Top 25 Men's College Basketball Transfers Making an Immediate Impact

It has become almost impossible to build a competent men's college basketball roster without at least dipping a toe into the transfer portal.

By my count (per Verbal Commits), there were 1,708 transfers from one D-I school to another this past offseason. Power Five programs added 449 players via the portal, and 201 of those came from other P5 schools.

Needless to say, there are a lot of star faces in new places. Many of them are already making a major impact in their new homes.

So, why not rank 'em?

To a considerable extent, preseason expectations (both for player and team) matter. But rest assured, breakout stars like Memphis' Jayden Reid, Iowa State's Tre Singleton and UCF's Dior Johnson feature prominently on this list, even though they wouldn't have sniffed the top 25 two weeks ago.

Honorable Mentions

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Terrence Brown, North Carolina: Heading into the season, the assumption was that either Neo Avdalas or Matt Able would be UNC's top transfer, but this new addition from Utah has scored at least 14 points in each game so far and may be the most important player on Michael Malone's roster.

Collin Chandler, BYU: You could throw Syracuse transfer Tyler Betsey and Michigan State transfer Jaxon Kohler on here, too, as those two and Chandler are each averaging north of a dozen points per game in the early going for BYU. Chandler has made multiple twos, threes and free throws in each game, though. That scoring versatility might make him the Cougars' most important asset on offense.

Wes Enis, Creighton: The greenest light in the entire country is in Omaha. Enis averaged nearly 10 three-point attempts per game last year at South Florida. He has fired up 38 already through three games with Creighton, albeit sinking just 31.6 percent of them. Could he reach Kyle Korver's program record of 129 makes in a season?

Delrecco Gillespie, Houston: Dedan Thomas Jr. is the transfer du jour in Houston and ranks comfortably in our top 10. But this former Kent State star is already playing a major role in the paint, too. It's hard to imagine he'll replicate last year's 17.7 PPG and 11.3 RPG stat line now that he'll face much stiffer competition, but Gillespie might be one of the biggest X-factors of this college basketball season.

Juke Harris, Tennessee: Everyone had Harris as a top-10 player in the portal. However, after scoring in double figures in every game last season for the Demon Deacons, he went for just seven and six in his first two games with the Volunteers. We're not hitting the panic button yet, but we also can't justify putting him in the top 25 at the moment.

Isaiah Johnson and David Punch, Texas: While the Longhorns predictably destroyed Chicago State, Gardner-Webb, and Grambling State by a combined margin of 129 points, neither of these Big 12 exports (who averaged a combined 31.0 PPG last season) has made all that much of an impact. That narrative could shift on Sunday, though, if either one goes off against Baylor.

Acaden Lewis, Miami: The Villanova transfer looked like an early candidate for No. 1 on this list after scoring 24 on opening night against Florida. Since then, though, Lewis has been a ghost with just seven points (in 62 minutes played) between the subsequent victories over Wagner and North Florida. Kudos for showing up in the most important game, but what a bizarre 180.

Kayden Mingo, Baylor: Younger brother Dylan is the freshman phenom, but Kayden is the Mingo who put up 55 points in Baylor's exhibition games against Florida and Illinois. He hasn't been that prolific in three regular-season games, but Sunday's showdown with Texas could be the breakout party for this former Penn State star.

Milan Momcilovic, Kentucky: It would be malpractice not to at least mention the perimeter specialist many viewed as the top player in the portal. But is it going to work at Kentucky? Between the blowout loss to Kansas and the close call against James Madison, he scored a combined total of 12 points. In the Champions Classic, it seemed like the Wildcats had no clue how to create good looks for him.

Jackson Shelstad, Louisville: He and Flory Bidunga made themselves a package deal for the Cardinals. Of the two, the big man has gotten off to a better start, but Shelstad is certainly enjoying Pat Kelsey's permanent green light on three-pointers.

Jeremiah Wilkinson, Arkansas: There's nothing he could have done to save the Razorbacks in that beatdown they took from Virginia, but it is already abundantly clear that Wilkinson is Arkansas' perimeter offense this season. Through two games, he is 7-for-13 from deep, while the rest of the team is 6-for-24.

Nos. 25-22: Anton Bonke, Sananda Fru, Stefan Vaaks and Adam Clark

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25. Anton Bonke, Michigan State

Early Returns: 7.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG

Last Season (Charlotte): 10.6 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.5 BPG, 1.0 APG

Bonke immediately got into foul trouble against Duke on Tuesday and played virtually no part in that signature victory. But Michigan State's 7'2" starting center had a combined 20 points and 20 rebounds in 33 minutes played across his first two games. The Spartans are always great on the glass, but they could be extra special in that regard with this mountainous presence in the paint.

