Class rankings in school basketball have lengthy been reserved for highschool recruiting, the place we evaluate every program’s group of incoming school freshmen. However with the elevated deal with the switch portal and nearly all of high-major applications choosing the older gamers over highschool seniors, we have added switch class rankings to the offseason rotation.
In sure methods, doing these is harder than for recruiting lessons. First-year coaches are bringing in eight to 10 transfers. Different applications may want just one or two gamers to spherical out the roster. Some have been in search of depth, some for high-end expertise. Some have been going for one-year gamers with expertise, others are in search of youthful gamers with room to develop.
However, 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 bought 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-Large East choice Hopkins and former top-25 recruits Jackson and Sanon. Sellers provides taking pictures, and Mitchell brings an intriguing quantity of versatility. Jackson and Sanon should not pure level guards, so Darling offers insurance coverage at that place.
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Ian Jackson’s greatest performs of the season
Check out Ian Jackson’s prime 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 have 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 may 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, considered 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 choose. He is prone to be considered one of three switch starters for the Wolverines, who’re bringing in 4 gamers ranked within the prime 51 of ESPN’s prime 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 few of the different groups on this checklist, however all three are from the highest 35 — and all deliver much-needed perimeter shotmaking capability. Conwell was a third-team All-Large East choose who shot higher than 41% from 3; Wooley was first-team All-Convention USA and shot 42.2% from 3; and McKneely was top-of-the-line 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 prime 30 and may comprise one of the 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, due to stuffing the stat sheets at Princeton. Fland’s determination vaulted Florida into these class rankings — and close to the highest of the Way-Too-Early top 25. He is a former five-star prospect and was top-of-the-line freshmen within the nation earlier than struggling an damage in January.
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Xaivian Lee’s prime performs of the 2024-25 season
Try Xaivian Lee’s prime 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 Large Ten in Danny Sprinkle’s first season on the helm, Washington wanted to improve its roster. The Huskies ought to have one of the gifted perimeter trios within the convention with former USC guards Wesley Yates III and Desmond Claude to associate with SoCon Participant of the 12 months 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 12 months 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. Aside 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 prime 50: DeVries, Wilkerson and Bailey. Indiana targeted on perimeter taking pictures within the portal, a stark distinction to latest years in Bloomington, however the Hoosiers hope their new level guards, Conerway and Enright, will prepared the ground.
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)
It is 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 school video games and brings Remaining 4 expertise to the Sooners, whereas Davis took an enormous leap final season. Reid is a former five-star recruit with first-round expertise, whereas Brown may 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 ground of the switch motion, constructing his rosters on this vogue 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 top-of-the-line offensive gamers within the Large 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 capability and Remaining 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 group 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 crew he guided to the second spherical of the 2025 NCAA match 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 12 months 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 substitute its departing stars, nevertheless it grabbed prime expertise. Freeman was top-of-the-line massive 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 top-of-the-line offenses within the Large East. There may very well be questions defensively, nevertheless.
Keyshawn Hall (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 Remaining 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 massive man. The intriguing addition is Division II switch Freeman, a terrific offensive participant who brings dimension and flexibility to the wing. We’ll be watching how his manufacturing interprets to the SEC. Overton may 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 massive swings within the switch portal underneath new coach Will Wade, and although it took till late Might, the Wolfpack got here away with top-of-the-line 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 match starters Holloman and Lubin. Arceneaux has a tantalizing ceiling on the offensive finish. Two gamers from Wade’s McNeese roster have additionally come alongside.