The transfer portal is open, and there are 1,000+ available players for teams to land. Everyone knows about the stars in the portal, such as 6-foot-10 senior forward Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB), 6-foot-7 junior wing RJ Luis Jr. (St. John’s), and 6-foot-7 forward junior forward Keyshawn Hall (UCF).
But what about the names who are flying under the radar? This piece looks at the top 10 sleeper free agents on the transfer portal. To qualify, you had to have averaged fewer than 12 points per game last season while playing more than 10 games total.
Here’s the top-10 list of sleeper transfers to watch and where they could end up.
10. Quante Berry
2024-25 season stats (at Temple): 10.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game
The 6-foot-4 shooting guard started 21 games for the Owls this season, shooting 46% from the field and having a few big outings, including 24 points on the road at North Texas. Berry, a native of Cleveland, Tennessee, has reportedly visited the Memphis Tigers. Coach Penny Hardaway has a history of landing fellow AAC members, including former Temple forward Nick Jourdain.
9. Tyeree Bryan
2024-25 season stats (at Santa Clara): 10.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game
Despite being the 5th-leading scorer on the team, the 6-foot-6 senior wing was a big part of the Broncos’ key wins on the season. Bryan, who shot 43% from deep on nearly five attempts a game, had 35 points in the upset road win at Gonzaga, making six of nine from deep. As a native of Orlando, Florida, there’s a chance that SEC and ACC schools will take a big look at this three-and-D wing who can shoot the ball well.
8. Myles Rice
2024-25 season stats (at Indiana): 10.1 points and 2.8 assists per game
Rice underachieved with the Hoosiers compared to his strong first full year at Washington State (14.8 points per game). The 6-foot-2 sophomore guard did have some good individual games, including 21 points in a win over Rutgers. As someone who has spent time in Georgia and South Carolina growing up, I believe there’s a decent chance Rice will end up in SEC country. However, since he played at Wazzu, geography doesn’t need to be a limitation for the guard.
7. Chris Bell
2024-25 season stats (at Syracuse): 9.3 points per game
The 6-foot-7 junior wing started 75 games in three years with the Orange, with a career 38% shooting percentage from three-point range. Bell’s career year was as a sophomore, producing 12 points per game on 42% from deep. Seton Hall and Memphis are the two teams reportedly linked to Bell, but considering he recently completed a visit with the Tigers, they may be the team to beat if a decision comes sooner rather than later.
6. Malachi Smith
2024-25 season stats (at Dayton): 10.4 points and 5.3 assists per game
The 6-foot junior point guard has dealt with injuries throughout his career, but Smith also has three years of 5+ assists per game on his resume. Smith, who hails from the Bronx, New York, could be an option for St. John’s, which lost both of its ball-handlers this offseason. However, Wake Forest has also reportedly hosted Smith on a visit this week.
5. Taylor Bol Bowen
2024-25 season stats (at Florida State): 8.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game
The former top-100 prospect was a key starter for the Seminoles, shooting 48% from the field and 41% from three-point range. Bowen, a 6-foot-10 athletic forward who can space the floor, will reportedly have upcoming visits with Alabama, USC and SMU. The Trojans and Mustangs must rebuild their frontcourts, so either would make sense.
4. Quincy Ballard
2024-25 season stats (at Wichita State): 10 points and 9.2 rebounds per game
The 6-foot-10 center spent his first two years at FSU before developing into one of the top bigs in the AAC with the Shockers. Ballard shot 75% from the field and has blocked an average of two shots a game in the last two seasons as a starter. As a native of Syracuse, New York, the Orange could be a prime contender for his services since they have to replace Eddie Lampkin. Yet, as with the previously mentioned Berry, Memphis is looking for another AAC player. Recently, Ballard visited Memphis to replace Moussa Cisse and Dain Dainja (assuming his waiver is denied).
3. KJ Lewis
2024-25 season stats (at Arizona): 10.8 points and 2.9 assists per game
Lewis, a 6-foot-4 sophomore guard from El Paso, Texas, had a good second-year campaign that was mostly off the bench. He scored at least 15 points in eight games, including a 21-point outing against Arizona State, making 6/9 from deep. Lewis is a more recent portal entrant, so the true contenders haven’t emerged yet. Still, local teams such as Texas, Texas A&M, and others down south could use a potent scoring option like him.
2. Sebastian Mack
2024-25 season stats (at UCLA): 9.6 points per game
A year ago, the 6-foot-2 sophomore averaged 12.1 points per per game in his first year as a starter. Mack came off the bench this past season but still shot 43% from the field and improved his perimeter shot-making. He’s still a very good starting-caliber guard who can play defense, and there’s a chance Mack could remain a Big Ten player, given that he’s a Chicago native.
1. Vyctorius Miller
2024-25 season stats (at LSU): 8.9 points per game
As a freshman, the 6-foot-5 guard was highly efficient in his 19-minutes-per-game production off the bench, averaging nearly 20 points per game per 40 minutes. Miller shot 32% from deep at 7.4 attempts a game and had eight games of at least 15 points, including 20 against Mississippi Valley State. SEC play did impact his production, but the LA native could be a future Big Ten player if USC and UCLA are interested. Georgia Tech, who reportedly had a Zoom meeting with him, is also a team to watch.
