NCAA Basketball: Top 20 early transfer portal pickups in 2023 offseason
2. John Tonje – Colorado State to Missouri
2022-23 stats: 14.6 ppg and 4.7 rpg
When Isaiah Stevens was out for half the season, it was Tonje who stepped up as the lead scorer for the Rams. He posted career-high numbers as a full-time starter, shooting 39% from three-point range. Tonje had seven games with at least 20 points, including 24 points and six rebounds in a late-season win over New Mexico.
Tonje is the kind of capable scorer that’ll do well at Missouri, which just made the NCAA Tournament on the backs of several mid-major transfers. Sharpshooter D’Moi Hodge is one of multiple seniors moving on, allowing the Colorado State transfer to come in and take what’s expected to be a starting role on the Tigers next season.
1. JJ Starling – Notre Dame to Syracuse
2022-23 stats: 11.2 ppg and 2.8 rpg
The former top-30 prospect was a starter on a team full of seniors and was a double-digit contributor. Starling struggled in the last month of the season but still made the All-ACC freshman team and had a few big performances as well. One of them was a 23-point outing on 10/11 shooting against Bowling Green, along with 22 points in a win over Louisville.
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Starling stays in the ACC and will be going back home to Syracuse, which is under a new head coach in Adrian Autry. Whether it’s a completely new system or similar to the Jim Boeheim era, the former Irish guard is capable of playing either and will be a national breakout candidate to watch next season.