The NCAA Transfer Portal is officially open! It is not ideal for the players or the coaches to have the portal open during the NCAA Tournament, it is especially hard for the coaches and players who are still playing. That is why the portal is open for 30 days and from now until April 22nd there are going to be a lot of huge names that enter the portal, looking for a new destination.
NIL has changed the game, like we all knew it would, and there is not one single player who is safe anymore. If money can be promised and paid out, then everyone will be looking for their next big payday. The names on the uniforms do not appear to be as sacred as they once were. It is now all about the green. You know greener pastures or green money.
The first day of the transfer portal has already seen upwards of 800 players. Go take a look. There are some big time names in the transfer portal already. A lot of these players are going to be in high demand and will have a long list of suitors. Here are the 10 best players who have entered the Transfer Portal on the first official day of the transfer period.
No. 10 Kimani Hamilton - High Point Panthers
13.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists
Hamilton is another athletic guard from High Point. The junior guard is at his best when he is getting to the rim and can be an elite finisher in the paint. There are not many guards who are going to be able to keep Hamilton in front of them; he has a quick first step and shows an explosive burst when getting into the paint. He shot 60% from inside the arc, and at 6’7” and 215 pounds, he is a big body who will get into the thick of rebounding. He is a good defender who can get steals and get out in transition. Hamilton started his career at Mississippi State and played sparingly. He will likely get another chance at a Power Five school.
No. 9 Langston Love - Baylor Bears
8.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Don’t let the numbers fool you, Love is a talented player and fantastic shooter. Injuries were, unfortunately, a huge part of his time at Baylor. Love is going to be a big asset to a team if he can stay healthy because of his ability to shoot from the outside and play defense. He was already a guy who got over 20 minutes a night for one of the best coaches in the country in Scott Drew. It was time for a change of scenery for Love, and given the right situation, he will thrive. Love will end up at a power conference school most likely as a starter.
No. 8 Jayden Pierre - Providence Friars
12.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists
Pierre was the one player that current head coach Kim English wanted to keep when he took the Providence job. It was a good thing he kept him because he did thrive under English, and thrive enough for him to enter the transfer portal as a coveted point guard. The junior point guard is coming off of his best statistical year that saw him have to carry the Friars offense on most nights. Pierre did most of his offensive work from beyond the three-point line. He shot 196 threes this year and made 67 of them for 34%. He has a career 2-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He will end up at a power five but may not be a starting point guard.
No. 7 Chauncey Wiggins - Clemson Tigers
8.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, .7 assists
There were much better players for Clemson than Wiggins, but Wiggins is a role player who adapted to his role and excelled at his role. His role was to score. He doesn’t play a whole lot of defense and doesn’t rebound much, but what he does do is shoot. He is one of the best shooters in the ACC and is a career 37% free throw shooter. The other thing that lands Wiggins on this list is his experience with major college basketball and in the NCAA Tournament. There is always something to be said about the experience, especially when you get it in the transfer portal. Wiggins will be a role player wherever he ends up. He can play major college basketball.
No. 6 Tayton Conerway - Troy Trojans
14.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists
The level of players on this list just increased in a big way. Conerway is one of the best point guards in the country, not just from a small school but anywhere. He was awarded the Sun Belt Player of the Year and was the reason that Troy made the NCAA tournament. Let’s get this out of the way now: the guard is not a good shooter. Okay, here is what he is: an elite driver and finisher in the paint, an elite passer, and one of the nation's leaders in steals per game. The point guard can get to the rim on anyone and will likely finish with a floater or a lay-up. Conerway can take games over with his defensive ability and his prowess for getting in the paint. There will be a long line for this one.
No. 5 Blake Harper - Howard Bison
19.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists
This transfer makes a lot of sense given that there wasn’t much else for Harper to accomplish. The Freshman won the MEAC Player of the Year, the MEAC Freshman of the Year, and the HBCU Player of the Year. The sad part is that Howard had a down season, and Harper was nowhere near the NCAA tournament this season. His numbers are some of the best in the country for a player who is 18 years old. He shot over 40% from deep and 83% from the free throw line. Harper took 268 free throws and gets fouled a lot. He is an athletically gifted wing who is going to be mentioned in the same breath as the Power Five Stars this year. If the wing had played for a power school, he would have been mentioned in the same breath as the Rutgers stars and Cooper Flagg. I am confident he is that good. He will play wherever he wants.
No. 4 Magoon Gwath - San Diego State Aztecs
8.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks
Yet another Freshman who is putting up huge numbers. What is a player who a lot of teams are going to like because he was the Defensive Player of the Year, shoots the ball well from outside, and is one of the best shot-blockers in the country? It isn’t every day that you find a 7’0” center who can guard every position and take most of his shots from deep. The problem is that he is good enough to make them all and opens up the paint for cutters to the basket because he is able to pull the opponent center away from the paint. Gwath has quick feet and a good recovery time in the paint to block just about everything. He got hurt at the end of February and wasn’t healthy in the NCAA Tournament. Line up for this elite shot blocker.
No. 3 Dailyn Swain - Xavier Musketeers
11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists
Players like Swain don’t come around in the transfer portal very often. He is a skilled offensive player who can play all five positions and do it well. He is a downhill player who gets to the rim, finishes, and usually gets fouled. The Sophomore is not a good shooter but makes up for it by impacting the game without scoring. Xavier often ran offense through Swain even though he wasn’t going to score or shoot, he was a good passer as a forward that could get the stars the ball. His last impression on the coaches was a good one, as he scored 27 points with 8 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament loss to Illinois.
No. 2 Dishon Jackson - Iowa State Cyclones
8.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 blocks
There is something to be said for traditional centers who play their position very well. Jackson is one of those guys. He doesn’t do much on the offensive end outside of the paint and is great at throwing down explosive dunks. The biggest asset for the big man is his athletic ability and how good he is on the defensive end of the ball. If you have watched Iowa State play, you know how good they are on defense and what is expected of them to get on the floor. Jackson started and was physically in the paint to alter shots, and when he couldn’t alter it, he was able to get a block to start the transition. He is unlike traditional big men in that he can shoot free throws. Jackson is going to make the right play and while he doesn’t do anything flashy, an athletic big is something everyone needs.
No. 1 Mackenzie Mgbako - Indiana Hoosiers
12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists
Mgbako is the best player to enter the Portal on Monday, but may also be one of the best players to enter the portal the entire season. The forward doesn’t have a great percentage shooting the ball from deep, but that is because he is streaky. When the sophomore gets on a hot streak he is going to make most of them. Indiana didn’t use Mgbako correctly, which is one reason they have a new coach, and the forward is in the transfer portal. Mgbako needs to be the facilitator and the player with the ball in his hands every time down the floor. Running the offense through him with as good of a passer he is is going to create points either by scoring or making sure his teammates have open looks. The forward is another player who gets to pick where he wants to end up.
There were a lot of players to choose from on Day 1 of the Transfer Portal. These are the 10 best from today. Check back tomorrow to see who the 10 best from Day 2 are.