College basketball's transfer cycle starts heating up before the season ends as players often begin entering the transfer portal soon after their teams are eliminated from conference tournament play. In the subsequent months, the sport becomes a game of musical chairs as hundreds of players commit to new schools in what amounts to unofficial free agency.
Sometimes it takes a few months to understand just how some of the top transfers will fit in their new spots, though. With injuries, NBA Draft decisions and freshman reclassifications complicating the process, rosters often remain in flux deep into the summer. But now that the 2022-23 season is upon us, it's time to revisit the transfer rankings from the 2022 offseason.
For example, Texas Tech big man Fardaws Aimaq was previously No. 5 in this ranking, but with a foot injury likely to keep him out for several weeks to begin the season, he's been moved down. The former Utah Valley star could still be one of the Big 12's top newcomers, but the injury — and the practice time it robbed him of in a new system — impacts his standing.
With more than 1,700 Division I players entering the portal this offseason, the top 25 players listed here are merely the cream of the crop who figure to have the biggest impact on the sport next season. Hundreds more who missed the list also figure to have a major impact on college basketball next season as the sport grows collectively more accustomed to an annual wave of player movement. Here is a look at this year's top transfers in college basketball.
1. Kendric Davis
Old school: SMU | New school: Memphis
The 5-foot-11 guard played a key role in helping SMU to three straight winning seasons and is the reigning AAC Player of the Year. In 2021-22, he finished second in the AAC in scoring behind a 37.2% 3-point mark on 6.5 attempts per game. Davis is more than just an outside shooter, though, and has the profile of a starting point guard for a big-time program. During the 2020-21 season, he ranked fourth nationally with 7.6 assists per game while still scoring 19 points per contest. He is also skilled at scoring inside the arc as a career 49.8% shooter on 2-point attempts. He'll be an instant impact player for the Tigers, who are more than familiar with his capabilities, and Davis was named to the 2022-23 CBS Sports Preseason All-America Second Team.
2. Nijel Pack
Old school: Kansas State | New school: Miami
Pack earned All-Big 12 First Team honors as a sophomore and finished third in the league in scoring at 17.4 points per game. His 43.6% 3-point shooting percentage this past season was particularly strong. Considering that he also shot 40.5% from deep as a freshman and is averaging 6.9 attempts from deep for his career, Pack might be the best shooter in the portal who has consistently proven it against elite defenses. He can do more than just shoot, though, and he should be able to play a key role for the Hurricanes next season.
3. Tyrese Hunter
Old school: Iowa State | New school: Texas
Hunter won Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors while averaging 11 points and 4.9 assists for Iowa State. The former four-star prospect played a key role in helping the Cyclones reach the Sweet 16 in their first season under coach T.J. Otzelberger following a 2-22 season in 2020-21. His commitment to Texas gives second-year coach Chris Beard one of the most ready-made contributors out of the portal. With Marcus Carr coming back to Texas next season, the Longhorns on paper will have one of the most dynamic backcourts in all of college basketball.
4. Isiaih Mosley
Old school: Missouri State | Missouri
Mosley helped coach Dana Ford turn Missouri State into a force in the Missouri Valley during his three seasons with the program. The 6-5 shooting guard led the league in scoring at 20.4 points per game in the 2021-22 season and did it while shooting an efficient 50.4% from the floor. He turned in 40-point outings against MVC powers Northern Iowa and Loyola-Chicago during the regular season and also flashed his offensive prowess against high-major opposition with an 11 of 20 showing against Oklahoma in the NIT. He played his high school basketball in Columbia, Missouri, so his decision to join the Tigers under first-year coach Dennis Gates is a homecoming.
5. Kevin McCullar
Old school: Texas Tech | New school: Kansas
Kansas is getting a hard-nosed three-year veteran of Big 12 battles in McCullar, who should be an impact defender on the perimeter for the Jayhawks. McCullar's career 29.9% 3-point shooting mark is unremarkable, but his distribution and defense packaged into a 6-6 frame make him a great pickup for the reigning national champions.
6. Terrence Shannon Jr.
Old school: Texas Tech | New school: Illinois
The 6-6 shooting guard upped his 3-point shooting mark to 38.4% this season while averaging 10.4 points for a Texas Tech team that took Duke down to the wire in the Sweet 16. Given the program he's coming from, you know he can play defense. Offensively, he could likely be a 15-points-per-game type of player if given 30 or more minutes per game in the Illinois system.
7. Johni Broome
Old school: Morehead State | New school: Auburn
Broome is a monster shot blocker who finished third nationally with 131 blocked shots this season, putting him ahead of players like Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren, Duke's Mark Williams, Arizona's Christian Koloko and KC Ndefo of Saint Peter's. But he's also a skilled player in the post who came up with big offensive performances in the OVC Tournament title games over the past two seasons. He will be big in helping Auburn replace Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler.
