It is officially the offseason! A champion has been crowned, and all 364 teams are now ready to scour the transfer portal for any player who can help their team win—and win right away. The old adage is to get old and stay old. The only real way to do that is to get commitments from the transfer portal and recruit young kids to complement your transfer portal additions.
There were a few new additions to the portal over the weekend because the Final Four and National Championship games were taking place. The recruiting dead period is still in effect, which is likely preventing some from entering the portal as well. Once the dead period ends on April 10th, the last few days of the portal are going to be intense, with a lot of talent entering.
The portal entrants who did happen over the weekend were all someone’s, and every player played a giant role in their teams' success. Most of the players entering over the weekend were the stars for their teams and had a big impact on those teams' postseason runs. The 10 best transfer portal entrants on Monday span those who entered on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
No. 10 Tre Carroll - Florida Atlantic Owls
12.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Florida Atlantic played at one of the fastest paces in the country, and their goal was to score as many points as possible as quickly as possible. The Owls knew the offense, and every one of their players could score. Carroll is an athletic guy who can get anywhere on the court. He is elite in the pick-and-roll, and his shots usually end in dunks.
The forward is at his best rolling to the basket, but he is good enough to step out and hit threes. He doesn’t take very many threes, but the ones he does take are good shots within the offense. He is a great offensive rebounder and can pass enough to be a double-team threat. Carroll was the star for Florida Atlantic, and he can have a productive season in the right situation.
No. 9 Dylan Darling - Idaho State Bengals
19.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists
If a team needs a point guard in the transfer portal, there will be much to choose from. Darling is one of those players that virtually no one knows about because he played in the Big Sky, and those games were never on TV. Darling will introduce himself to the country this year with his new team. You should expect it to be a Power Conference school.
Darling was named the Big Sky Player of the Year, and the way he can stuff a stat sheet is no surprise. Darling shot 36% from deep but was best when driving the ball to the rim. He is one of the nation’s elites who got to the foul line. Darling initially said he would stay at Idaho State and run it back, but he changed his heart. He also will probably get a substantial NIL payment for whatever school he attends.
No. 8 Ezra Ausar - Utah Utes
12.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, .9 assists
Utah fired Craig Smith in the middle of the season, the coach that Ausar committed to. Many Utes were expected to enter the transfer portal. Because of his play, the forward will be a coveted player in the transfer portal.
Ausar doesn’t shoot threes, or at least not very well. He is an explosive athlete who shoots over 50% from the floor. He is a great pick-and-roll player who runs to the rim for dunks or easy lay-ins. Ausar gets fouled often and shoots free throws at a hair under 70%. He isn’t the most skilled player but makes up for most of it with his athleticism and heart. Ausar plays hard and will be a lovely addition to a power conference team that needs frontcourt help.
No. 7 Dan Skillings Jr.- Cincinnati Bearcats
9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 rebounds
The Bearcats are another team that didn’t live up to the lofty expectations set on them in the preseason. Many thought they would make the NCAA Tournament, but they struggled in the Big 12 conference and wound up in the College Basketball Crown.
Skillings was a big reason for the lofty expectations for Cincinnati, but a season after leading the Bearcats in scoring, he struggled to find his offensive footing all season. The wing injured his knee and missed six games this year recovering, but could never seem to get his footing on the offensive end. His biggest asset is his ability to play above the rim, but he wasn’t nearly as explosive with a bum knee. The wing still has a lot of great basketball left to play.
No. 6 Wesley Yates III - USC Trojans
14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists
USC came together at the end of the year and started playing good basketball to close out the year. On December 7th, Yates III began to get a significant run for the Trojans and saw their fortunes change. The guard showed a lot in his first season playing college basketball and did it from everywhere.
The guard is a handful on defense and gets a lot of steals, which allows him to get out in transition for big-time dunks. Yates III was a great three-point shooter at 44% and got to the line a lot. He has three years left to play. The biggest advantage of Yates III in the portal is that he is only going to get better. He has an extremely high ceiling and will eventually play in the NBA.
No. 5 Tyon Grant-Foster - Grand Canyon Antelopes
14.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists
Grant-Foster will have one year remaining of his college career. The graduate transfer has had an interesting job to date. He was the top-ranked JUCO player in the country when he committed to Kansas. He then played one game at DePaul and was at Grand Canyon for the last two years, where he was a huge reason the Antelopes are one of the best mid-majors in the country.
Grant-Foster won the WAC Player of the Year in 2023-2024 when he averaged over 20 points per game. The wing had a down year this year but was still one of the best players in the WAC. He doesn’t shoot the ball well but can get to the rim at an elite level. He is one of the best finishers in the game. His offense is one thing, but the defense and his ability on that end of the floor puts him in a league of his own among the rest of the wings in the portal.
No. 4 Robert Wright - Baylor Bears
11.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists
Wright was the second of the fantastic freshmen for the Bears. In case you get confused, he is the one who isn't going to be a lottery pick in the NBA Draft. He was also the point guard on the Montverde Academy team that featured Cooper Flagg.
Wright may be a freshman, but he doesn’t play like one. He plays the game with a lot of maturity that most players his age don’t usually display. He loves getting to the rim and will improve his 40% shooting. Wright has already mastered getting fouled at the college level and spent much time at the line. The point guard will fit in with every team in the country.
No. 3 Ian Jackson - North Carolina Tar Heels
11.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, .9 assists
The Tar Heels had a tough year, but one of the bright spots was true freshman Jackson. He displayed a wide range of skills that made him one of the best Freshmen in the country and made North Carolina fans incredibly excited for the future. Jackson is the second Tar Heel to enter the transfer portal and the second Tar Heel who is likely going to end up at another big-time Power Conference school.
Jackson is a great three-point shooter and shot 40% from deep on the season. The former five-star recruit is excellent at getting the ball to the rim. He is quick and hard to guard when he gets downhill. He is one of those guys who can jump out of a gym and score in various ways. The only limitation is his inability to be the primary ball handler. He is best as the off-guard. Jackson has a high ceiling and will get better as he continues his career. The guard will end up somewhere he can get to the NBA the fastest.
No. 2 Honor Huff - Chattanooga Mocs
15.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Very few players in the country can do what Huff does. He took 315 threes, three-pointers most in the country. As a result, Huff led the nation in making three-pointers with 131 makes. If that seems like a lot, that’s because it is; over 78% of the shots for Huff came from beyond the three-point line.
Huff's three-point shooting led Chattanooga to the NIT Championship. It does feel weird to put a guy who shoots nothing but threes as one of the best transfers out there, but when you can change games with your ability to shoot from deep, you deserve that kind of praise. Huff is going to change a team's fortunes for the better.
No. 1 Darrion Williams - Texas Tech Red Raiders
15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists
There is a good possibility that Williams will not play another game in college. He has entered the NBA draft while maintaining his eligibility. He wants everyone to know that he is entering the transfer portal as well. If he does remain in college, it won’t be at Texas Tech. Williams is not currently projected to be picked in the top round.
The forward has shot himself to the top of my transfer portal rankings. He is a star who does everything on the basketball court. He can shoot, is an elite passer, is a good rebounder, and is a physical defender. He had the best interview he could have at the NCAA Tournament when he averaged 21 points and seven rebounds in leading Texas Tech to the Elite Eight. He will have offers from almost every Blue Blood school in the country and will start and be a star.