Hofstra → Texas TechKayden Mingo, CG, Penn State → BaylorDrew Scharnowski, PF, Belmont → ?Jeremiah Wilkinson, CG, Georgia → ArkansasPaul McNeil, SG, NC State → ?Nikolas Khamenia, SF, Duke → ?Bryson Tiller, PF, Kansas → MissouriKJ Lewis, SF, Georgetown → USCSamet Yigitoglu, C, SMU → IndianaChance Westry, CG, UAB → XavierSananda Fru, PF, Louisville → MarquetteJamier Jones, SF, Providence → MissouriKwame Evans Jr., PF, Oregon → VillanovaAlex Wilkins, CG, Furman → ?Collin Chandler, SG, Kentucky → BYUTerrence Brown, CG, Utah → ?Matt Able, SG, NC State → ?Jaylen Petty, PG, Texas Tech → UCLAJaQuan Johnson, PG, Bradley → Iowa StateJaland Lowe, PG, Kentucky → GeorgetownKeanu Dawes, PF, Utah → KansasDerek Dixon, CG, North Carolina → ArizonaFinley Bizjack, CG, Butler → West Virginia
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How long is the transfer portal open?
The men’s transfer portal opened on Tuesday, April 7, the day after Michigan won the national championship game. The window closes on Tuesday, April 21, creating a two-week window for teams to build out their rosters and for players to find a home. Players can only enter the portal after April 21 if there is a coaching change.
Why are so many college players entering the transfer portal?
The rules around transfers became significantly less restrictive in 2021. Before that year’s NCAA rules changes, athletes in high-profile sports like basketball had to sit out for a full academic year if they transferred to a new Division I school (unless they received a hardship waiver from the NCAA). In April 2024, the NCAA removed restrictions on how many times a player can transfer and play immediately.
In short, there is more freedom for players to move around than ever before. That, in combination with the continued development of NIL initiatives, means more and more players can find lucrative deals to play at other schools.
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