The Transfer Portal keeps chugging along with new additions every few minutes. It is likely to continue like that for the next 29 days. There is a lot of money out there, and kids are going to go out and try to get some life-changing money from these schools. Like it or not, this is the current state of College Basketball.
There was something that did catch my eye as I was scouring for transfers, and it was Kevin Willard, the current head coach at Maryland, saying some kids are asking for 2 or 3 million dollars to come and play basketball. That is a lot of money for one individual player; I get it. Always remember that the players are setting their market, and if no one is willing to pay that price, the market comes down. There will be some players who do end up getting that amount of money, though. Hopefully, they can live up to that investment by the schools.
Day 1 of the transfer portal saw some huge additions with Mackenzie Mgbako, Magoon Gwath, and Langston Love. Day 2 is a much better pool of free agents and has arguably the best transfer ever to hit the portal in the NIL era. Day 2 was a lot better than Day 1. The talent level is increasing tenfold, and it was much harder to find the best 10 guys who entered the portal on Day 2.
Here are some guys who didn’t make the cut on day 2 but were strongly considered. Nick Dorn from Elon, Kory Mincy from Presbyterian, Amar’e Marshall from Albany, Samage Teel from Indiana State, Don McHenry from Western Kentucky, Jacob Cofie from Virginia, James White from New Orleans, CJ Hines from Alabama State, Amani Hansberry from West Virginia, Domnick Nelson from Utah Valley, and Jalen Haynes from George Mason. Most of the players listed here all averaged double figures, and most of them were on an all-conference team. Here are the 10 players that made the cut from a loaded second day of the portal.
No. 10 Carson Towt - Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
13.3 points 12.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists
It would be hard to have a daily list of the best transfers if you didn’t include the best rebounder in the country, well at least this year. Towt is closer to your traditional big man because he rarely leaves the paint and does the majority of his scoring at the rim. Towt is a good passer for a traditional center who doesn’t score outside the paint, which is an asset to have, especially when he is double-teamed in the paint. The unfortunate part of the former Lumberjack’s game is his lack of shot-blocking. He would be the total package if he could block shots, but it is hard to think that the best rebounder in the country is not going to wind up at a Power Five school.
No. 9 Barrington Hargress - UC Riverside Highlanders
20.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists
I would be willing to bet that there are not many people who have ever heard of Hargress and even fewer who have watched him play. Let’s bring you up to speed. The 20.2 points per game was the 9th-best number in the country. Everyone will go look at the numbers and realize that he was a volume shooter but is still one of the most capable scorers in the country. There are a lot of volume shooters in the country and very few of them average over 20 points per game. He isn’t a great shooter, shooting only 32% from deep with well over 200 attempts. However, many believe that with fewer attempts from deep and more driving to the lane to get fouled, he will be even better. The point guard rarely turns the ball over and is an elite passer. He may not start, but he will be an asset to a higher-level team than those in the Big West.
No. 8 Brandon Noel - Wright State Raiders
19.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists
There are very few players who will be in the transfer portal who will be able to do the things that Noel can do. He is one of the game's elite scorers from the wing position and one of the country's best rebounders. Wright State has always been known for their offense and Noel fits that bill. He can score for everywhere on the floor and is extremely efficient while doing it. The junior wing shot 57% from the floor, 38% from three, and 77% from the free throw line in his career. He is athletic and is great at running the floor and playing in a wide open offense. This is just an opinion with no inside information at all, but he looks like an Alabama or Kentucky player just based on how he plays.
No. 7 Alvaro Folgueiras - Robert Morris Colonials
14.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists
The Horizon League player of the year had one of the best seasons of any wing in the country. Folguerias came into the year unknown and unproven on the national landscape, but all of that changed with his play over the last 4 months. The Spanish forward is one of the best shooters in the country, shooting over 41% from deep and 55% overall. Everyone is looking for big men who can shoot, rebound, and pass because teams that don’t stretch the floor struggle to win games in this era. The big man had 14 double-doubles, including one against Alabama in the NCAA tournament. He is an elite passer and has no problem bringing the ball up the floor. Another giant plus for Folguerias is his ability to make things happen without turning the ball over, which is a big win for his new potential coach. He is going to be highly coveted in the portal, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if every single power conference school offered a spot.
