The Pac-12 basketball landscape is changing. There’s been a bit of an “East Coast moves to the West Coast” Movement happening when looking at the latest transfer portal additions in the There’s certainly a lasting appeal that comes with playing with certain college programs regardless of conference affiliation.
After seeing just four teams earn NCAA Tournament bids following the 2022-23 regular season, a lot of teams found themselves searching for a different approach in the transfer portal. Although, the Pac-12 does have one team that didn’t need it.
Oregon State was the only team in the conference that didn’t go in search of talent in the transfer portal. They’ll return all but three players from last year’s squad and add 7-foot freshman Gavin Marrs, out of Ellensburg High School in Washington.
Across all Power 6 conferences, there were just two other teams (Duke & Michigan State) that didn’t utilize the transfer portal alongside the Beavers. That’s pretty crazy to think about when it comes to the latest twist in the college basketball landscape. Outside of Oregon State, every other team in the conference, even Stanford, added at least one player out of the transfer portal.
A few teams, like the California Golden Bears and Colorado Buffaloes, hope to receive a return on investment on their portal acquisitions once practices officially begin and team chemistry can be built. With another season on the horizon, we take a look at each Pac-12 team’s best portal acquisition.
Lazar Stefanovic – 6’7 Guard/Wing – UCLA Bruins
Lazar Stefanovic will be a familiar face in the Pac-12 to many as he joins the UCLA Bruins, leaving behind the Utah Utes in the process. He spent the last two seasons with the Utes as he built himself up as a mismatch problem at the wing/guard role.
At 6-foot-7, Stefanovic is a matchup nightmare in the making that can do a little bit of everything on the perimeter and out of the post. He produced 10.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.7 apg and 1.1 spg while shooting 35.9 percent from 3-point range across 32 games, 15 starts, in 2022-23.
He was an All-Freshmen selection in 2021-22, instantly making an impact upon his arrival in Utah. As a freshman, he posted 7.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 1.3 apg on 30.8 percent shooting from deep.
He’s proven to be quite a lethal weapon off the bench and even more lethal out of the starting rotation over the past few seasons. The Serbian native registered a career-high of 26 points back on Feb. 2 against Stanford, a game he started. In that one, he also knocked down a career-high six 3-pointers while shooting 10-for-22 from the floor and recorded six rebounds, five assists and four steals.
In the contest after that, he dished out a career-high six assists while appearing in a career-best 39 minutes of action in a victory over California on Feb. 5.
Stefanovic will look to fill the void left by the departure of Jaime Jacquez Jr. and Jaylen Clark. With just four returners from last year’s squad, there might be some growing pains for this group. Adem Bona is back but with a lot of unknowns in the fold, look for Stefanovic to take on a big role in the backcourt and on the wing as a primary scorer.
Jaden Bradley – 6’3 Point Guard – Arizona Wildcats
Jaden Bradley moves from the east coast to the west coast as he moves from the SEC ranks with the Alabama Crimson Tide to the Arizona Wildcats in the Pac-12. He’ll be one of a few additions out of the transfer portal that will be heavily relied upon for success this upcoming season.
While a lot of fanfare has come with the addition of Caleb Love and his body of work at UNC, Bradley is much more of a glue guy heading in given his prowess at the point guard role. He was named to the SEC All-Freshmen team this past season. He put up 6.4 ppg, 3.1 apg and 2.6 rpg across 37 appearances, 27 starts, in 2022-23.
He finished 10th in the SEC in assists (114) despite struggling to find his own offense as a piece in the Alabama backcourt. He cracked the starting rotation after just nine games into the season and never look back.
Bradley dished out a career-best seven assists on three different occasions this past year, even without strong scoring efforts. In the best outing, he put up seven points, seven assists and three rebounds across 25 minutes of action on the road in a win over Mississippi State back on Dec. 28.
