Class rankings in faculty basketball have lengthy been reserved for highschool recruiting, the place we examine every program’s group of incoming faculty freshmen. However with the elevated deal with the switch portal and the vast majority of high-major packages choosing the older gamers over highschool seniors, we have added switch class rankings to the offseason rotation.
In sure methods, doing these is tougher than for recruiting courses. First-year coaches are bringing in eight to 10 transfers. Different packages would possibly want just one or two gamers to spherical out the roster. Some had been in search of depth, some for high-end expertise. Some had been going for one-year gamers with expertise, others are in search of youthful gamers with room to develop.
Nonetheless, we’re giving it a go, with a Rick Pitino vs. Kentucky battle for No. 1 to kick off this primary version.
Bryce Hopkins (17.0 PPG at Windfall)
Oziyah Sellers (13.7 PPG at Stanford)
Joson Sanon (11.9 PPG at Arizona State)
Ian Jackson (11.9 PPG at North Carolina)
Dylan Darling (19.8 PPG at Idaho State)
Dillon Mitchell (9.9 PPG at Cincinnati)
Handje Tamba (10.5 PPG at Milligan – NAIA)
St. John’s narrowly received the highest spot. The Pink Storm had big success final season leaning on a gifted perimeter group constructed from the switch portal, they usually’re hoping to do the identical in 2025-26. Rick Pitino landed 5 top-100 transfers, led by former first-team All-Huge East choice Hopkins and former top-25 recruits Jackson and Sanon. Sellers provides capturing, and Mitchell brings an intriguing quantity of versatility. Jackson and Sanon are usually not pure level guards, so Darling gives insurance coverage at that place.
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Ian Jackson’s finest performs of the season
Check out Ian Jackson’s high moments with UNC this previous season after information of his switch to St. John’s.
Jayden Quaintance (9.4 PPG at Arizona State)
Jaland Lowe (16.8 PPG at Pitt)
Denzel Aberdeen (7.7 PPG at Florida)
Kam Williams (9.3 PPG at Tulane)
Mouhamed Dioubate (7.2 PPG at Alabama)
Reece Potter (6.5 PPG at Miami (OH))
Mark Pope additionally landed 5 top-100 transfers, and if it had been assured that Quaintance could be wholesome for the beginning of the season, the Wildcats may need the highest spot. They’re additionally relying extra on leaps from rising sophomores and steps ahead from final season’s rotation gamers. However this group has the right combination of expertise and confirmed manufacturing, and Pope will probably begin as much as 4 of the transfers. The important thing to the season may very well be Quaintance, who might miss time after struggling a torn ACL in late February.
Yaxel Lendeborg (17.7 PPG at UAB)
Elliot Cadeau (9.4 PPG at North Carolina)
Morez Johnson Jr. (7.0 PPG at Illinois)
Aday Mara (6.4 PPG at UCLA)
Dusty Might had Danny Wolf, certainly one of final season’s most impactful transfers, and he ought to have one once more in Lendeborg, who withdrew from the NBA draft on the deadline regardless of being a projected first-round decide. He is more likely to be certainly one of three switch starters for the Wolverines, who’re bringing in 4 gamers ranked within the high 51 of ESPN’s high 100 transfers. Johnson and Mara are poised for breakout seasons, whereas Cadeau holds the keys to Michigan’s 2025-26 season.
Ryan Conwell (16.5 PPG at Xavier)
Adrian Wooley (18.8 PPG at Kennesaw State)
Isaac McKneely (14.4 PPG at Virginia)
Pat Kelsey’s incoming switch class is not as deep as a number of the different groups on this record, however all three are from the highest 35 — and all carry much-needed perimeter shotmaking means. Conwell was a third-team All-Huge East decide who shot higher than 41% from 3; Wooley was first-team All-Convention USA and shot 42.2% from 3; and McKneely was among the finest shooters within the ACC final season, pulling down higher than 42% from deep. Two of the three will probably begin alongside freshman Mikel Brown in an elite backcourt.
