The biggest winners from college basketball's transfer portal this off-season

Changes are coming across college sports at a rapid pace, and in college hoops, there may be no single, bigger change than the role the transfer portal plays in recruiting. While transfer recruiting was once considered niche it is now mainstream, with everyone from the lowest of low majors to Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, Duke and UCLA all picking up at least one transfer this off-season.

Over the last two months we’ve been following transfer recruiting religiously here, putting out eight versions of our “best transfers” list (here is our most recent one from a week ago). But now, just as quickly as it came, transfer season is basically over. Yes, there are a handful of impact players still in the portal, but for the most part, all the big names have signed somewhere.

So now, with transfer season over, it’s time to name the biggest winners of transfer season.

A couple of notes before we get started.

One, this list is long. Really long. And to avoid making it longer, one requirement was that you had to sign at least two transfers to make the list. Therefore, teams like Tennessee, UCLA, Michigan and Michigan State – who all signed at least one marquee guy – were excluded.

I also tried to find the balance of “incoming transfers” and “outgoing” to determine “winners.” While some schools picked up marquee transfers, if I believed that more talent left your program via the portal (like Arizona, Arizona State, Memphis and others) than I didn’t include you on the list. For those who lost some transfers but still improved their rosters (Kentucky, Arkansas, Texas etc.) they made this list.

Oh, and last note: Get ready to see a lot of SEC teams on this list. Man, has that league loaded up.

Anyway, let’s get to the list. Here are our Transfer Portal winners of the 2021 off-season:

Kentucky Wildcats

Signees: Kellan Grady (Davidson), CJ Fredrick (Iowa), Sahvir Wheeler (Georgia), Oscar Tshiebwe (West Virginia),

It’s no secret that the 2020-2021 season was disastrous for Kentucky, where just about everything that could go wrong, did. There were a lot of problems that needed to be addressed, from a playmaking point guard, to three-point shooting to physicality down low. Oh, and maturity too.

Well credit where it’s due, as John Calipari answered every single one of those problems via the portal.

As I wrote earlier this week, the final piece was the most important for Kentucky this off-season, with the addition of former Georgia guard Sahvir Wheeler. He is the playmaker that the Wildcats needed, a guy who averaged 7.4 assists per game and did it on a roster without nearly the talent he’ll play with next year. Additionally shooting was addressed in a big way, with one of the best shooters in college basketball last season (CJ Fredrick, who shot over 47 percent from behind the arc for Iowa) and Kellan Grady, a career 17-point a game scorer at Davidson, who also shot 37 percent or better from behind the arc in three of his four seasons at the school.

Finally, there was the low post bulk, which was actually addressed in the winter with the arrival of West Virginia’s Oscar Tshiebwe, who led the Mountaineers in scoring and rebounding two seasons ago.

All these big names don’t guarantee anything (I will readily admit that I was the guy hyping Olivier Sarr at this time last year). But credit to John Calipari who addressed every single need his team had, and how has a full off-season to work with his guys. I like this squad.

Texas Longhorns

Signees: Timmy Allen (Utah), Devin Askew (Kentucky), Christian Bishop (Creighton), Dylan Disu (Vanderbilt)

Chris Beard is best known as Texas Tech’s former head coach, but before that, he was a successful junior college coach and spent some time in professional basketball’s minor leagues as well. Meaning that he is quite comfortable flipping a roster, and having it peak come the end of the season. His 2019 national title runner up at Tech had two grad transfers in the starting lineup.

So we probably shouldn’t be surprised that Beard hit the ground running, signing four transfers since getting the Texas job. The Longhorns added one of the best players in the portal, wing Timmy Allen, who averaged 17 points per game and earned All-Pac 12 first team honors at Utah last season. And in the frontcourt he added the top rebounder in the SEC last season (Vanderbilt’s Dylan Disu) and a starter on a Sweet 16 team (Creighton’s Christian Bishop). Devin Askew, formerly of Kentucky, should provide depth in the backcourt.

