We are now two months into the season with conference play officially underway with many transfers across NCAA basketball having made their mark on their respective programs. While some heralded transfers have failed to meet their lofty expectations, these transfers have delivered. With that being said, take a look at the top 25 impact transfers from the first two months of the 2024-25 college basketball season.
25. Duke Miles, Oklahoma Sooners
The Oklahoma Sooners have raced out to a perfect 13-0 start after being picked to finish 15th in the 16-team SEC. While there are many reasons for Oklahoma’s stellar start, such as freshman sensation Jeremiah Fears and veteran wing Jalon Moore, the secret star in Norman lies in Troy/High Point transfer Duke Miles.
Miles, averaging 12.5 points per contest, is shooting a superb 46.3% from three and nearly 53% from the field. If the Sooners can continue to get this level of consistency from Miles, this group’s ceiling has a second-weekend threat written all over it.
24. Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Penn State Nittany Lions
Among the significant questions this offseason for Penn State was how it would address its frontcourt situation after the departures of Qudus Wahab and Demetrius Lilley. Rest assured, it's not an issue anymore. It’s a strength.
In comes Northern Illinois transfer Yanic Konan Niederhauser, who has been a perfect fit in the high/low duo alongside Ace Baldwin for the surprising Nittany Lions. Averaging over 13 points and six boards, Niederhauser has cemented himself as among the top instant impact transfers in the country so far this season.
23. Jaylen Blakes, Stanford Cardinal
Perhaps no transfer in NCAA basketball is making as big of a final-year splash as Jaylen Blakes of the Stanford Cardinal. After playing a reserve role at Duke for three seasons, Blakes has skyrocketed onto the national scene, averaging over 15 points per game as an instrumental piece to Stanford’s backcourt.
While Stanford is led by Maxime Raynaud, among the more underappreciated players in the country, the Cardinal will need Blakes to continue his strong play if it wants to turn heads in the ACC.
22. Zeke Mayo, Kansas Jayhawks
It’s no secret that Bill Self has struggled to push the right buttons with the Jayhawks' immensely talented transfer portal class. AJ Storr and Rylan Griffen have gotten off to less-than-ideal starts but one bright spot from its portal haul is South Dakota State transfer Zeke Mayo.
Mayo, averaging 26 PPG over the Jayhawks’ past three games, nearly put the entire team on his back before Kansas’ comeback attempt versus West Virginia thwarted in the final seconds of regulation. What Mayo did was make big-time shots time after big-time shots -- something needed if Kansas wants to recapture its early-season momentum.