24. Sananda Fru, Marquette

Early Returns: 10.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 2.0 BPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG

Last Season (Louisville): 9.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.4 BPG, 1.2 APG

After years of priding himself on being a guy who didn't need the portal, even Shaka Smart admitted defeat and secured a key transfer to address the fact that Marquette's frontcourt was a disaster in 2025-26. Though he only averaged 22.5 minutes per game, Fru ranked fifth in the ACC last season in both offensive rebounds (99) and blocks (50). With 10 offensive rebounds and four blocks through two games, he might lead the Big East in both departments this season.

23. Stefan Vaaks, Illinois

Early Returns: 13.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 33.3% 3PT

Last Season (Providence): 15.8 PPG, 3.2 APG, 2.5 RPG, 35.0% 3PT

Vaaks was masterful in his Illini debut, scoring 20 points on nine field-goal attempts with four assists and no turnovers. In two games since then, though, he is 2-for-14 from three-point range and 3-for-10 from the charity stripe with two dimes and seven giveaways. He could be the national sixth man of the year...if he can reharness his shooting stroke.

22. Adam Clark, Ole Miss

Early Returns: 17.7 PPG, 5.3 APG, 3.0 RPG, 1.3 SPG

Last Season (Seton Hall): 12.7 PPG, 4.9 APG, 3.0 RPG, 2.0 SPG

The jury is still out on whether Ole Miss is going to be a tournament-caliber team, but the Rebels have themselves one heck of a point guard in Clark. He's not a perimeter threat, but he can drive and dish (and defend) with the best of them. Don't be surprised if he somewhat takes over the Maui Invitational.

Nos. 21-19: Nick Townsend, John Blackwell and Keyshawn Hall

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21. Nick Townsend, Stanford
Early Returns: 22.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.7 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 50.0% 3PT
Last Season (Yale): 16.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 46.3% 3PT

Townsend spent four years at Yale before going to Stanford for a graduate degree. You have to assume he's one of the most intelligent college basketball transfers. But he's also pretty brilliant on the court, a triple-double threat who racked up 31 points, eight rebounds and six assists in his most recent game against Rice. The Cardinal might have a 20 PPG guy for a third straight year, following in the footsteps of Maxime Raynaud and Ebuka Okorie.

20. John Blackwell, Duke
Early Returns: 11.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.0 APG, 33.3% 3PT
Last Season (Wisconsin): 19.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.3 APG, 38.9% 3PT

Blackwell was a complete non-factor in Duke's opening-night rout of Army, but he was one of the only Blue Devils who bothered to show up for the Champions Classic loss to Michigan State, scoring 17 in that one. He almost made 100 triples last year with the Badgers. It's already clear he'll be letting 'em fly from deep all season long.

19. Keyshawn Hall, St. John's
Early Returns: 19.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 33.3% 3PT
Last Season (Auburn): 19.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.6 APG, 37.9% 3PT

If nothing else, we know Hall is going to attempt a lot of free throws for the Johnnies. He ranked top 10 in the nation with 266 last season at Auburn, as well as top 10 in 2024-25 with 244 at UCF. Hall also averaged roughly 19 points, seven rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in each of those seasons. After playing in the NIT championship last year and the Crown championship the previous year, this should be the year that this "five schools in five years" super senior finally partakes in the Big Dance.

Nos. 18-16: Bryson Tiller, Markus Burton and Sebastian Rancik

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18. Bryson Tiller, Missouri
Early Returns: 15.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.0 BPG, 2.0 APG, 50.0% 3PT
Last Season (Kansas): 7.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 1.0 APG, 26.9% 3PT

Though the Tigers lost, Tiller was everywhere in Missouri's showdown with Saint Louis, finishing with 26 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Most notably, 15 of those points came from the perimeter. He shot 5-for-23 from distance over his final 22 games with the Jayhawks, but was 5-for-8 against the Billikens. If that's legitimately part of this 6'11" rim-protector's game now, he might be a first-team All-SEC player.

17. Markus Burton, Indiana
Early Returns: 13.7 PPG, 4.3 APG, 2.3 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 66.7% 3PT
Last Season (Notre Dame): 18.5 PPG, 3.7 APG, 2.8 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 30.6% 3PT

Burton lasted just 10 games last year before suffering an ankle injury that required surgery. Prior to that, though, he was well on his way to a third consecutive season with at least 500 points. After going for 20 points, four assists and three steals in the close win over Syracuse on Monday, it's already looking like he will be the go-to guy in Indiana's crowded backcourt. Let's see what he can do against Arkansas and Kentucky next week.

16. Sebastian Rancik, Florida State
Early Returns: 22.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.0 APG
Last Season (Colorado): 12.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.0 APG

Florida State hasn't been to the NCAA tournament since 2021, but Rancik could be the driving force behind ending that drought. The Slovakian stretch-4 went for 23 points as the 'Noles gave No. 1 Florida a run for its money on Tuesday night. He has attempted eight free throws in each game thus far, making 88 percent of them. This 6'11" forward is also averaging six three-point attempts per game.