And considering that the Longhorns are a finalist for UMass big man Tre Mitchell (one of the few remaining impact players in the portal) and they might not be done yet.

Add all the new pieces with a couple key returnees, and Beard will field what is arguably the most talented team he’s ever coached. For a guy that has made a Final Four and Elite Eight since 2018, that’s scary for the rest of the Big 12.

Arkansas Razorbacks

Signees: Chris Lykes (Miami), Jaxson Robinson (Texas A&M), Au’Diese Toney (Pitt), Stanley Umude (South Dakota)

Eric Musselman was an early adapter of the transfer portal back in his Nevada days, which allowed him to average 25 wins in four seasons, and make three NCAA Tournament appearances at the school. And since he got to Arkansas things haven’t changed, as several marquee players on last year’s Elite Eight team (Justin Smith, Jalen Tate, JD Notae) all came to Fayetteville via the portal.

Things are no different this off-season, as Musselman has added four really good players to the 2022 Razorbacks’ roster.

Chris Lykes is a small (only 5’7) but dynamic playmaker, who averaged 15+ points per game in each of the last three seasons at Miami and Au’Diese Toney averaged 14 per contest at Pitt this season. Whenever you can get a pair of guys who’ve had that production in the ACC, you know things are going pretty well. Beyond that, there is also Stanley Umude (who averaged 21 points per game at South Dakota) and Jaxson Robinson, a former Top 50 recruit who began his career at Texas A&M.

What’s maybe most impressive however, isn’t just that these guys are good players, it’s that they all fit Arkansas’ system. The Razorbacks want to play an NBA style where everyone is athletic, switchable and can score off the dribble and all those guys can do that.

Add in a couple key returnees and there’s a reason that there is so much optimism around the Arkansas program next year.

Kansas Jayhawks 

Signees: Jalen Coleman-Lands (Iowa State), Cam Martin (Missouri Southern), Remy Martin (Arizona State), Joseph Yesufu

Kansas is a new addition to this list, signing two of its four transfers since the start of the week. But wooooooah buddy are those guys difference-makers.

Assuming everyone returns that is expected to (top players Ochai Agbaji and Jalen Wilson are testing the waters) the Jayhawks were set to be good – but the one thing they were missing was a dynamic point guard to get everyone involved. Boy oh boy did they get it, with the addition of Remy Martin a few days ago. Martin is a sparkplug point guard who is a two-time All-Pac 12 performer, after averaging 19 points each of the last two seasons. It’s worth noting that he is still testing the NBA Draft waters, but assuming he returns to college, there is an argument to be made that he was the best player in the portal this off-season.

Add in Drake NCAA Tournament hero Joseph Yesufu (21 points in an opening round win over Wichita State), Jalen Coleman-Lands (who averaged 14 points per game at Iowa State last year) and DII All-American Cam Martin, and the Jayhawks will once again be deep, loaded and ready to compete for a Big 12 regular season title.

Auburn Tigers

Signees: Wendell Green Jr. (Eastern Kentucky), Zeb Jasper (College of Charleston), KD Johnson (Georgia) Walker Kessler (North Carolina), Desi Sills (Arkansas)

It wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine at Auburn, which did lose Justin Powell (now at Tennessee) and a few others to the portal this off-season. But that still didn’t stop the Tigers from re-loading in themselves.

The centerpiece is Walker Kessler, a 7’1, former McDonald’s All-American who played last year at North Carolina. Yes, his averages weren’t great, but that was due more to UNC’s depth than anything else. And when Kessler’s number was called in Chapel Hill he delivered. Like the ho-hum 16-point, 12 rebound performance he had against Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament.

In the backcourt, Bruce Pearl added depth with one of the best freshman point guards in the country (Wendell Green Jr., who averaged 15 points and six assists at Eastern Kentucky last year) and Desi Sills, who was a sparkplug off the bench on Arkansas’ Elite Eight team last season. Zep Jasper should contribute as well.

