Re-ranking the top players in the 2022 transfer portal

We are coming down the home stretch of the college basketball regular season. Teams are jockeying for post-season positions as conference tournaments are on the horizon. That means that the transfer portal is about to start booming. Over 1,700 players entered the portal in 2022.

Most of the players found new homes, although it should be noted that many did not. Some of the players who found new homes took on bigger roles, and some took on lesser roles.

With the transfer portal season right around the corner, we wanted to go back and re-rank the players from the 2022 transfer portal. The players who have had the biggest impact on the 2022-23 college basketball season.

Our original 2022 transfer portal rankings carried 16 five-star players, so we will rank the top 16 here.

1. Keyontae Johnson – Forward – Kansas State

2022-23 stats: 17.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals, 51.2% FG, 40.3% 3P

Keyontae Johnson was one of the more talked about stories of the off-season. Kansas State basketball has been one of the most talked about stories in-season. To this point, Johnson and Kansas State have been a perfect match.

The Wildcats are ranked 14th in the AP Top 25, and they are led by Johnson. Prior to his cardiac incident with Florida, Johnson was talked about as a possible first-round draft pick. Jerome Tang has brought excitement to Manhattan, Kansas, and Keyontae Johnson is right in the middle of it all.

2. Bryce Hopkins – Forward – Providence

2022-23 stats: 16.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 46.8% FG, 39.3% 3P

Bryce Hopkins was a top 50 recruit out of the 2021 class. He committed to Kentucky, where things never really caught on. Hopkins transferred to Providence in the off-season, and his production took off. The former four-star is leading the AP Top 25 No. 20 ranked Friars in both points and rebounds. The 6-foot-6 Hopkins has also had ten double-doubles this season, tied for the most in the Big East.

3. Kendric Davis – Guard – Memphis

2022-23 stats: 21.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.2 steals

Kendric Davis transferred to Memphis from SMU this offseason. The reigning American Athletic Conference (AAC) Player of the Year set the conference career points (1,869) and assists record (595) this season. He has also been named as a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, given annually to the top point guard in college basketball. Behind Davis, Memphis is now 20-7, and their 10-4 conference record sits third in the AAC.

4. Ricky Council IV – Guard – Arkansas

2022-23 stats: 16.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 45.2% FG

Ricky Council IV has been one of this season’s most exciting players, routinely showing up in highlights featured across social media. He is the reigning American Athletic Conference (AAC) Sixth Man of the Year and hit the ground running in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It has been a tricky year for the Razorbacks, dealing with multiple injuries in the starting lineup; however, the high-flying Council has been the consistent fire-power throughout the season.

5. Souley Boum – Guard – Xavier

2022-23 stats: 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.2 steals, 40.9% 3P

Sean Miller picked up right where he left off at Xavier. The Musketeers have a top 25 ranking, and it has been behind the steady hand of the 6-foot-3 transfer from Texas-El Paso. Souley Boum is in the top five in the Big East in points and assists this season.

6. Mark Sears – Guard – Alabama

2022-23 stats: 13.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.4 steals, 39.5% 3P

The Muscle Shoals, Alabama native, decided to come home after two seasons at Ohio University. At Ohio, Mark Sears was first-team All-MAC and first-team All-MAC freshman. With the 6-foot-1 guard running the offense, the Crimson Tide has hovered around the top five and reached No. 1 in the coaches poll for the first time in program history.

7. Jarkel Joiner – Guard – NC State

2022-23 stats: 16.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals, 34.3% 3P

What a difference a year makes. The addition of Jarkel Joiner to this NC State roster has the Wolfpack sitting in fifth place in the ACC. Joiner has brought a steady presence to a backcourt that finished 15th in the league last season. The 6-foot-1 guard is a tough on-the-ball defender; he can make shots, create opportunities, and brings toughness to the table. As things stand today, coming off a double-figure win over North Carolina, NC State is comfortably in the tournament.

8. Norchad Omier – Center – Miami

2022-23 stats: 13.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 1.0 steals, 60.7% FG

Norchad Omier was ranked among the top five in the 2022 transfer portal by On3 because of the many ways he affects games. The reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year is only 6-foot-7, but he is third in the ACC this season in rebounds (9.8), sixth in blocked shots (1.3), and leads the league in effective field goal percentage (61.5%). He also is anchoring the post for a top 15 ranked Miami Hurricane team.

9. Brandin Podziemski – Guard – Santa Clara

2022-23 stats: 19.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 steals, 47.7% FG, 44.0% 3P

Bradin Podziemski struggled to find the court at Illinois last season. A trip to the portal got him to Santa Clara, a program that just featured a wing that was drafted in the NBA Draft Lottery to play in an offense centered around his game. The former top 100 ranked guard and Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year has elevated his play in conference play, scoring 21.4 points and shooting 53.0 percent from three.

10. Grant Basile – Center – Virginia Tech

2022-23 stats: 16.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.4 blocks, 52.0% FG, 38.8% 3P

Grant Basile was a hot commodity entering the portal after scoring 1,228 points at Wright State. Virginia Tech won him over, and Basile has gotten better each time he has stepped on the floor. The 6-foot-9 graduate transfer leads the Hokies in points and blocks, and he is second in rebounds and field goal percentage with more than 100 attempts. Basile has upped his play in conference as well, going for 18.4 points on 52.0 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from three.

Next six

11. Jaren Holmes – Guard – Iowa State

2022-23 stats: 13.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals, 35.8% 3P

12. Terrence Shannon – Forward – Illinois

2022-23 stats: 17.0 points, 5.0 rebounds. 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 32.3% 3P

13. Jahmir Young – Guard – Maryland

2022-23 stats: 16.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals

14. Tyree Appleby – Guard – Wake Forest

2022-23 stats: 18.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.6 steals, 36.3% 3P

15. Grant Sherfield – Guard – Oklahoma

2022-23 stats: 16.8 points, 3.4 assists, 42.3% 3P

16. Nijel Pack – Guard – Miami

2022-23 stats: 13.5 points, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steals, 41.8% 3P

Original Top 16 2022 Transfer Portal Ranking

1. Isiah Mosley (Missouri)
**2. Patrick Baldwin, Jr. (NBA)
3. Norchad Omier (Miami)
4. Ricky Council, IV (Arkansas)
**5. Kenneth Lofton, Jr. (NBA)
6. Kendric Davis (Memphis)
7. Antonio Reeves (Kentucky)
8. Kevin McCuller (Kansas)
**9. Josh Minott (NBA)
10 . Brandon Murray (Georgetown)
11. Baylor Scheierman (Creighton)
12. David Jones (St. John’s)
13. Pete Nance (UNC)
14. Tyrese Hunter (Texas)
15. Matthew Mayer (Illinois)
16. Fardaws Aimaq (Texas Tech)

*note this was a ranking of players who entered the portal. Some players who entered the portal went into the draft, and some went back to their original program. The (**) notates these players.