Evaluating The Biggest Winners Of The Portal So Far

Arkansas 

Eric Mussleman has established himself as the King of the Transfer Portal, especially after what he is bringing to Fayetteville this offseason.  

After making it to their third consecutive Sweet-16, Arkansas added four players in Keyon Menifield, Tramon Mark, Khalif Battle and Jeremiah Davenport. Menifield a transfer from Washington, was a member of the Pac 12’s all-Freshman team and the second leading scorer for the Huskies last season. With Coach Muss and a ton of more talent around him, Menifield should be in for a huge role for this Arkansas team, picking the Hogs over programs like Alabama Tennessee, Louisville and Ohio State. Mark is someone with legitimate NCAA Tournament experience, starting for Houston in their Final 4 run in 2021 and this season on their way to the Sweet 16. In a more featured role on offense, Mark is another player that can thrive in Muss’ system with the ball in his hands a ton. The 6′ 5” guard from Dickinson, Texas, averaged 10.1 points per game, however these numbers should increase a ton with the ball in his hands more. Battle is a due it all scorer, averaging over 12 points per game in his College Career and Davenport is a winning experienced player that knows what the grind of a season is like.  

Mussleman has gotten guys like the Martin Twins, Jordan Caroline, Stanley Umude, JD Notae, and others to the professional ranks after adding them as Transfers. With Arkansas likely set to return Devo Davis and Jordan Walsh as well, this Arkansas team has the perfect blend of returning and new players, as Arkansas looks to get to the Final 4, for the first time in the Eric Mussleman era.  

California 

Cal is looking to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016, and things have hit rock bottom since for a once proud Cal Basketball program. The Golden Bears have only finished better than 10th place in the Pac-12 once during this span, and things hit an all-time rock bottom this season. California went a Power 6 worst, 3-29 in 2023, with only two of those wins coming in Pac-12 Conference play. This was the worst season of basketball in program history, and a sign that something needed to be changed quickly. 

Luckily California brought in former Utah Valley Head Coach and Stanford Basketball alum, Mark Madsen, who has already made a major impact in the Transfer Portal. California added Texas Tech Transfer Fardaws Aimaq, who just experienced an injury riddled season in Lubbock. Fortunately, Aimaq played for Madsen at Utah Valley, when Aimaq won the WAC Conference Player of the Year Award in 2022 and became one of the most sought out players in the portal this time last season. The California program hasn’t landed this highly regarded of a recruit since Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb in 2016.  

In addition, California has also added former Northern Arizona Guard Jalen Cone, who was a third team All-Big Sky member this past season. Cone also started his career off at Virginia Tech, where he came in as a Top-100 Recruit and contributed significant playing time, as a Freshman. Cone has scored over 1500 points in his college career, and led Northern Arizona in scoring over the course of the last two seasons. Simply put, California will be in their best position entering a season since 2017, and Mark Madsen hasn’t even coached a game yet. These two moves could be the beginning of a turning point for the Cal program, and should give Bears fans hope that the future is really bright under Madsen’s watch.  

Houston 

It’s gotten to a point where it doesn’t matter who Kelvin Sampson loses off his team, the Cougars will be a Top-20 team or better each and every season, as long as he is in charge. Houston lost three of their top four leading scorers, from a team that won over 30 games and was the #2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament this past season. With this in mind, Sampson has added some of the top players in the Transfer Portal, including LJ Cryer from Baylor and Damian Dunn from Temple. 

Cryer was a member of the 2021 National Championship team at Baylor, and has played in an even bigger role for the Bears, over the course of the last two seasons. Cryer averaged 15.3 points per game, on a very efficient 41.5% from three this past season and will be a great option to replace Marcus Sasser. Cryer will be in a loaded backcourt very similar to Baylor’s with guys like Emanuel Sharp and Terrance Arceneaux ready for a bigger role. That doesn’t even include Jamaal Shead, who has started for Houston in each of the last two seasons, that featured tournament runs to the Sweet 16.  

