Welcome to the recruiting dead period. The dead period means coaches cannot contact new recruits or recruits they have not already been in contact with, and recruits cannot complete any visits during this time. The period will last until April 10th. That is another reason why so many players have been committing early.
Coaches are also trying to get a leg up on the competition, and those who are no longer playing were spending their days reaching out to multiple transfers daily to schedule visits. Remember, it can occur if the official visit was planned before the dead period.
Even with the dead period and coaches unable to reach out to the recruits, the transfer portal continues to see players enter it. The talent pool will likely diminish a bit while the dead period is in effect, and the overall quantity will slow down due to the Final Four taking place this weekend.
The list of transfers on Wednesday featured a potential lottery pick in next year's draft. The transfer portal for Thursday featured many role players. The most significant portal entry was from a star player who will get a lot of looks even if he has been to 8 schools in 8 years, returning to High School. Here are the 10 best transfers for Thursday, April 3rd, 2025.
No. 10 Jlynn Counter - Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
10.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists
Counter spent the first two years of his career at IU Indy and was the best player on two bad teams. He then entered the portal last season and didn't have as many teams needing his services as I thought. The one year at Middle Tennessee may have changed that after he proved he could do it on a better team.
Counter is one of the more athletic guards in the mid-major ranks. Every once in a while, he makes an eye-popping play that usually leads to him throwing down a thunder dunk after running the floor from a rebound. He is not a good three-point shooter, but he does stuff a stat sheet and consistently puts up big numbers in the assists and rebounding categories. He isn't a power conference player but will play for a better mid-major team.
No. 9 Kendall Blue - St. Thomas Tommies
12.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists
One thing to know about the Summit League is that the offense is always elite, and the defense leaves much to be desired. Every team in the league can get up and down the floor and light up a scoreboard. It is fun basketball to play, and the transfers from that league have had a lot of success at the power conference level.
Blue is a fantastic three-point shooter. Shooting the ball is a requirement for getting minutes for the Tommies. The point guard has much more to his game than just three-point shooting. He is one of the best rebounding guards in the Summit and played in an offense with elite ball movement. He is no stranger to playing both guard positions, and he will be a great addition to a team that needs shooting.
No. 8 Antwan Burnett - Grambling State Tigers
10.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Burnett is a player that not many people have watched play. The SWAC has no TV deal, and its games are rarely on any streaming network. Grambling didn't have an outstanding season, only winning 12 games, but that doesn't mean they didn't have some talented players. The guard is one of those players.
The guard was one of the better shooters in the SWAC, and that is where most of his value lies with his new team. Burnett plays good defense and can be a good three-and-defense guy for his next team. He can score but has never been overly aggressive enough to seek his shot. He isn't a guy who will create his shot very much, but if he can hit some threes, he will be valuable to a mid-major team.
No. 7 Quadir Copeland - McNeese Cowboys
9.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists
Copeland comes from McNeese, where Will Wade coached him. Copeland was the missing piece for McNeese to get over the hump and win their first NCAA Tournament game over Clemson. The point guard had a giant game to help secure that win and now enters the transfer portal.
Copeland is a unique player. He isn't a shooter and shot under 20% from deep this season. Copeland is a good passer but also turns the ball over a lot. He brings a significant physical presence who can get to the rim and play great defense. The guard will not be a guy who can play anywhere. He will thrive in specific systems, like one coached by Will Wade, who currently coaches at NC State.
No. 6 Lassina Traore - Xavier Musketeers
11.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists (23-24)
The numbers above are from the 2023-2024 season while the big man was at Long Beach State. Traore transferred to Xavier to play with coach Sean Miller, but he got injured and could never take the floor for the Musketeers. He will be given a redshirt and has one year of eligibility to play.
Traore will be a massive win for whichever Power Conference team he decides to go to. He averaged a double-double two seasons in a row. He did it by displaying some of the best rebounding skills of any player in Division 1 basketball. The offense was elite then, but is it good enough for the Power Conference level? He has shot 53% from the floor in his career. Will he follow coach Miller to Texas?
No. 5 Derrick Butler - Bowling Green State Falcons
13.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists
Butler was the best player on a bad Bowling Green team. He came from Central Michigan, where he was a secondary scorer, and instantly became one of the primary scorers for the Falcons. Butler enters the portal again to find a team that will win and, hopefully, with his final year of eligibility, get him to a postseason tournament.
The guard saw some regression in his shooting numbers this year, with the increased role in the regression expected; however, not to the degree that the regression happened. He shot 41% at Central Michigan and 34% this season. He likely falls somewhere in the middle with an average year. His best value is in a three-point shooting role. He does have the ability to go to a mid-major and become a star, though.
No 4. Leland Walker - Florida Atlantic Owls
9.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists
Walker is in the portal again, heading to his third team. He has played in two offenses that love to play fast and take as many shots as possible. He had the unique experience of running both of those offenses well. Walker is one of my favorite players to play basketball.
Why do I like to watch Walker play basketball? He is smooth with the ball, and even though he plays in offenses that get up and down the floor, he has a calming presence. Walker did struggle to score the ball this year. After averaging 16 points a game at Eastern Kentucky, he only averaged nine this year, and the shooting percentages went down across the board. The assist numbers were still excellent, and he can run an offense for anyone in the country.
No. 3 Solomon Washington - Texas A&M Aggies
4.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, .8 assists
It is another Aggies big man in the transfer portal and another Aggies player who will have a long list of suitors for their services. He started in the SEC for an NCAA Tournament team. Those guys will always get a long and hard look from everyone, even if they scored minimal points.
Washington is an athletic, big man who can do many things on the floor. He is one of the best shot blockers in the SEC and a great rebounder. Washington can guard multiple positions and doesn't turn the ball over, so coaches can be sure he can do them. The offense isn't great, but it didn't have to be at Texas A&M. He can still play and be effective while scoring minimal points.
No. 2 Liutauras Leleviciusv - Oregon State Beavers
8.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Lithuania has been a hotbed for college basketball players for a few years, and Lelevicius is just the next one in line, hoping to make a name for himself. He had a great season at Oregon State and earned all the praise he got. The guard is a budding star and has a chance to be one of the best players in Division 1. I am that high on him.
The Lithuanian guard didn't have to score much for the Beavers to win games. He was often a third or fourth option on the team, but he usually delivered when his number was called. Just under half of his shots were from three-point land, and he made 38%. He will look to be the guy at his next school and become an NBA player. He has the game for it.
No. 1 AJ Storr - Kansas Jayhawks
6.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, .7 assists
Storr will be in his eighth school in the last eight seasons, dating back to high school. The transfer portal is a free market and works like a free agency now, but eight schools in eight years should spark some questions. Nevertheless, Storr is one of the most talented players in the portal this season.
His numbers are not what you would expect them to be in this spot, but he played for Kansas and came off the bench. The bench players for Kansas were all very balanced with their scoring. Look to his sophomore season at Wisconsin when he became one of the best players in the Big Ten.
That is his ceiling, which is likely what teams will get this year. The guard will go to a school where he can shine and be given the keys to the offense like he was at Wisconsin.
Expect the portal to slow down over the next few days as the NCAA tournament gets going again. Once the tournament is over, the floodgates will open, and there will be some crazy entrants into the transfer portal. If tracking guys changing schools is your thing. Stay tuned!