Xaivian Lee (16.9 PPG at Princeton)
Boogie Fland (13.5 PPG at Arkansas)
AJ Brown (13.2 PPG at Ohio)
Two of Florida’s incoming transfers are ranked among the many high 30 and may comprise one of the crucial efficient playmaking backcourts within the nation. Lee was first to decide to the Gators; he is a two-time, first-team All-Ivy League choice, because of stuffing the stat sheets at Princeton. Fland’s resolution vaulted Florida into these class rankings — and close to the highest of the Approach-Too-Early high 25. He is a former five-star prospect and was among the finest freshmen within the nation earlier than struggling an harm in January.
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Xaivian Lee’s high performs of the 2024-25 season
Try Xaivian Lee’s high performs of the 2024-25 season because the Princeton standout transfers to the College of Florida.
Wesley Yates III (14.1 PPG at USC)
Desmond Claude (15.8 PPG at USC)
Quimari Peterson (19.5 PPG at East Tennessee State)
Jacob Ognacevic (20.0 PPG at Lipscomb)
Lathan Sommerville (8.2 PPG at Rutgers)
Bryson Tucker (5.4 PPG at Indiana)
Christian Nitu (1.9 PPG at Florida State)
Mady Traore (juco)
After ending on the backside of the Huge Ten in Danny Sprinkle’s first season on the helm, Washington wanted to improve its roster. The Huskies ought to have one of the crucial gifted perimeter trios within the convention with former USC guards Wesley Yates III and Desmond Claude to go together with SoCon Participant of the Yr Quimari Peterson from East Tennessee State. Yates and Peterson are knockdown shooters, whereas Claude will get to the rim. Jacob Ognacevic was the Atlantic Solar Participant of the Yr and shot higher than 40% from 3. Rising sophomores Lathan Sommerville and Bryson Tucker are upside performs.
Lamar Wilkerson (20.5 PPG at Sam Houston)
Reed Bailey (18.8 PPG at Davidson)
Nick Dorn (15.2 PPG at Elon)
Tucker DeVries (14.9 PPG at West Virginia)
Jasai Miles (15.4 PPG at North Florida)
Tayton Conerway (14.2 PPG at Troy)
Josh Harris (13.4 PPG at North Florida)
Jason Drake (11.1 PPG at Drexel)
Conor Enright (7.5 PPG at DePaul)
Sam Alexis (4.7 PPG at Florida)
For a second consecutive season, Darian DeVries is overseeing a whole overhaul at a brand new job. Apart from a few returnees hoping for waivers to play one other season and freshman Trent Sisley, the remainder of the roster consists of the above names. There are eight double-figure scorers in Indiana’s group of incoming transfers, together with a trio within the high 50: DeVries, Wilkerson and Bailey. Indiana centered on perimeter capturing within the portal, a stark distinction to current years in Bloomington, however the Hoosiers hope their new level guards, Conerway and Enright, will paved the way.
Xzayvier Brown (17.6 PPG at Saint Joseph’s)
Tae Davis (15.1 PPG at Notre Dame)
Derrion Reid (6.0 PPG at Alabama)
Nijel Pack (13.9 PPG at Miami)
This can be a pivotal season for Porter Moser, and he accordingly recruited 4 top-60 transfers — three having high-major expertise and three having performed no less than two seasons. All 4 ought to begin from Day 1, too. Pack has began 121 faculty video games and brings Closing 4 expertise to the Sooners, whereas Davis took a giant leap final season. Reid is a former five-star recruit with first-round expertise, whereas Brown would possibly make the most important affect of the quartet. A bona fide put up participant would have helped Oklahoma, however it is a nice core.
Jordan Marsh (18.8 PPG at UNC Asheville)
Rodney Rice (13.8 PPG at Maryland)
Ezra Ausar (12.5 PPG at Utah)
Chad Baker-Mazara (12.3 PPG at Auburn)
Amarion Dickerson (13.2 PPG at Robert Morris)
Jacob Cofie (7.2 PPG at Virginia)
Jaden Brownell (14.0 PPG at Samford)
Gabe Dynes (6.8 PPG at Youngstown State)
Ryan Cornish (17.1 PPG at Dartmouth)
Eric Musselman was on the bottom flooring of the switch motion, constructing his rosters on this style even earlier than the portal existed. The result’s one other deep group for his second season in Los Angeles, highlighted by perimeter gamers Rice and Baker-Mazara. The previous was among the finest offensive gamers within the Huge Ten late final season, averaging 18.8 factors and 45.1% from 3 throughout an eight-game stretch in January and February. The latter brings two-way means and Closing 4 expertise. Cofie, Ausar and Dickerson are all affect gamers up entrance.
