Certain aspects of college basketball have changed dramatically in recent years and roster construction is among those most notable differences. Teams are no longer investing four years in developing prospects into stars, instead raiding the transfer portal as thousands of players seemingly seek new homes on a yearly basis. The advent of NIL opportunities has only fueled this movement, creating what virtually amounts to unchecked free agency in the sport.
As a result, every program in the country is affected by these maneuvers in one way or another. Some programs have really rebuilt thanks to adding transfers while others have been really crippled as star players take their services elsewhere for more money or different opportunities. It’s a difficult thing to navigate for every coach.
Some staffs handle their business better than others and that’s exactly what we’re thinking about today. There are still a few players that could announce decisions in the days or weeks ahead but we have something of a solid look at this year’s transfer movement. We’ll be ranking the programs who we believe have the best transfer classes.
There’s no specific formula, it’s just about the best talent coming into a program, meaning a school only adding one or two great players may be lower than some would expect. Regardless, we’re going to go into detail on the 25 that stand out here in late May but first hear a few words on some schools that almost made the cut.
Honorable Mentions
Baylor Bears
This past season was a disappointment for the Bears and that was with a roster mostly built from the transfer portal. This time around they’ve added significant pieces with the hopes that this group gel. That largely leans on the new backcourt pieces in Kayden Mingo and Brett Decker, though former Yale forward Isaac Celiscar could see significant run as well.
NC State Woldf Pack
After fantastic work as a recruiter elsewhere, it’s not surprising to see good things from Justin Gainey’s first offseason at NC State. A long list of additions is highlighted by former Santa Clara guard Christian Hammond, one of five double-digit scorer entering the fold for the Wolfpack. They’ll also add great backcourt talent in Darius Adams from Maryland and Preston Edmead, while hoping Kyle Evans can be a reliable big in the ACC.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Flying under the radar quite a bit, Oklahoma State has some pretty notable pulls for Steve Lutz and company. Competing in the Big 12 isn’t getting any easier, though three prominent new Cowboys are hoping to get into that newly-expanded NCAA Tournament field. Luka Bogavac and Kashie Natt bring great potential into the backcourt while 7-footer Julius Halaifonua arrives from Georgetown likely to anchor the frontcourt.
Pittsburgh Panthers
There are a lot of new faces in Pittsburgh this offseason and it’s a lot of new quantity for Jeff Capel III in what he hopes isn’t his final run with the Panthers. Among the additions the most significant are former Georgia Tech forward Baye Ndongo and former Alabama guard Jalil Bethea. We can’t ignore Mercer big Armani Mighty after averaging a double-double last season, with the Panthers hoping he can remain a productive big man in the ACC. Don’t forget Nait George and a slew of other new faces either.
UCLA Bruins
Two big names highlight the transfer class for a Bruins team trying to take another big step in the tough Big Ten. The Bruins shed some major talent and didn’t quite take as big a swing as last season, but Jaylen Petty and Filip Jovic are both high-quality additions from Texas Tech and Auburn respectively. Throw in the potential in former Butler guard Azavier Robinson and this class could become sneaky good, but just misses our cut.
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