Nos. 15-13: Money Williams, Flory Bidunga and Paulius Murauskas

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15. Money Williams, Boston College
Early Returns: 21.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 30.8% 3PT
Last Season (Montana): 20.6 PPG, 4.7 APG, 4.3 RPG, 34.0% 3PT

First-year head coach Luke Murray is looking to get Boston College into the dance for the first time since 2009. From a roster built almost entirely out of the portal, Williams is clearly going to be the straw that stirs the drink. He finished with 35 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the Eagles' convincing victory over Massachusetts. Watching Williams and UCF's Dior Johnson square off on Thanksgiving is going to be one heck of a treat.

14. Flory Bidunga, Louisville
Early Returns: 13.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 1.0 APG
Last Season (Kansas): 13.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.6 BPG, 1.5 APG

Most of the transfer rankings from the summer had Bidunga and Milan Momcilovic in the top two spots. While Bidunga hasn't made that big of a statistical impact at his new Adidas school, the Cardinals weren't exactly challenged by Chattanooga or Morehead State, going on a 33-0 run during one stretch against the latter. Sunday at Memphis should be the first real test of how heavily Louisville will lean on its primary big man.

13. Paulius Murauskas, Arizona State
Early Returns: 25.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Last Season (Saint Mary's): 18.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.1 APG

After 25 seasons at Saint Mary's, Randy Bennett finally left for a major conference gig. To make the transition smoother, he brought his biggest star with him from the Gaels to the Sun Devils. Murauskas has been even better than usual thus far, scoring at least 21 points in each of his first three games in the desert. Though, if you're taking a "Wake me when Big 12 play begins and he has to face some real competition" stance, point taken.

Nos. 12-10: Jaylen Petty, Baye Ndongo and Trey Kaufman-Renn

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12. Jaylen Petty, UCLA
Early Returns: 17.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 58.3% 3PT
Last Season (Texas Tech): 9.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.2 APG, 37.5% 3PT

On Valentine's Day last season, Petty had two points, one rebound and one assist before fouling out in Texas Tech's overtime upset of Arizona. In his UCLA debut, though, he went for 13, seven and seven, respectively, plus two steals in an upset of Arizona. That might end up being his season-high in assists, but it wouldn't be the least bit surprising if he leads the Bruins in scoring. At any rate, there's a good chance he joins Bryce Alford as just the second player in UCLA history with at least 90 made triples in a single season.

11. Baye Ndongo, Pittsburgh
Early Returns: 16.0 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.3 SPG
Last Season (Georgia Tech): 11.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.0 BPG

Ndongo is no stranger to double-doubles. He had 24 of them over the past three seasons with the Ramblin' Wreck. In his second game with Pitt, he went for 23 points and 21 rebounds, leading the Panthers back from what was a 15-point deficit in the second half against Buffalo. If he's the second coming of DeJuan Blair (15.7 PPG, 12.3 RPG in 2008-09), Pitt is going to be more of a factor than most were expecting.

10. Trey Kaufman-Renn, Kansas
Early Returns: 12.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.3 APG
Last Season (Purdue): 14.2 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.5 APG

TKR is probably No. 1 on the "How in the world is that guy still playing college basketball?!" list of national outrage, added to Kansas' roster in mid-October and already playing a big role for one of the early title contenders. In Tuesday night's destruction of Kentucky, Kaufman-Renn finished with 12 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals. He's also 2-for-2 from distance after going 2-for-13 last season.

Nos. 9-7: Donovan Dent, Jaland Lowe and Tre Singleton

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9. Donovan Dent, LSU

Early Returns: 13.7 PPG, 8.3 APG, 3.3 SPG, 2.3 BPG, 1.7 RPG

Last Season (UCLA): 13.3 PPG, 7.6 APG, 2.9 RPG, 1.7 SPG

Dent thought his playing career was over. He announced his retirement in May and returned to New Mexico to train young players rather than pursue professional basketball. Two months later, he reconsidered and applied for a fifth year of college eligibility. In this second installment of his final season, he went for 29 points, 20 assists and no turnovers in his first two games with LSU. The 6'2" point guard has also already blocked seven shots, compared to 12 in 35 games played last year. He has a huge game at Gonzaga on Saturday.

8. Jaland Lowe, Georgetown

Early Returns: 18.3 PPG, 8.3 APG, 3.3 RPG, 55.6% 3PT

Last Season (Kentucky): 8.0 PPG, 2.4 APG, 2.1 RPG, 20.8% 3PT

We never got a sustained look at what Lowe could do with Kentucky, as he dealt with shoulder injuries before the season even began. The lead guard who averaged 16.8 PPG and 5.5 APG at Pittsburgh two years ago appears to be back and better than ever. He went for 22 points and eight dimes in the statement win over Maryland. Then, he followed it up with 10 points and 15 assists in the subsequent way-too-close-for-comfort victory over Delaware State.