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Elevate the roof! Baker-Mazara slams residence a big-time and-1 for Auburn
The gang erupts as Chad Baker-Mazara slams residence the and-1 to pad the Tigers’ lead late within the second half.
Bennett Stirtz (19.2 PPG at Drake)
Alvaro Folgueiras (13.8 PPG at Robert Morris)
Brendan Hausen (10.9 PPG at Kansas State)
Tavion Banks (10.1 PPG at Drake)
Ashton Williamson (7.3 PPG at FIU)
Cam Manyawu (7.1 PPG at Drake)
Isaia Howard (4.5 PPG at Drake)
Kael Combs (3.8 PPG at Drake)
Joey Matteoni (redshirt at Drake)
First-year coach Ben McCollum introduced a number of gamers from the staff he guided to the second spherical of the 2025 NCAA event with him to Iowa. The important thing man for him is Stirtz, a possible All-American and one of many premier gamers within the portal. Folgueiras was the Horizon League Participant of the Yr and is very expert up entrance, whereas Hausen ought to match completely in McCollum’s offense as a knockdown 3-point shooter: He shot 39% from 3 over three seasons on the high-major stage.
Blake Harper (19.5 PPG at Howard)
Nik Graves (17.5 PPG at Charlotte)
Owen Freeman (16.7 PPG at Iowa)
Josh Dix (14.4 PPG at Iowa)
Liam McChesney (6.5 PPG at Illinois State in 2022-23)
Austin Swartz (5.9 PPG at Miami)
With program stalwarts Ryan Kalkbrenner and Steven Ashworth, amongst others, gone after final season, Creighton wanted to reload shortly. It did not change its departing stars, but it surely grabbed high expertise. Freeman was among the finest huge males within the portal and a succesful shot blocker, whereas Harper and Graves are gifted scorers with playmaking promise. Throw in sharpshooter Dix, and Greg McDermott ought to have among the finest offenses within the Huge East. There may very well be questions defensively, nonetheless.
Keyshawn Corridor (18.8 PPG at UCF)
KeShawn Murphy (11.7 PPG at Mississippi State)
Kevin Overton (7.8 PPG at Texas Tech)
Elyjah Freeman (19.3 PPG at Lincoln Memorial – D-II)
Abdul Bashir (juco)
Emeka Opurum (juco)
Final season’s Closing 4 Tigers relied closely on transfers, and Bruce Pearl is hoping to duplicate a few of that portal magic. He landed three top-60 transfers, together with Corridor, a gifted scorer, and Murphy, a confirmed SEC huge man. The intriguing addition is Division II switch Freeman, a terrific offensive participant who brings measurement and flexibility to the wing. We’ll be watching how his manufacturing interprets to the SEC. Overton might power his method right into a beginning job, too.
Darrion Williams (15.1 PPG at Texas Tech)
Tre Holloman (9.1 PPG at Michigan State)
Ven-Allen Lubin (8.7 PPG at North Carolina)
Terrance Arceneaux (6.5 PPG at Houston)
Jerry Deng (7.0 PPG at Florida State)
Quadir Copeland (9.2 PPG at McNeese)
Alyn Breed (17.5 PPG in two video games at McNeese)
Colt Langdon (redshirt at Butler)
It was clear NC State would take huge swings within the switch portal beneath new coach Will Wade, and although it took till late Might, the Wolfpack got here away with among the finest transfers within the nation in Williams. He is versatile, he is a mismatch for many opponents and he provides Wade a go-to man for his first season in Raleigh. Wade surrounded his star participant with confirmed high-major expertise, together with NCAA event starters Holloman and Lubin. Arceneaux has a tantalizing ceiling on the offensive finish. Two gamers from Wade’s McNeese roster have additionally come alongside.