In Year 2, Bradley will be looked upon to run the show out of the backcourt with the departure of Kerr Kriisa to West Virginia. With Caleb Love and Keshad Johnson joining him as new faces and Oumar Ballo, Pelle Larsson and Kylan Boswell returning, they’ve got a good mix of old and new to build with after a 28-7 finish and a 2-seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament.
He’ll just need to limit his turnovers in running the offense. Bradley finished 15th in the SEC this past season in turnovers (67). With more weapons in a power conference around him, it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to his new location.
D.J. Rodman – 6’6 Forward/Wing – USC Trojans
D.J. Rodman is another intraconference mover within the Pac-12 as he moves from the Washington State Cougars to the USC Trojans as he looks to make a bigger impact on the hardwood. The son of former Chicago Bulls Hall of Famer, Dennis Rodman, DJ has a lot of his dad’s basketball pedigree in his wheelhouse. He’ll be an experienced name for the Trojans to rely on in 2023-24.
Rodman has developed into quite the prospect out of the transfer portal over the past four seasons with the Cougars. He had his best season as a senior in 2022-23, averaging 9.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 1.4 apg on 38.1 percent shooting from 3-point range and 41.3 percent shooting from the floor.
He’s a strong-framed prospect that can operate at either forward spot at 6-foot-6 given his ability to knock down shots on the perimeter and rebound in bunches. He knocked down a career-high 51 3-pointers on a career-high 1.6 made 3-pointers per contest.
Rodman recorded a career-high 23 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the floor, 3-of-7 shooting from behind the arc and 10-of-11 shooting from the free-throw line in his final game in a Washington State uniform.
He’s a versatile presence that’s got a strong knack for rebounding the ball, especially on the offensive end of the floor. He ranked 12th in the Pac-12 in offensive rebounds (66) and 17th in total rebounds (180). Rodman snagged a career-high 14 rebounds (5 offensive) across 34 minutes of action back on Nov. 12 against Boise State. He scored just four points in that one.
He’s not an offensive-minded scorer as much as he’s an indispensable weapon to have on the wing given his knack for finding ways to score the ball. It’s worth noting though, he’s a defensive specialist that can give the Trojans frontcourt depth and experience in a starting role or off the bench.
Jesse Zarzuela – 6’3 Guard – Oregon Ducks
Jesse Zarzuela is a combo guard with the potential to boost the Oregon Ducks’ backcourt as a transfer addition. He spent the past year in the MAC with the Central Michigan Chippewas and has had quite the journey already since graduating high school.
He joins the Ducks in the Pac-12 with a plethora of experience on the JUCO stage as well as the Conference USA, MAC and MEAC stages. He began his career with the UTEP Miners back in 2019-20 before heading to Navarro Junior College and Missouri State-West Plains from 2019-21. He attended Coppin State during the 2021-22 season before landing at Central Michigan in 2022-23.
This past season, he had his best overall outing, though it came in just 17 appearances for the Chippewas. He put up 16.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, and 2.7 apg while shooting 35.6 percent shooting from deep and 39.9 percent from the field, mainly as a reserve. He started in just 11 of his 17 appearances as a senior.
Zarzuela has shown he can compete against high-major talent already. He’s a smooth operator at the guard spot that can find his own offense and knock down tough shots. He opened the season with 17 points and two assists on 4-of-7 shooting from behind the arc and 6-of-11 shooting from the field against Marquette on the road back on Nov. 10.
He set his career-high in scoring back on Jan. 14 off the bench with 29 points, four assists and four rebounds on 8-for-16 shooting from the floor and 3-of-8 shooting from deep in an overtime victory over Buffalo.
At worst, he’ll give the Ducks a veteran presence that’s capable of operating at either guard role off the bench. He’s shown he’s capable of knocking down shots on the perimeter and can make plays for others off the bounce in space as well. With a few guards returning for Oregon and some youth in the fold to acclimate, he’s a graduate transfer that could find himself in a coveted Sixth Man role as he joins the Pac-12.