Oh, and then, right before this article went to publish, the Tigers picked up another commit, this one from Georgia guard KD Johnson.

Bruce Pearl has cleaned up this spring. And after a one-year, self imposed absence, the Tigers should be dancing again in 2021-2022.

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Signees: Woody Newton (Syracuse), Tyreek Smith (Texas Tech), Bryce Thompson (Kansas)

Sometimes it isn’t about adding star power to a roster through the portal, as much as it is depth. And considering that Oklahoma State returns every marquee piece from last year’s NCAA Tournament team except Cade Cunningham, they weren’t looking for one big star to come in and take over. But instead, little parts to plug and play.

The best is probably Bryce Thompson. Thompson is a former McDonald’s All-American who was considered one of the best three-point shooters in the 2020 high school class, before injuries slowed him in his one season at Kansas. Should he stay healthy, he has All-Big 12 type potential. Tyreek Smith is an energetic big who should bring toughness and rebounding to the Pokes next year, while Woody Newton is a 6’8 stretch forward who can step out and hit threes.

Oklahoma State was already a preseason Top 25 team in my opinion coming out of last season. And only climbed up the rankings following their portal success.

LSU Tigers 

Signees: Adam Miller (Illinois), Xavier Pinson (Missouri)

Say what you want about Will Wade, the man is never going to enter a season without enough talent to compete for a tournament berth (how he acquires that talent is another question all together). And 2021-2022 will be no exception as he brought in two difference-makers in the backcourt.

Adam Miller’s story is well-documented, as a former Top 40 recruit who started every game on Illinois’ Big Ten title winning team last season. His entrance into the portal was one of the shockers of the off-season, and while he isn’t a finished product, has as much upside as anyone who transferred this off-season. Xavier Pinson is a more proven commodity, as a player who averaged 13 points a game in the SEC last season at Missouri.

Oh, and the Tigers might not quite be done yet, as they remain in the hunt for Tre Mitchell, one of the best players left in the portal.

Virginia Cavaliers 

Signees: Armaan Franklin (Indiana), Jayden Gardner (East Carolina)

It shows you just how crazy the college hoops world has gotten, that Virginia – one of the great developmental programs in college basketball – is now mining the transfer portal for players. Only that’s what happened this off-season. After a couple of bench players left in search of bigger roles, the Hoos capitalized by bringing in a couple difference-makers via transfer.

The first is Armaan Franklin, a guy who was Indiana’s second-leading scorer last season and a dead eye shooter who hit over 42 percent from behind the arc. It’s worth noting that an injury to Franklin directly coincided with the Hoosiers going into the tank late in the season, meaning his impact might be even bigger than expected. Gardner on the other hand was the lone bright spot in a bad East Carolina program the last few years, averaging 18 and eight this past season.

Florida Gators 

Signees: CJ Felder (Boston College), Phlandrous Fleming Jr. (Charleston Southern), Myreon Jones (Penn State), Brandon McKissic (Missouri-Kansas City)

I’ve crushed Mike White for years thanks to his underachieving Florida rosters, and I can’t totally give him a pass here. He lost a bunch of players to the portal this off-season, most notably Noah Locke (who ended up at Louisville). I also have to give him credit where he’s due, as Florida cleaned up in the portal this off-season as well.

The best player the Gators signed is probably Myreon Jones, who was Penn State’s leading scorer this past season and is a dead-eye three-point shooter. Brandon McKissic is lights out too, as he shot over 42 percent at UMKC. While it’s a major jump up in competition to the SEC, it’s worth noting that McKissic chose Florida over Kansas, so the kid must be able to play.

Phlandrous Fleming Jr. (great name!) is a two-way wing who not only averaged 20+ points per game, but also made two All-Conference defensive teams, and CJ Felder is a high-upside wing.