8. Brandon Murray
Old school: LSU | New school: Georgetown
Amid the transition from Will Wade to Matt McMahon at LSU, there is a deep group of players from both LSU and Murray State — McMahon's old school — on the move. Several of them are good enough to wind up as impact players on NCAA Tournament teams. Of the group, Murray stands out for his size as a well-built 6-5 guard with two-way chops. Though he played off the ball as a freshman, he flashed distribution prowess with nine assists in an SEC Tournament win over Missouri. Ultimately, he is a versatile guard who averaged double-digits as a true freshman for an NCAA Tournament team known for defense. That's a winning formula in portal season. Georgetown's hiring of ex-LSU assistant Kevin Nickelberry appears to have given it a huge leg up in landing Murray after the Hoyas struggled to a 6-25 record this past season.
9. KJ Williams
Old school: Murray State | New school: LSU
Williams upped his production each season during a stellar four-year run at Murray State. This past season, he averaged 18 points and 8.4 rebounds for a team that finished 31-3 and earned a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He's not much of a shot blocker for a 6-10 player, but he makes up for it with a career 3-point shooting percentage of 35.5%. He is reuniting with Matt McMahon, his former coach at Murray State, to play a key role on an LSU roster that will be almost unrecognizable compared to the one that former coach Will Wade fielded during the 2021-22 season.
10. Malachi Smith
Old school: Chattanooga | New school: Gonzaga
Smith was the SoCon Player of the Year as he led the conference in scoring while guiding Chattanooga to a regular season title and conference tournament championship. Though Smith struggled in the Mocs' NCAA Tournament loss against Illinois, he demonstrated a strong all-around game during the course of his redshirt sophomore season. At 6-foot-4, he can play on or off the ball and should provide key depth for a Gonzaga team that lost guard Andrew Nembhard to the NBA Draft. Smith is a career 38% 3-point shooter whose sharpshooting next to returning guard Rasir Bolton should make the Zags one of the most fearsome perimeter shooting teams in college hoops next season.
11. Tanner Holden
Old school: Wright State | New school: Ohio State
Those who watched Holden go 3 for 11 and finish with 12 points in Wright State's first round NCAA Tournament loss to No. 1 seed Arizona were likely not blown away. His three-year body of work for the Raiders is phenomenal, though, and his junior season made it clear he can handle big-time college basketball. The 6-6 guard averaged 20.1 points per game and finished second in Division I with 280 free-throw attempts. He's not much of a 3-point shooter, but Holden is skilled at finding his spots inside the arc and attacking, which leads to points at the charity stripe.
12. Matthew Mayer
Old school: Baylor | New school: Illinois
Mayer's shooting percentages dropped in the 2021-22 season as he entered the starting lineup for the first time in his career and played an increased offensive role amid a crushing streak of injuries for the Bears. But in the 2020-21 season, he demonstrated exactly what would make him so valuable as a transfer when he played a key role off the bench for a team that won the national title. He joins an Illinois team that loses four starters, including star big man Kofi Cockburn. Mayer should be in line to have a starting role as he makes the leap from the Big 12 to the Big Ten.
13. Norchad Omier
Old school: Arkansas State | New school: Miami
The Sun Belt Player of the Year is on the move after averaging 17.9 points and 12.2 rebounds for Arkansas State as a sophomore while shooting 63.2% from the floor. He doubled as the league's defensive player of the year while blocking 1.9 shots and snagging 1.6 steals per game. The only question is, at just 6-7 and with no 3-point shot, how will Omier fit with the Hurricanes? It will take some thoughtful strategizing from Jim Larranaga to maximize Omier's unique game at a higher level of competition.
14. Tristen Newton
Old school: East Carolina | New school: UConn
With R.J. Cole moving on following a nice two-year run as UConn's starting point guard after transferring in from Howard, coach Dan Hurley is banking on another transfer guard to help the Huskies next season. Newton averaged 17.7 points, 5.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 43.5% from the floor for ECU in the 2021-22 season. At 6-5, he's got nice positional size and should be able to improve his offensive efficiency while playing in a system with more weapons.
15. Baylor Scheierman
Old school: South Dakota State | New school: Creighton
Scheierman won Summit League Player of the Year while averaging 16.2 points for a Jackrabbits squad that finished 30-5 (18-0 Summit) with a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Providence. The 6-6 guard is a lefty with a smooth stroke who shot 50.8% from the floor, including 46.9% from 3-point range on 5.1 attempts this past season. He's a slippery ball-handler with the ability to create space for his shot. It will be fascinating to see if he can translate that offensive prowess to the Big East and help lift the Bluejays to new heights.