Jared Bynum – 5’10 Point Guard – Stanford Cardinal
Jared Bynum joins the Stanford Cardinal in the Pac 12 as a graduate transfer following a decorated career with the Providence Friars from 2020-23. The departure of Ed Cooley to Georgetown triggered his move into the transfer portal. He joins the Cardinal looking to inject some of his NCAA Tournament experience into those around him.
Bynum climbed up the ranks while a member of the Friars, earning the Big East Sixth Man of the Year award in 2021-22 after producing 12.2 ppg, 4.0 apg, 2.9 rpg and 1.0 spg across 29 appearances (10 starts). Providence finished 27-6 that season and won the conference regular season title.
He proved his worth as a floor general as a starter for the Friars in the Big East this past season. The 5-foot-10 speedy guard finished the 2022-23 season with 10.0 ppg, 4.3 apg and 2.4 rpg on 31.9 percent shooting from 3-point range. He ranked ninth in the conference in assists (125) in leading the Friars offensive attack.
He tied his career-high of 10 assists back on Feb. 11 in a conference clash with St. John’s. Despite shooting 2-for-12 from the floor, he still managed to keep others on the floor involved. He notched his career-high of 32 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field and 7-for-8 shooting from 3-point land back on February 6, 2022, in a victory over Georgetown.
Bynum is an explosive floor general that’s shown he can adjust to different styles of play. He’s shown he can play high-major basketball as well, proving himself in the Big East for the past three seasons. Now, he looks to take his game out West where he’ll have an opportunity to boost an underrated Stanford squad.
The Cardinal return eight players from last year’s squad that went 19-14 and Bynum is the lone addition out of the transfer portal. That could bode well given his pedigree for pushing the pace.
Adam Miller – 6’3 Guard/Wing – Arizona State Sun Devils
Adam Miller is on quite the high-major conference tour via the transfer portal. He joins the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Pac-12 after spending the 2022-23 season in the SEC with the LSU Tigers. He began his career in the Big Ten back in 2020-21 with the Illinois Fighting Illini before transferring and sitting out the 2021-22 season.
Miller showed improvement with LSU after sitting out the season, putting up 11.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg and 1.7 apg on 31.6 percent from 3-point range. He ranked sixth in the SEC in 3-pointers made (75) and eighth in minutes per game (33.0). He knocked down 2.3 3-pointers per contest including a career-high six made 3-pointers against Wofford in a victory back on Nov. 27.
He’s a confident shooter on the perimeter and in space that can play a variety of positions given his skillset. He’s a dynamic shooter that can operate off the bounce and make things happen around the rim and painted area.
Despite the 14-19 result in 2022-23, Miller learned a lot about having talent around him in his lone season on the hardwood for the Tigers. He even achieved a career-high 5 assists during SEC action back on Feb. 25 against Ole Miss.
It’s stop number three for Miller as he looks to find his footing at a place that returns just three players from last year’s roster. The Sun Devils survived the Bubble as a No. 11 seed in the First Four in the NCAA Tournament this past season. Miller will have some help in the playmaking department, at least, with the return of Frankie Collins, but it could still be a season filled with adversity in 2023-24.
On the bright side, Miller is one of six additions out of the transfer portal that the Sun Devils will look to to replicate another NCAA Tournament appearance. They’ll have a few different new faces to build team chemistry and Miller also brings former LSU big man Shawn Phillips with him as well.
Paul Mulcahy – 6’6 Guard/Wing – Washington Huskies
Paul Mulcahy is another player moving from one high-major conference to another as he moves from the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the Big Ten to the Pac-12’s Washington Huskies. He turned a lot of heads when he announced his intention to enter the transfer portal this past offseason, but a move out West certainly shows a change of scenery was needed.
Mulcahy spent four seasons at Rutgers from 2019-23 and emerged as quite the utility wing given his prowess for passing the ball and finishing around the rim. He finished his career averaging 6.8 ppg, 3.8 apg and 3.4 rpg on 36.4 percent shooting from 3-point range and 45.1 percent shooting from the field.