7. Tre Singleton, Iowa State

Early Returns: 19.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.3 BPG, 1.0 SPG

Last Season (Northwestern): 7.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.5 APG

Singleton managed just one double-double as a freshman at Northwestern, but he has already emerged as a force in the paint for the Cyclones. He went for 11 points and 11 rebounds in his Iowa State debut against Memphis. He followed it up with 28, nine rebounds and three blocks in a comfortable win over Southern Miss. He's nowhere near the nightly triple-double threat that Joshua Jefferson was for this squad last year, but he could still be an All-American.

Nos. 6-4: Cruz Davis, PJ Haggerty and Tounde Yessoufou

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6. Cruz Davis, Texas Tech
Early Returns: 16.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.7 APG, 3.3 SPG
Last Season (Hofstra): 20.1 PPG, 4.7 APG, 3.7 RPG, 1.1 SPG

If Tuesday night's 20-point, five-assist gem against Illinois was your introduction to Cruz Davis, you missed out on two fun seasons of watching him cook at Hofstra. But now that the talent level of his supporting cast is much higher, things could be really fun this year. If JT Toppin eventually makes it back from his torn ACL, even better for Davis and the Red Raiders.

5. PJ Haggerty, Texas A&M
Early Returns: 18.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 57.1% 3PT
Last Season (Kansas State): 23.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.8 APG

Haggerty ranked fourth in the nation in scoring average last season, ranked third the previous year with Memphis and narrowly missed the top 10 in 2023-24 with Tulsa. All told, he averaged 22.1 points and 3.8 assists per game over the past three seasons, so it's little surprise that he has hit the ground running as the lead guard of the breakneck-paced Buckyball offense. He'll be in the spotlight Thursday night when the Aggies take on Oklahoma State in what is easily the most intriguing game of the day.

4. Tounde Yessoufou, St. John's
Early Returns: 17.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.5 SPG, 1.5 APG, 1.5 BPG, 45.5% 3PT
Last Season (Baylor): 17.8 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 1.6 APG, 29.3% 3PT

Yessoufou likely would have been a late first-round pick if he had chosen the one-and-done career path, but he opted for one more year of college ball—perhaps largely to show that he is a more reliable perimeter shooter than the sub-30 percent mark from his freshman season. To that end, so far, so good. He shot 4-for-7 from deep while stuffing the stat sheet in the Red Storm's blowout of Iona on Sunday. If that continues, he may well be the MVP of the Players Era 16 tournament during Feast Week.

Nos. 3-1: Dedan Thomas Jr., Jayden Reid and Dior Johnson

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3. Dedan Thomas Jr., Houston
Early Returns: 18.0 PPG, 6.5 APG, 2.5 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 66.7% 3PT
Last Season (LSU): 15.3 PPG, 6.5 APG, 2.7 RPG, 30.2% 3PT

From Marcus Sasser and Jamal Shead to LJ Cryer and Kingston Flemings, it's almost an annual tradition now for a Houston guard to make the 10-man Wooden All-American team. Thomas might be next. A foot injury prematurely ended his 2025-26 campaign; however, he has looked no worse for wear as the new driving force of the Cougars' offense. La Salle and California weren't exactly championship-caliber foes, but Thomas went for 13 assists and four steals with just one turnover in those first two games.

2. Jayden Reid, Memphis
Early Returns: 23.0 PPG, 3.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 46.2% 3PT
Last Season (Northwestern): 10.1 PPG, 5.0 APG, 1.0 SPG

Whether he'll be an All-American at the end of the year is questionable at best, but Reid was unofficially college basketball's MVP in the first week of the regular season. He almost single-handedly willed the Tigers to victories against Iowa State and VCU, scoring their final 11 points in the former and hitting the lead-flipping free throws in the closing seconds of the latter. (There was nothing he could do to save them at Vanderbilt, though.)

1. Dior Johnson, UCF
Early Returns: 31.0 PPG, 4.3 APG, 3.0 RPG, 2.3 SPG, 58.8% 3PT
Last Season (Tarleton State): 24.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 53.8% 3PT

Johnson played minimally for UCF two seasons ago before becoming a foul-drawing, scoring machine at Tarleton State in 2025-26. He has returned to the Knights in some sort of superhero cape. He went for 41 in the season-opening, overtime victory over Florida Gulf Coast before dropping 28 and 24, respectively, against Yale and South Alabama. We'll find out next week how his game translates to better competition, but he did put up 42 against Baylor last season. He's a must-watch every night.