16. Andre Curbelo
Old school: Illinois | New school: St. John's
Curbelo's sophomore season never got off the ground after a concussion-related issue kept him from building on a standout freshman season. Still, St. John's coach Mike Anderson should be thrilled to have a chance at helping Curbelo reach his full potential. The former top-50 prospect from the 2020 class averaged 4.2 assists in just 21.5 minutes per game as a freshman, and he showed deftness at beating defenders off the dribble and finishing inside the arc. Turnover issues, a lack of 3-point shooting and his sophomore season as a whole are all legitimate red flags. But the potential reward outweighs the risks for a St. John's program looking to break through and reach the NCAA Tournament
17. Courtney Ramey
Old school: Texas | New school: Arizona
After four seasons at Texas, 128 games and 106 starts, Ramey is head to Arizona. It will be weird seeing him in another uniform, but the Wildcats appear to be a great fit. The 6-3 guard is a proven shooter and secondary ball-handler who scored 1,275 points during his time with the Longhorns. His best season was during the 2020-21 campaign, Shaka Smart's last as Texas' coach. Ramey averaged 12.2 point per game on 41.4% 3-point shooting before struggling in the postseason that year. Given that he's spent most of his career in a slow-paced system, it will be fun to see what Ramey can do in Arizona's high-flying attack.
18. Mark Sears
Old school: Ohio | New school: Alabama
After earning first-team All-MAC honors during a breakout sophomore season, Sears is returning to his home state of Alabama to help the Crimson Tide reclaim their 3-point shooting prowess. Alabama ranked first among the 14 SEC teams in 3-point attempts, makes and percentage in the 2020-21 season, but he slipped to 12th in percentage this past season. Sears hit 40.8% of his 3-point attempts for a 25-10 Ohio team and led the Bobcats with 19.7 points per game. He looks like a perfect fit at the perfect time for Alabama.
19. Fardaws Aimaq
Old school: Utah Valley | New school: Texas Tech
Aimaq averaged 18.9 points and 13.6 rebounds for a 20-12 Utah Valley team in 2021-22, and he began flashing his outside shot by hitting 43.5% of his 46 attempts from 3-point range. He was also a two-time WAC Defensive Player of the Year, which makes him a perfect fit for Texas Tech's gritty defensive system under coach Mark Adams. His all-around game should make him an impact player for one of the Big 12's top programs.
20. Pete Nance
Old school: Northwestern | New school: North Carolina
Nance is a stretch forward who drilled 45.2% of his 3-point attempts while averaging 14.6 points for Northwestern last season. With four years of Big Ten experience under his belt and some solid ball skills for his size (2.7 assists last season), he should be able to play a big role for the Tar Heels. On paper, he looks like an excellent replacement for graduated power forward Brady Manek, who was a critical piece of UNC's 2022 Final Four run.
21. Manny Bates
Old school: NC State | New school: Butler
A shoulder injury in NC State's season opener knocked Bates out for the year. However, if he can return to the form he showed as a sophomore, he could be a huge boost for Thad Matta's hopes of a quick turnaround at Butler. The 6-11 menace led the ACC in blocks during the 2020-21 season and swatted a ridiculous 4.9 shots per 40 minutes over his two seasons of play with the Wolfpack. He's shown no 3-point shot in his career, but he is a reliable finisher around the rim who may be the Big East's top shot blocker next season.
22. Osun Osunniyi
Old school: St. Bonaventure | New school: Iowa State
Osunniyi amassed 304 blocks during 111 games over four seasons at St. Bonaventure and is the two-time reigning Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year. His addition is huge for an Iowa State team undergoing another significant roster overhaul after an improbable Sweet 16 run in coach T.J. Otzelberger's first season. Osunniyi's offensive repertoire is limited, but he is reliable in the paint and could be an upgrade in the post for the Cylcones on both ends.
23. Kyle Lofton
Old school: St. Bonaventure | New school: Florida
With 116 starts under his belt for a solid St. Bonaventure program, it stands to reason that Lofton can handle a transition to the SEC. He's just a career 30.3% 3-point shooter but is a grade-A distributor, excellent free-throw shooter and solid on-ball defender. Having a veteran point guard like Lofton will help ease first-year coach Todd Golden's transition from San Francisco to one of the nation's big-time jobs.
24. Grant Sherfield
Old school: Nevada | New school: Oklahoma
Sherfield should have a shot at leading Oklahoma in scoring after averaging 19.1 points per game at Nevada last season. He also led the Mountain West in assists per game at 6.4 and figures to be an integral part of who the Sooners are in Year 2 under Porter Moser. With guards Umoja Gibson, Jordan Goldwire and Elijah Harkless gone from last year's team, the floor is open for Sheffield to become an impact player in the Big 12.
25. Keion Brooks
Old school: Kentucky | New school: Washington
A five-star prospect from the Class of 2019, Brooks was good in three seasons at Kentucky but never stood out as a top offensive option. The versatile 6-7 forward should play a larger role at Washington, which is seeking a return to the 20-win trajectory it enjoyed during the first two seasons of coach Mike Hopkins' tenure. Look for Brooks to contend for all-conference honors.