As a junior, he really upped his assist and rebound production and it showed as he averaged a career-high 5.3 apg and 4.1 rpg along with 9.0 ppg and 1.1 spg in 2021-22. He set his career-high in scoring at 31 points during that season, shooting 10-of-13 from the field, 2-of-3 from 3-point land and 9-of-11 from the free-throw line in an overtime loss to the Northwestern Wildcats on February 1, 2022. He also had seven assists and seven rebounds in that conference battle.
This past season, he put up 8.3 ppg, 4.9 apg, 3.6 rpg and a career-high 1.5 spg. He set his career-high in assists at 13 in a conference clash with the Iowa Hawkeyes back on Jan. 29. It was the lone double-double of the season for Mulcahy.
He’s a matchup problem at the guard spot at 6-foot-6 with a ton of potential as a floor spacer and cutter on the wing. He does a tremendous job of finding easy points as a mover without the ball in his hands. As he’s found his way with Rutgers, his best basketball is ahead of him with the Huskies. He’ll just need to prove he can knock down shots on the perimeter.
We’ll see what Mulcahy’s got left up his sleeve with head coach Mike Hopkins. Hopkins is due to make some noise in the Pac-12. He’s struggled a bit since winning Pac-12 Coach of the Year in his first two seasons.
Cole Bajema – 6’7 Guard/Forward – Utah Utes
Cole Bajema is another intraconference mover as he moves from the Washington Huskies to the Utah Utes within the Pac-12 ranks. He’s a versatile name that continues to improve as the years progress in his college basketball career. He began his career back in 2019-20 in the Big Ten as a member of the Michigan Wolverines.
Bajema joined the Pac-12 back in the 2020-21 season with the Huskies, mainly as a reserve, appearing in 56 games and starting once, during his first two seasons. This past season, he blossomed in a starting role, averaging career-highs with 8.8 ppg and 4.2 rpg on 36 percent shooting from behind the arc.
His 49 3-pointers made this past season ranked him 19th in the Pac-12. He knocked down a career-high 18 points back on January 9, 2022, off the bench for the Huskies in a loss to Colorado. He went 6-for-7 from 3-point land and his six made 3-pointers were also a career-high.
Off the bench, he’s proved his worth as a shotmaker on the perimeter. As a starter, he’s shown he can mix things up in the painted area and up his rebounding production. At 6-foot-7, he’s capable of operating as a guard and can stretch the floor at the forward spot for Utah when needed.
Though he isn’t a volume-scorer, he’ll have his opportunities to blend well with their roster, as they return seven players from last year’s squad. They finished 10-10 in the conference standings and 17-15 overall in Year 2 under Craig Smith. With Bajema in the fold, they’ll look to turn a corner and play spoiler in the process.
Fardaws Aimaq- 6’11 Forward/Center – California Golden Bears
Fardaws Aimaq looks to bounce back from a rollercoaster experience in the Big 12 by joining the California Golden Bears in the Pac-12 to close out his college basketball career. Aimaq brings a ton of potential given he’s a former 2020-21 WAC Player of the Year and two-time WAC Defensive Player of the Year that battled the injury bug with the Texas Tech Red Raiders this past season.
He moves back to the West after a short stint in the Big 12 that saw him appear in just 11 games, nine starts, due to injury for the Red Raiders in 2022-23. He put up 11.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg and 1.5 apg on 44.3 percent shooting from the field before hitting the transfer portal and committing to his former Utah Valley head coach, Mark Madsen at California.
Aimaq has played his best basketball under Madsen. During the 2020-21 season, he put up 13.9 ppg, 15.0 rpg, 1.7 bpg and 1.6 apg on 48.3 percent shooting from the field with Utah Valley. The next season, he put up 18.9 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 1.7 apg and 1.3 bpg on 49 percent shooting from the field and 43.5 percent shooting from deep. He’s a mobile presence in the painted area with nice touch around the rim as a finisher and rebounder.
