10 steals from the 2023 college basketball transfer portal

The college basketball transfer portal reached an all-time high in the 2023 cycle. While On3 kept good track of the players as they entered, not every commitment is a one-to-one comparison. Some players are simply fits in new locations. While these ten players discussed might not be the ten best players to enter the 2023 college basketball transfer portal, they are ten steals, players who could play a significant piece for their new team.

SG RaeQuan Battle (West Virginia)

Height/Weight: 6-5/190
Year: Grad Transfer
Previous School: Montana State
2022-23 Stats: 17.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 35.3% 3P

The Skinny: RaeQuan Battle was awarded first-team All-Big Sky after finishing fifth in the league in scoring. If the multiple-time transfer is granted a waiver, scorer is a role the 6-foot-5 guard should be given the opportunity to step right in and fill for the Mountaineers. Originally from Washington State, Battle played his first two seasons of college ball at Washington, where he started three games and averaged 4.8 points. Even with the off-season they have had, West Virginia found success recruiting the transfer portal. 

PG Jalen Cook (LSU)

Height/Weight: 6-0/205
Year: Senior
Previous School: Tulane
2022-23 Stats: 19.9 points, 2.9 rebounds. 4.9 assists 

The Skinny: Jalen Cook started his college career at LSU before transferring to Tulane and finding boatloads of success. Cook is a two-time first-team All-AAC recipient after finishing top five in the league in points, assists, and steals last season. LSU struggled at the guard spot last season, and Cook brings some electricity to the Tigers lineup. Matt McMahon found and cultivated Ja Morant at Murray State, his teams are at their best when they have a dynamic point guard at the helm. The Tigers re-tooled their roster, bringing in two new freshmen and six new players from the portal. The keys will be handed to Cook.

SG Damian Dunn (Houston)

Height/Weight: 6-5/195
Year: RS-Junior
Previous School: Temple
2022-23 Stats: 15.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists

The Skinny: Last January, Damian Dunn went to Houston and scored 16 points, and took home a win against a top-ranked Houston team. Fast-forward to this season and Dunn has transferred to play for the Cougars. Dunn is in his fourth year of college basketball, but with a redshirt season and COVID year, he has only played for two. In each of the past two seasons, he was named All-League AAC. Houston lost Marcus Sasser to the NBA Draft and Tramon Mark to the transfer portal. Dunn is a proven commodity who will be asked to come in and get buckets, just like he did on January 1, 2023.

CG Aaron Estrada (Alabama)

Height/Weight: 6-3/195
Year: Grad Transfer
Previous School: Hofstra
2022-23 Stats: 20.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.5 steals

The Skinny: Aaron Estrada was one of only 26 in men’s D1 college basketball who averaged over 20 points per game last season. With his productive numbers, he has also been named back-to-back CAA Conference Player of the Year. Nate Oats has shown he likes to play with two guards who can initiate the offense. Estrada should slide nicely next to returning lead man Mark Sears to give the Crimson Tide a backcourt pairing that can dribble, shoot, and pass.

PG Kehson Gilbert (Iowa State)

Height/Weight: 6-4/180
Year:  Junior
Previous School: UNLV
2022-23 Stats: 11.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals

The Skinny: Simply put, Keshon Gilbert is a smooth operator. He has positional size with a crafty handle and a good burst into the paint. Where Gilbert really shines is on the defensive end, where he uses keen anticipation and his length to get into the passing lanes. He also has the ability to slide his feet at the point of attack. Iowa State likes to play at a slower tempo, really focusing on the defensive end. With continued efficiency, Gilbert can shine in this type of system.

PG Joe Girard (Clemson)

Height/Weight: 6-1/190
Year: Grad Transfer
Previous School: Syracuse
2022-23 Stats: 16.4 points, 3.0 assists, 38.1% 3P

The Skinny: This is the transfer you forgot about. The one you knew happened, but it slipped your mind. However, once Clemson takes the floor, the ACC will see that Brad Brownell got his man with Joe Girard. Girard has scored 1,652 career points in 123 starts and shot 36.3 percent on 297 makes. He has been uber-productive already in this league. With Jim Boeheim retiring, Girard hit the portal. Clemson is a team that has had more recent success than you think; they bring back some nice pieces centered around PJ Hall. Expect Girard to be given every opportunity to be a key figure in this Tiger offense.

PG Ryan Nembhard (Gonzaga)

Height/Weight: 6-0/170
Year: Junior
Previous School: Creighton
2022-23 Stats: 12.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists

The Skinny: The younger brother of former Gonzaga point guard Andrew Nembhard, Ryan Nembhard, has started in 64 games for Creighton over his two seasons in college and was a key piece to the success the Bluejays saw, including 47 wins, four of which came in the NCAA Tournaments. He brings a presence to the lead guard spot for the Zags, something their best teams have always had. 

PG Tylor Perry (Kansas State)

Height/Weight: 5-11/182
Year: Grad Transfer
Previous School: North Texas
2022-23 Stats: 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 41.3% 3P

The Skinny: While Tylor Perry might be considered a smaller guard, he is one who can flat-out put the ball in the basket. The sub-six-foot lead guard is the reigning Conference USA Player of the Year. For his two year career at North Texas, Perry has shot 41.3 percent from three on 6.6 attempts over a 67-game span. Jerome Tang showed last season, with Markquis Nowell, that he is not afraid to let his guards boogie a little. Perry came from a school, and a system at North Texas, that liked to slow things down to a screeching pace. Tang does not. 

SF Andrew Rohde (Virginia)

Height/Weight: 6-6.185
Year: Sophomore
Previous School: St Thomas
2022-23 Stats: 17.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.7 steals

The Skinny: Some guys simply know how to play basketball. The sum of Andrew Rohde’s game is greater than his parts. He won All-Summit Rookie of the Year and first-team All-Summit both last season. Rohde finished the season strong averaging 19.0 points per game in league play and nine league wins – a .500 record – in just St. Thomas’s second year in Division 1. Rohde should come straight out of the transfer portal and into Tony Bennett’s lineup.

CG Hunter Sallis (Wake Forest)

Height/Weight: 6-5/180
Year: Junior
Previous School: Gonzaga
2022-23 Stats: 4.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists

The Skinny: Sure, Hunter Sallis’s numbers at Gonzaga will not wow you, but sometimes, all a transfer needs is a change of scenery. Sallis is a former blue-chip recruit, and the Omaha, Nebraska native chose Gonzaga over a host of high-level suitors. Sallis is a highly-explosive guard, and Steve Forbes has had nice success with Alondes Williams and Tyree Appleby in his last two portal classes. Let’s see if Sallis can make it three-for-thee.