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Who are the best men’s college basketball players remaining in the NCAA transfer portal?

Trent Wood
·3 min read
Toledo guard RayJ Dennis (10) passes the ball against Kent State center Cli’Ron Hornbeak (42) during the championship of the Mid-American Conference Tournament, Saturday, March 11, 2023, in Cleveland.
Toledo guard RayJ Dennis (10) passes the ball against Kent State center Cli’Ron Hornbeak (42) during the championship of the Mid-American Conference Tournament, Saturday, March 11, 2023, in Cleveland. | Ron Schwane, Associated Press

Wednesday was a good day for both BYU and Utah State’s men’s basketball teams.

Both the Cougars and Aggies picked up commitments from and/or signed notable players from the NCAA transfer portal.

BYU inked Samford transfer Ques Glover, a scoring combo guard who started his collegiate career with the Florida Gators.

Utah State, meanwhile, snagged a commitment from Coastal Carolina transfer Josh Uduje, a score-first guard himself who likely will be plugged into the Aggies’ starting five from the get-go.

Both BYU and Utah State have utilized the transfer portal to great effect this offseason, with the Cougars also adding UC Irvine guard Dawson Baker and Charlotte big man Aly Khalifa, while the Aggies have remade their team by adding Wyoming transfer guard Max Agbonkpolo, Montana State guard Darius Brown II, Idaho transfer forward Nigel Burris, Washington forward Jackson Grant and former Montana State forward Great Osobor.

Open roster spots remain, though, and not just in Provo and Logan, but at the University of Utah, Utah Valley, Weber State and Southern Utah.

And as of May 4, there is no shortage of talent remaining in the portal.

According to Jeff Borzelo’s rankings at ESPN, top 20 prospects remain in:

  • Toledo guard RayJ Dennis, a former Boise State Bronco who was the MAC Player of the Year this past season.

  • Pennsylvania guard Jordan Dingle, the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year who finished second in the country in points per game with 23.4.

  • Utah Valley Aziz Bandaogo, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in the WAC and a double-double machine.

  • North Dakota State forward Grant Nelson, a first-team All-Summit League player who has NBA potential.

  • Tennessee forward Olivier Nkamhoua, a stretch four with real potential, highlighted by a 27-point performance against Duke in the NCAA tournament.

  • USC guard Tre White, a former top 50 recruited who just finished his freshman season.

Per 247 Sports’ rankings, many four-star prospects remain available, including seven in the top 100:

  • Florida State shooting guard Matthew Cleveland.

  • Syracuse point guard Joseph Girard.

  • St. John’s forward David Jones.

  • UMass guard RJ Luis.

  • Oklahoma State center Moussa Cisse.

  • Wichita State guard Jaykwon Walton.

On3 Sports’ rankings differ from both ESPN’s and 247 Sports’, but there remain elite uncommitted transfers nonetheless, like:

  • California Baptist guard — and No. 10 prospect Taran Armstrong.

  • Notre Dame forward Ven-Allen Lubin, ranked No. 54.

  • Idaho forward Isaac Jones, ranked No. 76.

  • The No. 91-ranked prospect in Kentucky forward Daimion Collins.

  • Saint Peters guard Jaylen Murray, the No. 95-ranked prospect.

Players continue to enter the transfer portal as well. The latest, as of Thursday morning, being Kentucky forward Lance Ware, a 6-foot-9 former four star prospect from New Jersey.

As a reminder, graduate transfers can enter the transfer portal at any time. The portal is now closed to undergraduates, however, barring a waiver from the NCAA.

There remains plenty of talent available in the transfer portal, across all positions. And with months remaining until the start of the 2023-24 season, there is plenty of time for more talent to wind up in Utah.