College basketball insider reveals the top transfers entering the Big Ten

Across all college sports, the transfer portal has become extremely relevant since its inception in 2018, and it’s been no different in basketball. With rosters being so small in comparison to other sports, just one or two transfers that mesh perfect with a team could be the difference between a good team and a great team, and can make a huge difference in a conference as competitive as the Big Ten.

The Big Ten had a few notable names transfer out of the conference this offseason like Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year Andre Curbelo and Big Ten Defensive player of the Year Darryl Morsell. Despite some big names transferring out of the conference, plenty are transferring in, and college basketball insider Jon Rothstein ranked the top ten transfers entering the conference for this upcoming year as a part of his Big Ten Offseason Breakdown. 

Below is the full list, in no particular order:

David Jenkins, Purdue (Utah)
Jaelin Llewellyn, Michigan (Clemson)
Isaac Likekele, Ohio State (Oklahoma State)
Sean McNeil, Ohio State (West Virginia)
Tanner Holden, Ohio State (Wright State)
Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois (Texas Tech)
Matthew Mayer, Illinois (Baylor)
Jahmir Young, Maryland (Charlotte)
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota (North Carolina) *Needs NCAA waiver
Sam Griesel, Nebraska (North Dakota State)

Most noticeably, Ohio State put in a lot of work in the transfer portal signing a trio of players from the list, headlined by shooting guard Sean McNeil. McNeil was ranked the No. 1 player in the state of Kentucky coming out of high school according to 247sports.com, and started 23 of 29 contests for West Virginia last season. McNeil, an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention last year, bolsters the Buckeyes three point shooting ability even more, as he shot 36.8% from three point range last season and had eight games with three or more threes.

Another notable name on the list and another All-Big 12 Honorable Mention player is Matthew Mayer, who joins the Fighting Illini this season. You may remember Mayer’s signature mullet hair style during Baylor’s 2021 NCAA tournament run, where he was a key role player and contributor to the Bears securing the NCAA title. Mayer brings a ton of NCAA tournament experience to the table, as he scored a career high 22 points just this year in the first round versus Northfolk State. Along with scoring, Mayer brings a ton of defensive versatility to Illinois that can surely help them secure another Big Ten championship like they did just two seasons ago.