Men’s college basketball rosters are more driven by transfer portal pickups than ever before. That makes the rapid evaluation of the nearly 2,000 players changing teams each offseason one of the most critical elements of building elite rosters. Many of the most highly regarded transfers in the spring haven’t lived up to the lofty expectations thus far, but others have come seemingly out of nowhere to establish themselves as some of the best players in the sport. Which portal pickups have shined the most thus far? Here’s a look at the top 10, plus a few mid-major standouts who’ve lifted their teams to early success.
1. Chaz Lanier, Tennessee Volunteers
Stats: 18.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 47.4% 3FG%
For the second consecutive year, the Vols have the nation’s best transfer. Lanier may not have the same on-ball talents that Dalton Knecht had, but the two are similar in how meteoric their rises have been. Lanier averaged under five points per game as a junior at North Florida, then exploded as a senior and has continued that rise in Knoxville, Tenn. Lanier is a lights-out three-point threat, shooting over 47% from deep on incredibly high volume. And in perhaps the highest-profile game of his career to date Saturday at the Illinois Fighting Illini, Lanier came out of the gates on fire with 15 first-half points, slowed only by foul trouble that took him off the floor for long stretches in the second half. He’s a big reason Tennessee is No. 1 in the AP poll and a legitimate national title contender.
2. PJ Haggerty, Memphis Tigers
Stats: 21.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.5 apg, 39.4% 3FG%
Haggerty put up remarkable numbers with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane a year ago on a middling team but hasn’t missed a beat moving up to a Memphis squad that has been a pleasant surprise with early wins over the UConn Huskies, Michigan State Spartans and Clemson Tigers. He’s been one of the best guards in college basketball thus far, drawing fouls at an extraordinarily high clip and using his quickness and physicality to live around the rim. Haggerty and Texas Longhorns transfer Tyrese Hunter have Memphis fans dreaming about a trip to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2009.
3. Adou Thiero, Arkansas Razorbacks
Stats: 18.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 61.9% FG%
Thiero has long been an elite defender, but his offensive game has exploded since moving to Fayetteville, Ark., with John Calipari from the Kentucky Wildcats this offseason. He looks like a bona fide first-round pick in the 2025 draft despite his limitations as a jump shooter, using his size and athleticism to get to the rim at will. Thiero’s strong play has kept the Razorbacks afloat despite dealing with key injuries early on. He should be in the all-SEC conversation this season.
4. John Tonje, Wisconsin Badgers
Stats: 20.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.9 apg, 37.3% 3FG%
The award for most surprising portal star goes to Tonje, a sixth-year player who averaged just 2.6 points per game a year ago in eight games with the Missouri Tigers. He had shown high-level scoring instincts with the Colorado State Rams, but this type of breakthrough into the type of player who can carry a Big Ten offense was hard to see coming. Tonje has three-level scoring capabilities and has benefited from a similar role that AJ Storr and Johnny Davis thrived in for the Badgers.
5. Danny Wolf, Michigan Wolverines
Stats: 12.3 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 3.5 apg, 55.7% FG%
Wolf is a unique player, a 7-footer with legitimate point guard skills operating as the hub of Michigan’s offense under Dusty May. Playing next to another 7-footer in Vladislav Goldin, Michigan often puts Wolf as the ballhandler in pick-and-roll actions, using his height to see over the defense and make plays. Wolf has been a bit turnover prone as he adjusts from the Ivy League to the Big Ten, but so far, the good has far outweighed the bad.
6. Alijah Martin, Florida Gators
Stats: 15.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.1 apg, 37.1% 3FG%
Much of the attention in the Florida backcourt goes to Walter Clayton Jr., but Martin has been every bit as important in the Gators’ undefeated season. Martin is averaging over 15 points, six rebounds and three assists per game, all while posting the best efficiency numbers of his career after a decorated four years at FAU. Martin’s also a terrific on-ball defender, helping buoy Florida’s defense from being one of the worst in the SEC a year ago to a top-25 unit nationally this season.
7. Javon Small, West Virginia Mountaineers
Stats: 19.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.6 apg, 40.3% 3FG%
Small was one of the top lead guards in the portal in the spring after a strong junior season with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, but has continued to raise his game playing for Darian DeVries at West Virginia. Small leads WVU in points and assists while shooting a career best from the field and from three. He scored 31 points in an OT win over the Gonzaga Bulldogs during Thanksgiving week that could be huge for the Mountaineers’ NCAA tournament hopes, and overall has topped 25 points in four of his last six games.