Houston also added Damian Dunn from Temple, adding to an already loaded backcourt. While it will be interesting to see if Houston can keep up their level of dominance moving to the Big 12, the Cougars could enter next season as the legitimate favorite in the league. Alongside the backcourt, Houston will also be returning significant frontcourt contributors, in J’Wan Roberts and Ja’Vier Francis, which should help provide valuable experience.   

LSU 

Disappointing would be an understatement for anyone that would describe Matt McMahon’s first season in Baton Rouge. After making it to each of the last 4 NCAA Tournament’s under Will Wade, LSU missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 this past season. The Tigers finished 14-19 overall, and a dismal 2-16 in the SEC, which was good for a last place finish. As bad of a season as it was for LSU, their roster wasn’t in great shape after the departure of Wade and a handful of other players that were main contributors to his NCAA Tournament teams of the past and followed him out the door. LSU will have plenty of talent however, to now compete with some of the SEC’s best and it is up to McMahon to figure out how to get there. 

LSU added Tulane Transfer Jalen Cook, who is familiar with Baton Rouge after he started his career off at LSU. Cook has been a First Team All American Athletic Conference Selection in each of the last two seasons and should have zero problem being the go to scorer right away for the Tigers. In addition, LSU added Jordan Wright, a transfer in conference from Vanderbilt, who should provide scoring from the wing position and was a very important piece for the Commodores, in their best season since 2017. LSU made another major move in the last handful of days, adding Nevada Transfer and former Texas High School Player of the Year Will Baker. Baker was the third leading scorer for a Nevada team that made the NCAA Tournament this past season, and should make a significant impact right away, with over 80 games played in his college career.   

Providence 

Friars fans were in a state of shock and panic when their Head Coach of the last 12 seasons, Ed Cooley decided to pack up and leave for Georgetown. While the decision to hire Kim English was risky, considering he didn’t make an NCAA Tournament in either of his two seasons at George Mason, the Friars roster is looking absolutely loaded heading into next season. Primarily, English was able to get the trio of Bryce Hopkins, Devin Carter and Jayden Pierre all to return to Friartown next season.  

Hopkins and Carter, were two of the premier transfers in the country this past season, as two of the Friars top leading scorers. In addition, Pierre impressed just about every time he took the floor, and will be ready to explode in a bigger role as a Sophomore.  

English was also able to bring some of his better players from George Mason with him to Providence. The Patriots leading scorer from last season, Josh Oduro, will be heading to Providence alongside English. Oduro is a four-year college player, who exploded onto the scene when English got to George Mason. The 6’9” Forward, was a First Team All Atlantic 10 Selection in each of the last two seasons, and is a perfect complement downlow to Hopkins and Carter on the perimeter. In addition, English will bring Devante “Ticket” Gaines with him from George Mason, after he started out his career playing for English as an Assistant with Tennessee. Providence has a really good mix of some of the top players that remained from Cooley’s tenure, young players ready to breakout, along with other guys that know what it’s like to play for English. I would expect big things from Providence in Year 1 of the English era.  

Wisconsin 

There were a handful of Badger’s fans that weren’t particularly thrilled with this past season, considering Wisconsin missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. Although it is always disappointing to miss the big dance it is important to remember, that Greg Gard has made the NCAA Tournament in five of his first eight seasons on the job, which doesn’t include the 2020 COVID shorten season, when Wisconsin shocked everyone and won a share of the Big Ten Regular Season Title.  

Gard made his first major add from the Transfer Portal, bringing in a Top 100 Player in the High School Class of 2022, former St. John’s Guard AJ Storr. The Freshman didn’t have a major role until late in the season for the Johnnies, but Storr averaged just over 10 points per game in about only 21 minutes of play per game. There were many St. John’s fans were extremely disappointed in Storr’s decision to leave and thought he could have become a breakout star under Rick Pitino. Instead, he joins a Badgers group that should return each of their five leading scorers from last season, headlined by Chucky Hepburn, Stephen Crawl, Connor Esegian, Tyler Wahl and more. Look at Wisconsin as a team primed to bounce back next season, after landing the best transfer to come to Madison, in the Greg Gard era.