No. 6 Kaleb Banks - Tulane Green Wave
14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.0 assist
The Green Wave forward is an interesting player because he started his career at Indiana, where he barely played, and then transferred to Tulane last season and turned into a star. Tulane doesn’t play in a power conference but the American still offers some good enough competition. It doesn’t appear that Banks had a fluky year, it just shows what he can do when he is the focal point of an offense and is given playing time. The forward is an athletic player who has turned into a good three-point shooter and legitimate offensive weapon. It is strange to see Banks' name appear so early in the transfer portal process considering that Tulane still has a game left in the Crown to play. Banks will not be able to play in the postseason tournament for the Green Wave.
No. 5 Lathan Sommerville - Rutgers Scarlet Knights
8.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, .6 assists
Sommerville had a productive year as the third scoring option for Rutgers most nights. The only problem is not many noticed him because of the two lottery picks who played for the Scarlet Knights. The Freshman has an extremely high ceiling on the offensive end. He is already able to finish most of his shots inside the paint with layups, dunks, or floaters, which all good big men need to have in their arsenal. The best feature of Sommerville is his ability to shoot from the free throw line. The 6’10” player shot nearly 90% from the free throw line, which most big men don’t do. He doesn’t play much defense at all, which is to be expected given his age, but if the defense comes aroun,d he will be a complete player. Sommerville entered the portal with a Do Not Contact designation, which means he is likely going to commit soon.
No. 4 Elliot Cadeau - North Carolina Tar Heels
9.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists
Say what you want about the Tar Heels; they did not have a good season, but it wasn’t because of the lack of talent. North Carolina had guys everywhere, and they were talented. Cadeau had been the starting point guard for the last two seasons in Chapel Hill, and this loss is going to hurt North Carolina a lot. The point guard is one of the country's best passers, and his 6.2 assists per game were good enough for 17th overall in the country. The sophomore was one of the best on-ball defenders the Tar Heels had and was able to generate a lot of steals. The offensive game is good, not great, but the team that pursues Cadeau is going to be looking for a floor general who can run the offense without turning the ball over and give players the ball in their shooting pockets. He is a pass-first point guard who is an elite passer. He is going to likely wind up at another Blue Blood program.
No. 3 Tru Washington - New Mexico Lobos
11.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Washington is going to go to a new school and shine. This kid has future star written all over him and it's because of the way he plays. There are not many guys with his talent who will play as hard as Washington does on both sides of the ball. He developed into a great third option for the Lobos and improved in every way on the offensive side of the ball. He is a good shooter and athlete who is going to get to any spot he wants on the floor. Washington is one of the game's elite defenders at the guard position. He averaged over two steals a night and was usually the player who shadowed the best player for their opponents. Former head coach Richard Pitino just took the Xavier job and that is a plausible landing spot for the guard.
No. 2 Michael Rataj - Oregon State Beavers
16.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists
Earlier this season, an article about the 15 most underrated players in the game was published, and Rataj was on that list. He was on the list because he played at Oregon State and was not good at basketball while attending. The German big man had a breakout season this year and earned a spot on the all-conference team. If you like athletic big guys then Rataj is the player for you. He can jump out of a gym, get shots that not many other guys can get, and run the floor with the best of them. He shot over 35% from deep this year to go along with his 53% clip inside the arc. Rataj is a good post defender who gets a lot of steals and has improved in every aspect of the game in his three years. The junior is going to be a starter and has the ceiling of a first-team All-American.
No. 1 Donovan Dent - New Mexico Lobos
20.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 6.4 assists
This isn’t be hotly debated because anyone who has watched Dent play will realize that what I am about to say is true. This is the best player to enter the Transfer Portal using the current format. There are very few players who can be one of the national leaders in points and assists. The Mountain West Player of the Year led the conference in scoring, scored a total of 715 points, made and attempted free throws, and finished near the top in assists and three-point shooting percentage. Dent scores from all over the floor and does it with unbelievable efficiency. He shot 50% from 2, 41% from deep, and 79% from the free throw line. He is the best point guard in the country, and there are not many people who would dispute that either. Dent isn’t going to have that many suitors because his NIL is going to potentially be upwards of 3 million, or at least that is the rumor. Kentucky is his dream school, and he is currently working on setting up a visit to the Wildcats.
Day 2 of the 2024-2025 transfer portal was one of the wildest days in the portal the sport has ever seen. There are still 28 more days to come. What else is going to happen? Check back tomorrow to find out.