8. JT Toppin, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Stats: 18.6 ppg, 11 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.9 bpg
Toppin has missed Texas Tech’s past four games with a minor ankle injury but had dominated during November. Toppin’s best attribute is how productive he is without needing many (if any) plays drawn up for him, instead stacking buckets off offensive rebounds, loose balls and hustle plays. How his numbers hold up in Big 12 play will be telling, but Toppin has seemingly made the leap NBA scouts were hoping to see from him after transferring up from the New Mexico Lobos in the offseason.
9. Lamont Butler, Kentucky Wildcats
Stats: 15.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.1 apg, 48.1% 3FG%
A case could be made for all five Kentucky starters to be on this list, and a top-50 list would likely include all of them. Butler may well be the most important piece though, solidifying the point guard spot for Mark Pope’s team and raising his offensive game to new heights after being known as a defensive specialist while at San Diego State. Butler is averaging north of 15 points per game after his 33-point outburst in a rivalry win over the Louisville Cardinals over the weekend. He has thrived with more space to operate in Pope’s three-point-centric offense, and he’s also averaging the most assists of his career at 4.1 per contest.
10. Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State Cyclones
Stats: 11.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.6 apg, 55.3% FG%
Iowa State found a gem in Jefferson, who has been one of the driving forces for the Cyclones’ improved offense after transferring in from the Saint Mary’s Gaels in the offseason. Jefferson has been a major upgrade on that end of the floor for the Cyclones, impressing with his ability to get downhill and make plays which has opened things up for their outstanding backcourt. After ranking outside the top 50 nationally in offensive efficiency a year ago, Iowa State is now No. 3 nationally in that statistic thanks in no small part to the Jefferson add.
Five Mid-Major Standouts
Bennett Stirtz, Drake Bulldogs
Stats: 17.8 ppg, 6.1 apg
Stirtz followed coach Ben McCollum from Division II Northwest Missouri State and has immediately been perhaps the best player in the Missouri Valley Conference. Stirtz was a terrific shot-maker at NWMSU, but has really unlocked his passing chops at Drake, seeing his assist totals jump from under four a game a year ago to over six per game thus far in Des Moines. And the cherry on top? Drake is one of five remaining unbeatens.
Paulius Murauskas, Saint Mary’s Gaels
Stats: 13.7 ppg, 8.8 rpg
Murauskas was lost in the shuffle with the Arizona Wildcats but picked a great landing spot at Saint Mary’s. The talented big wing/forward has had big performances in high-major wins against the Utah Utes (29 points) and Nebraska Cornhuskers (16 points) and could reemerge on NBA radars if he continues this strong start.
Sebastian Thomas, Rhode Island Rams
Stats: 17.3 ppg, 6.7 apg
Thomas has had an interesting journey, spending the first two years of his college career at URI before transferring down to the Albany Great Danes as a junior and reigniting his career as one of the best guards in the America East. In the spring, Thomas returned to Rhode Island and has been a completely different player than he was the last time he wore a URI uniform. In addition to being one of the most dynamic playmakers in the A-10, Thomas is also averaging over 2.5 steals per game defensively for the 10–1 Rams.
Oscar Cluff, South Dakota State Jackrabbits
Stats: 16.6 ppg, 10.8 rpg
South Dakota State landing a key rotation cog from a 25-win Washington State Cougars team a year ago looked like a big addition at the time and has lived up to the hype. Cluff has been a double double machine, tallying eight already in the young season while shooting over 70% from the field. He has helped a South Dakota State squad that lost players to the Kansas Jayhawks and UCLA Bruins in the offseason not miss a beat and look like the class of the Summit League yet again.
Nick Boyd, San Diego State Aztecs
Stats: 13.0 ppg, 4.2 apg
Boyd has been an essential veteran presence for a San Diego State team that has exceeded expectations early on, with wins over the Creighton Bluejays and Houston Cougars that have earned the Aztecs a spot in the top 25. The FAU transfer is SDSU’s second-leading scorer, leading rebounder and leading assist man thus far and is shooting an excellent 38% from beyond the arc.
Other Standouts
- Andrej Stojaković, California Golden Bears
- Chucky Hepburn, Louisville Cardinals
- Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Maryland Terrapins
- Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA Bruins
- Norchad Omier, Baylor Bears
- Zeke Mayo, Kansas Jayhawks
- Otega Oweh, Kentucky Wildcats
- Amari Williams, Kentucky Wildcats
- Jason Edwards, Vanderbilt Commodores
- Tyrese Hunter, Memphis Tigers
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ranking Top 10 Men’s College Basketball Transfers Through First Month.