He racked up 41 double-doubles across 54 games while playing under Madsen and accumulated 20 rebounds or more across six games as well. He’s a defensive presence that’s slowly developed into a versatile presence that can also knock down shots on the perimeter. He certainly knows how to play at a high level under Maden’s guidance.
Aimaq will look to change the fortune for the Golden Bears as they look to bounce back from a forgettable 3-29 season that saw them win just two games in Pac-12 action in 2022-23. They’ll return six players from that squad while adding Aimaq and two other transfers including former Texas Tech Red Raiders teammate Jaylon Tyson.
Isaac Jones – 6’9 Center/Forward – Washington State Cougars
Isaac Jones is a name the Washington State Cougars hope can make his mark in the Pac-12 as an addition out of the transfer portal. He’s made quite the ascent already in the Division I ranks since making his debut as a “senior” in 2022-23 with the Idaho Vandals in the Big Sky.
He’s a wiry 6-foot-9 forward that’s shown flashes of his exploits as a two-way forward presence that flies around the floor to make an impact above the rim. He produced 19.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.7 apg and 1.1 bpg across 31 games, all starts, on 62.9 percent shooting from the field with Idaho in 2022-23.
Jones generated an offensive rating of 125.3, ranking him second in the Big Sky this past season while generating a PER of 30.7, good for first in the conference. He led the conference in blocks (35), finished second in field goals made (227), fifth in rebounds (243), fifth in defensive rebounds (180) and fifth in offensive rebounds (63).
He spent 2019-22 at Wenatchee Valley College in Washington before making his mark in the Big Sky this past season. In his lone season on the Division I stage, he earned second-team All-Big Sky honors. It will be interesting to see how he develops as a graduate transfer in the Cougars’ frontcourt.
Jones is a player that’s just scratching the surface of what he can do at the center/forward spot. He’s got tremendous hands around the painted area that allow him to clean up the glass and catch post-ups with ease. He’s an emerging two-way presence that should replace the loss of D.J. Rodman in a big way given his upside around the rim.
He went off for 42 points, 12 rebounds and four assists on 19-of-26 shooting from the floor in an overtime loss to Sacramento State back on Jan. 5. His ability to be a relentless attacker and protector around the rim should turn heads in the Pac-12 and then some this season.
Eddie Lampkin Jr. – 6’11 Center/Forward – Colorado Buffaloes
Eddie Lampkin Jr. joins the Colorado Buffaloes in the Pac-12 following an up-and-down experience in the Big 12 with the TCU Horned Frogs. This past season, Lampkin ultimately stepped away from the team back in March then entered the transfer portal and landed a bit more West with the Buffaloes.
Off-court issues aside, when he’s on the floor, Lampkin has shown he can play a physical brand of basketball and make winning plays in the painted area when the ball comes his way. He put up 6.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg and 1.2 apg across 24 games, 19 starts, on 54.7 percent shooting from the floor in 2022-23.
Lampkin still managed to finish eighth in the Big 12 in rebounds (206) and offensive rebounds (67) during the 2022-23 season with the Horned Frogs despite his fluctuation in playing time. Across 33 games the season prior, he ranked second in the Big 12 in offensive rebounds with 103.
As a redshirt freshman, he put up 6.8 ppg and 6.2 rpg while shooting 60.6 percent from the floor while starting in 32 of the 33 games he appeared in. He got two games of NCAA Tournament experience under his belt that season, too. He put up 20 points and 14 rebounds on 8-of-9 shooting from the floor in his last appearance back on March 20, 2022, which ironically came against the Arizona Wildcats.
Though it hasn’t shown in the blocks column, Lampkin is a formidable paint presence on the defensive side of the floor as evidenced by his defensive rating of 97.3 across three seasons with the Horned Frogs. He’s got a big frame that he knows how to utilize to take up space and alter shots and battle for rebounds.
Colorado returns six players from last year’s 18-17 squad. With the experience of last season, their top three scorers back and a bigger presence on the interior in Eddie Lampkin Jr., fans should expect a much better result for head coach Tad Boyle and company in 2023-24.