Top 10 game-changing transfers in the 2024 college basketball season ft. Hunter Dickinson, Harrison Ingram and more
It's hard to argue against transfers changing college basketball – after all, consider Hunter Dickinson or Harrison Ingram. Kansas and North Carolina are poised for a memorable March, which would not be possible without their game-changing transfers.
But Dickinson and Ingram are just two of a long list of big-time transfer additions. Here are ten players performing well after transferring to a new team.
Top 10 game-changing transfers
#10. Jahvon Quinerly, Memphis
Quinerly was a glue guy at Alabama who defended, scrapped, and made big plays. He's the same guy at Memphis. Averaging 13.4 points and 4.9 assists per game, Quinerly could take the Tigers farther than they've gone in many Marches.
#9. Lance Jones, Purdue
Because of Zach Edey's insane season, Jones might not get the attention he should. But make no mistake, the solid play (13.0 ppg, 2.5 apg) of the fifth-year Southern Illinois transfer is huge.
Within Purdue's last three games, Jones notched 10 rebounds and eight assists in a poor shooting night, followed by 26 and 20 points in the next two games. He's tough, and so is Purdue.
#8. Keshad Johnson, Arizona
Considered something of a work in progress coming out of San Diego State, Johnson has played his best college basketball at Arizona. In the Wildcats' triple OT win yesterday, he had 17 points and nine rebounds.
For the year, his 11.6 ppg and 6.2 rpg have been pivotal for Tommy Lloyd's program. Watch out for Johnson in March.
#7. LJ Cryer, Houston
The Baylor transfer has found a new home quickly. The 6-foot-1 Cryer has filled the void left by Marcus Sasser, scoring 15.1 ppg. In Houston's recent defeat to Kansas, Cryer still showed a strong game, hitting six 3-pointers and finishing with 24 points.
#6. Caleb Love, Arizona
Love, a 6-foot-4 guard who had starred at North Carolina, has been even better out west. The likely Pac-12 Player of the Year (18.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg), Love plays his biggest basketball when the spotlight is on. His last four games have included a 36-point outburst, a near triple-double and a 19-point, 10-rebound game on a bad shooting night.
#5. Cam Spencer, UConn
Rutgers transfer Cam Spencer has been a 3-point ace for UConn. Spencer increased his production from 13.2 ppg at Rutgers to 15.5 ppg at UConn. He also upped his perimeter game, increasing his 3-point accuracy from 43.4 to 45.1%. Spencer has certainly found a home and may help UConn repeat.
#4. Harrison Ingram, North Carolina
A talented athlete at Stanford, Ingram is coming into his own at Carolina. With 12.5 ppg and 8.9 rpg, Ingram is a steady contributor. He has also improved his 3-point accuracy from 31.3% and 31.9% in two years at Stanford to 42.3% at UNC. With three double-doubles in his last five games, Ingram is starting to heat up even more.
#3. David Jones, Memphis
On his third team in three years, Jones has lifted Penny Hardaway's team single-handedly. The 6-foot-6 forward is likely to be the AAC Player of the Year (21.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg). Once an inconsistent perimeter shooter, Jones is hitting 39.3% of his 3-point tries and makes 2.5 3-pointers per game.
#2. Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
On the other hand, Knecht was an under-the-radar addition from Northern Colorado. But he's not under the radar now. The same athleticism that let Knecht rule the Big Sky is doing the same in the SEC. At 20.2 ppg, he's the SEC's leading scorer on what might be the league's best team.
#1. Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
The Michigan transfer was expected to be an immediate program-shifter at Kansas. He has been that and then some. Averaging 18.9 ppg and 11.1 rpg, the 7-foot-1 Dickinson is a National Player of the Year candidate. Meanwhile, he anchors a No. 4 Kansas team in the hunt for a top NCAA seed.
Who did we leave off? Who should rank even higher? Let us know your thoughts on transfers in the comment section below.