Indiana Hoosiers 

Signees: Michael Durr (South Florida), Xavier Johnson (Pitt), Miller Kopp (Northwestern)

If you’re a regular listener of the Aaron Torres Podcast (and if you’re not, shame on you), you know that I crushed the Mike Woodson hire at Indiana when it happened. Mainly I was worried about how a 63-year-old guy would be able to navigate the new world of the transfer portal, one and done, and basically every player being a bad week away from transferring out of your program.

Well, to Woodson’s credit, he deserves an A+ so far.

While Indiana did lose some guys (most notably Armaan Franklin listed above), Woodson not only signed a few difference makers, he actually did something else that no coach on this list can say: He re-recruited a bunch of his own players out of the portal. In total, four players at Indiana were in the portal when Woodson got hired and decided to come back, and all four – guards Khristian Lander and Parker Stewart and forwards Jordan Geronimo and Race Thompson – should all play big roles for next season’s Hoosiers squad.

Beyond that, Woodson has also nabbed three players out of the portal himself. Xavier Johnson, a guard who averaged 14 points and five assists at Pitt is probably the biggest name, but Miller Kopp (a stretch four) and Michael Durr (a true, bruising seven-footer) will play key roles on next year’s Hoosiers’ roster as well.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Signees: Garrison Brooks (North Carolina), DJ Jeffries (Memphis), Shakeel Moore

If you’re noticing a trend on this list, it’s that maaaaan did a bunch of SEC schools re-load. Mississippi State is no exception. And considering last year’s success combined with the fact that well, they’re Mississippi State (sorry Bulldogs fans, its true) you could argue that they did as well as anyone in the league.

First off, whenever you nab a former All-ACC first team member, that’s never a bad thing. That’s exactly what the Bulldogs did with Garrison Brooks, whose father is an assistant coach on the team. Mississippi native DJ Jeffries had two up-and-down seasons at Memphis (thanks in large part to an injury his freshman year) but is a former Top 50 recruit with an NBA frame. And just this week, the Bulldogs added Shakeel Moore, a guard who played major minutes at NC State last season.

Maryland Terrapins

Signees: Fatts Russell (Rhode Island), Qudus Wahab (Georgetown)

Considering Maryland is coming off a second round NCAA Tournament appearance, they really didn’t need all that much in the portal this off-season (assuming that a few players testing the draft waters elect to come back). But considering how limited their needs were, they filled them about as well as anyone in college hoops.

More than anything, the Terps needed a true, low post presence and got one of the best to enter the portal this off-season: Georgetown’s Qudus Wahab. Why Wahab even elected to enter the portal (when he was the focal point of last year’s Big East champion Georgetown Hoyas) is another question altogether, but he should immediately add bulk down low after averaging 13 points and eight rebounds per game last season.

Fatts Russell is a dynamic, playmaking guard who should add scoring pop to the Terps backcourt after three straight All-A-10 seasons.

Alabama Crimson Tide

Signees: Nimari Burnett (Texas Tech), Noah Gurley (Furman)

Let’s wrap with last year’s reigning SEC champs. Considering that most of last year’s team is expected back in 2021-2022 (Jayden Shackleford and Josh Primo are still testing the draft waters) the Tide didn’t need much. But who they got were two impact players.

The first, guard Nimari Burnett is a former McDonald’s All-American who actually nearly chose the Tide out of high school. As a 6’4 combo guard who can take people off the dribble with deep range, he should fit perfectly into Nate Oats’ system. Same with Noah Gurley, a 6’8 hybrid forward who averaged 15 points and five rebounds per game last year, all while shooting 34 percent from behind the three-point line.

Other schools considered: Oregon, Seton Hall, North Carolina, Louisville, Texas A&M, TCU

Also, for more transfer portal talk, be sure to check out Thursday’s Aaron Torres Podcast. You can download here or listen below