With the transfer portal closed and the NBA Draft complete, college basketball rosters are finally taking shape. The past month resembled an unregulated free agency frenzy, leaving us with revamped rosters and plenty of new-look contenders.
Some coaches prioritized volume, while others remained more selective. How the pieces will ultimately fit remains to be seen, but five programs clearly stood out for how they attacked the portal.
Here are the five best transfer classes heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season.
St. John’s
Rick Pitino led the Johnnies to a sweep of the Big East last season, securing both the regular season and tournament titles. The program’s trajectory is strong, but roster turnover created the need for major reinforcements. With very few returners from last year, seven new faces are now headed to Queens.
Incoming Class:
- Ian Jackson (North Carolina)
- Bryce Hopkins (Providence)
- Joson Sanon (Arizona State)
- Oziyah Sellers (Stanford)
- Dillon Mitchell (Cincinnati)
- Dylan Darling (Idaho State)
- Handje Tamba (Milligan, NAIA)
Jackson and Hopkins headline this deep class. Jackson was a top 15 recruit out of high school who averaged nearly 12 points per game and shot close to 40 percent from three as a freshman at UNC. Hopkins, a former First-Team All-Big East selection, returns after a long injury layoff and brings toughness and experience to the frontcourt.
Sanon and Sellers were key contributors at their previous stops and are likely to start in the backcourt. With so many roles to fill, Pitino will have to mix and match quickly, but the potential and depth of this group are hard to ignore.
Kentucky
Year two under Mark Pope will rely heavily on transfers as the Wildcats look to build on their Sweet 16 run. Last year’s squad featured elite offense and shaky defense, but this six-man class could help even things out.
Incoming Class:
- Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State)
- Denzel Aberdeen (Florida)
- Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama)
- Jaland Lowe (Pittsburgh)
- Kam Williams (Tulane)
- Reece Potter (Miami OH)
Quaintance is the name to watch. A former five-star recruit, he brings physicality and defensive upside but is coming off a torn ACL. If healthy, he is a high-ceiling player in the SEC. Aberdeen and Dioubate were solid contributors in the SEC last season and will aim to take a step forward in Lexington. Lowe and Williams were productive starters and bring scoring and experience, while Potter provides frontcourt depth.
Michigan
Michigan won 27 games and reached the Sweet 16 last season but lost several key contributors. That made this portal class essential. Already a strong haul, the group became elite when Yaxel Lendeborg, the top player in the portal, withdrew from the NBA Draft and reaffirmed his commitment to Michigan.
Incoming Class:
- Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB)
- Morez Johnson Jr. (Illinois)
- Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina)
- Aday Mara (UCLA)
Lendeborg was projected as a late first-round pick and brings elite rebounding and interior scoring. Cadeau comes from UNC, where he flashed elite passing but struggled with turnovers and shooting consistency. A change of scenery may unlock his potential. Johnson Jr. and Mara are both young bigs with size and upside. Dusty May is clearly betting on long-term development and team chemistry to turn this class into a Big Ten title contender.
Louisville
Pat Kelsey has already energized Louisville basketball, and now he is showing he can recruit at the Power Four level. This three-man class may be light on volume, but the quality is undeniable. Louisville currently ranks ninth in national title odds, and this portal class is a big reason why.
Incoming Class:
- Adrian Wooley (Kennesaw State)
- Isaac McKneely (Virginia)
- Ryan Conwell (Xavier)
Wooley is one of the top mid-major transfers in the country. He averaged 18.8 points per game and shot over 51 percent from the field as a freshman. McKneely brings three years of ACC experience and elite shooting, knocking down 42 percent from three last season despite being the focal point of Virginia’s offense. Conwell rounds out the class with size, scoring, and confidence, highlighted by a 38-point performance in the Big East Tournament.
Florida
Coming off a national championship, Florida had holes to fill. With their frontcourt largely intact, the biggest question was guard play after losing Walter Clayton Jr. This three-man class addresses that need directly and effectively. The Gators are not going anywhere under Todd Golden.
Incoming Class:
- Boogie Fland (Arkansas)
- Xaivian Lee (Princeton)
- AJ Brown (Ohio)
Fland is a five-star talent who tested the NBA waters before opting to transfer. He averaged 13.5 points and 5.1 assists per game as a freshman and brings athleticism and playmaking to the backcourt. Lee is a stat-sheet stuffer from Princeton who notched multiple triple-doubles and offers size and versatility. Brown adds scoring depth and will likely be one of the best sixth men in the SEC.
Parting Shot
Whether these classes lead to March success remains to be seen, but each of these programs upgraded its roster in a big way. The transfer portal may still be controversial, but there is no question it is reshaping the college basketball landscape year after year. These five teams just did it better than the rest.
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