Top 10 College Basketball 2024 transfer portal classes ft. Louisville
With the transfer portal reaching its dead period, many teams have made significant moves to alter their outlook for the 2024-25 season. As the May 29 NBA draft eligibility deadline looms, most players have made their decision official.
With a slew of moves already in the rearview, On3 published their official rankings of the 2024 transfer portals and the teams who gained the most from it. Jamie Shaw published the Top 10 ranking in a post on X.
Let's take a deep dive into how each team bolstered their roster after the 2023-24 season.
Top 10 College Basketball 2024 transfer portal classes
#10. LSU
With three players joining and just one leaving, the LSU Tigers had a relatively quiet transfer period, but their acquisitions are projected to be incredible additions to the squad.
Despite losing Carlos Stewart, the Tigers fortified their guard rotation by adding a trifecta of 4-star prospects: Jordan Sears from UT Martin Skyhawks, Dji Bailey from Richmond Spiders and Cam Carter from the Kansas State Wildcats.
The latter two will be taking over the shooting guard role, whereas Jordan, at 5-foot-11, is expected to serve as the lead facilitator.
#9. California
With a bevy of moves, the California Golden Bears have completely revamped their roster. With eight players coming in and six moving out, the program will have an entirely new look going into next season.
With forwards Monty Bowser, Grant Newell and ND Okafor all moving out of Cali, the incoming class brings in some much-needed front-court depth.
Thanks to the addition of Joshua Ola-Joseph from Minnesota, B.J. Omot from North Dakota, Lee Dort from Vanderbilt, Andrej Stojakovic from Stanford, Rytis Petraitis from the Air Force Falcons and Mady Sissoko from Michigan State, concerns about frontcourt depth are alleviated.
In the backcourt, combo guard Devin Askew, along with Rodney Brown Jr. and Jalen Celestine also ended their Golden Bears tenure, and will be replaced by a combination of Christian Tucker from UTSA and DJ Campbell from West Carolina
#8. Nebraska
Despite a 5:6 ratio of players coming in and going out, the Nebraska Cornhuskers had an incredible overhaul in the transfer window. While they lost some wing depth in Ramel Lloyd Jr., C.J. Wilcher, Matar Diop, Eli Rice and Jamarques Lawrence, their incoming class should make up for it.
With Rollie Worster, Gavin Griffiths and Conor Essegian, they have a strong wing crop to shore up. Andrew Morgan from North Dakota could serve as the ideal replacement for Blaise Keita, taking on Power Forward responsibilities.
Furthermore, Braxton Meah from Washington is a four-star center recruit who could further enhance the interior for the Cornhuskers.
#7. Michigan
The inverse of Nebraska's roster turnover signaled a strong transfer window for the Michigan Wolverines, who lost one player from each position on the court to the transfer portal.
Dug McDaniel at PG, George Washington III as a combo guard, Youssef Khayat at the SF, Terrance Williams at the power forward and Tarris Reed manning the middle all exited from the Wolverines.
In their place, a strong incoming class, highlighted by the twin towers of Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin, accompanied by guards Tre Donaldson and Roddy Gayle Jr., should help Michigan mitigate the losses they incurred.
#6. Georgia
With just five people moving in, and six of their roster pieces moving out, Georgia has a tough task ahead. However, the incoming class projects to be one of the strongest for the 2024-25 season.
The main hit for the Bulldogs came in their backcourt, where they lost Jabri Abdur-Rahim, Justin Hill, Mari Jordan and RJ Melendez. They will also be losing Jalen Deloach in the frontcourt, with Frank Anselem-Ibe their lone big man to walk out.
However, their receiving class should make up for the dearth of options left behind in the backcourt. With Dakota Leffew, De'Shayne Montgomery and Tyrin Lawrence, Georgia has shored up on its guard options. Furthermore, twin bigs RJ Godfrey and Justin Abson should add to their frontcourt depth as well.
#5. UCLA
With just four players leaving for the transfer portal and a loaded six-player class coming in, UCLA appears to be in a solid position heading into the new season.
In Berke Buyuktuncel and Ilane Fibleuil, the Bruins lose some of their front-court options, along with the loss of Will McClendon and Jan Vide from the guard position, which could serve as potential detractors.
But, the oncoming class, headlined by 3 Power Forwards William Kyle from South Dakota State, Tyler Bilodeau from Oregon State, and Eric Dailey from Oklahoma State, should help fill the holes in the UCLA roster. Furthermore, Kobe Johnson and Dominick Harris should anchor the wing position dearth left behind.
The addition of a four-star PG in Skyy Clark from the Louisville Cardinals should signal a big change to the offensive style for UCLA for the upcoming year.
#4. Mississippi State
With the same roster turnaround in terms of the number of players as the UCLA Bruins, Mississippi State also appears to be in a strong position going into next season. With Shakeel Moore and Andrew Taylor, they lose a few options at the guard position to the transfer portal.
But, the additions of Kanye Clary, Claudell Harris Jr., RJ Melendez, Trey Fort III and Riley Kugel should more than make up for their losses. Additionally, Jeremy Foumena and Michael Nwoko should help shore up the frontcourt, where the Bulldogs suffered the losses of KeShawn Murphy and Jaquan Scott.
#3. Indiana
The Hoosiers had a relatively quiet transfer portal, with eight total transfers, out of which five were incoming players. However, with 4 four-star recruits joining their ranks, the team looks poised for a deep run in the upcoming season.
Their frontcourt took a hit with Payton Sparks and Kaleb Banks joining the list of exits, along with point guard CJ Gunn also moving out of Indiana. However, the incoming class should offset their losses, with Oumar Ballo and Langdon Hatton serving as good replacements for their front line.
In the backcourt, the addition of Luke Goode, Kanaan Carlyle, and Myles Rice should give the Hoosiers some flexibility in their guard rotation.
#2. West Virginia
Amid a busy time at the transfer portal, West Virginia emerged as overall winners with five of their seven incoming transfers considered four-star prospects, despite losing five three-star prospects in their outgoing class of seven.
With five guards (Noah Farrakhan, Jeremiah Bembry, Seth Wilson, Kerr Kriisa, and Kobe Johnson), along with two power forwards Josiah Harrish and Pat Suemnick moving out, the team's immediate need is clear.
Thankfully, with names like Joseph Yesufu, Javon Small and Sencire Harris making their way over, they should find some security in their backcourt depth. With a wing rotation bolstered by Tucker DeVries and Toby Okani, the team will have options to move around on the roster.
Additionally, their big-man rotation also got a nice boost, thanks to names like Amani Hansberry and Eduardo Andre.
#1. Louisville
With a mind-boggling 11 incoming players, to pair with 13 outgoing names, Louisville has practically an entirely fresh squad to work with. The fact that nine of its 11 incoming recruits are considered four-star prospects bodes well for the future of the Cardinals.
The wing rotation is where the Cardinals are facing the biggest turnaround. Nine players in the 6-foot-6 to 6-foot-9 range are moving out, along with an additional trifecta of point guards: Ty-Laur Johnson, Skyy Clark and Hercy Miller. The 7-foot-1 center Dennis Evans is also among the list of players no longer on the team.
The incoming class, however, has a far different look. With three centers in James Scott, Aly Khalifa, and Frank Anselem-Ibe, the team is shoring up its frontcourt depth, alongside the power forward Noah Waterman.
Their guards could be replaced by Chucky Hepburn, J'Vonne Hadley, Reyne Smith, and Koren Johnson, while their wing depth sees the addition of Kasean Pryor, Kobe Rodgers, Aboubacar Traore and Terrence Edwards Jr.