With another week of Portal Madness gone by, it’s time to update the Never-Too-Early Top 25 Rankings for the 2026-27 season. Players in bold face represent those whose status changed since my last rankings were published a week ago.

When it comes to projecting rosters, I’ve tried to take out some of the guess work by establishing some clear rules:

  • Besides seniors who have exhausted their eligibility, I am including among the departed players those who are projected by Hoops HQ NBA Draft expert Jonathan Wasserman to be a first- or second-round pick, unless they have announced their intentions to come back to school.
  • If a player has eligibility left and has not declared his intentions to transfer or enter the draft, he is listed among the program’s returnees.
  • I did not try to project what certain programs will do based on their coach or NIL/revenue budget. Those teams will rise in the rankings as they add players from the portal.
  • Players who declare themselves eligible for the draft but are not projected by Wasserman to be selected will be listed as returnees unless they have announced their intentions to stay in the draft. As we get closer to draft day, I will allow for my intel to move certain players to the departures list.
  • For recruiting rankings, I am using the 247Sports Composite, both for where the school’s class ranks as a group as well as the rankings for the individual players. Those ranks are in parentheses below.

Here, then, is the (correct) order of the Top 25 teams in men’s college basketball as of today. Keep checking back to Hoops HQ for more updates.


1. Duke

Last week: 4

Losing: Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans, Maliq Brown, Nikolas Khamenia, Darren Harris

Retaining: Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster, Dame Sarr, Patrick Ngongba, Sebastian Wilkins, John Blackwell

Incoming (1): Cameron Williams (3), Bryson Howard (15), Maxime Meyer (84), Deron Rippey, Jr. (10), Drew Scharnowski (Belmont)

It was an enormous week for the Blue Devils, which resulted in their vaulting to my preseason No. 1. Ngonga turned down the chance to be a potential first-round draft pick to return, and Blackwell gives the Blue Devils another potent, veteran scorer on what could be the best perimeter group in the nation. Cameron Boozer and Evans announced for the draft, but Foster and Sarr revealed that they will return. All those moves had been previously projected.

2. Michigan

Last week: 6

Losing: Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara, Morez Johnson, Roddy Gayle, Nimari Burnett, Will Tschetter

Retaining: Elliot Cadeau, L.J. Cason, Trey McKenney

Incoming (2): Brandon McCoy (14), Quinn Costello (44), Joseph Hartman (95), Malachi Brown (169), Marcus Moller (Spain), Lincoln Cosby (45), J.P. Estrella (Tennessee), Jalen Reed (LSU), Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati)

Dusty May has had enormous success signing big men out of the transfer portal, and he got another great one in Thiam, a 7-foot-2 junior center from Senegal who averaged 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks for the Bearcats. Reed is a 6-foot-10 senior forward who saw limited action the last two seasons due to ACL and Achilles injuries. Throw in Estrella, and the Wolverines will once again be dominant in the paint. Cadeau entered the draft and is retaining his eligibility because Wasserman projects him to go undrafted. Johnson entered the draft but is retaining his eligibility. Mara still hasn’t announced his draft intentions but it has been widely reported that he will be turning pro. Michigan is a finalist along with Tennessee and North Carolina for one of the remaining prized uncommitted transfers, Wake Forest guard Juke Harris.

3. Michigan State

Last week: 1

Losing: Jaxon Kohler, Trey Fort, Carson Cooper, Denham Wojcik, Divine Ugochukwu

Retaining: Jeremy Fears, Kur Teng, Coen Carr, Cam Ward, Jordan Scott, Jesse McCulloch, Kaleb Glenn

Incoming (3): Ethan Taylor (28), Jasiah Jervis (33), Carlos Medlock Jr. (46), Julius Avent (86), Anton Bonke (Charlotte)

Tom Izzo finally got active in the transfer portal with the addition of Bonke, a 7-foot-2 junior center from the South Pacific island of Vanuatu who averaged 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks last season for the 49ers. Ugochukwu’s decision to enter the portal means the perimeter won’t be quite as deep, but the Spartans are still in position to contend for a Big Ten title. Fears entered the NBA Draft, but since he is not projected to be selected, he is listed as a retained player. If he does come back, he could be the best point guard in the country.

Tom Izzo's Spartans made a splash in the transfer portal by adding former Charlotte center Anton Bonke
Tom Izzo’s Spartans made a splash in the transfer portal by adding former Charlotte center Anton Bonke
Getty Images

4. Illinois

Last week: 2

Losing: Keaton Wagler, Kylan Boswell, Ben Humrichous, David Mirkovic, Mihailo Petrovic, Toni Bilic, Ty Rodgers, Brandon Lee

Retaining: Andrej Stojakovic, Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic, Jake Davis, Mihailo Petrovic

Incoming (14): Quentin Coleman (34), Lucas Morillo (59), Ethan Brown (164), Landon Davis (243), Zavier Zens (210), Stefan Vaaks (Providence)

Brad Underwood remains set to return five of the top eight scorers from his Final Four squad. Vaaks could be an All-Big Ten guard after a terrific freshman season at Providence. Underwood also remains in the hunt for Chinese schoolboy Boyuan Zhang.

5. UConn

Last week: 3

Losing: Tarris Reed, Alex Karaban, Malachi Smith, Eric Reibe, Jacob Furphy, Jaylin Stewart, Solo Ball

Retaining: Silas Demary, Jayden Ross, Jacob Ross, Braylon Mullins

Incoming (30): Colben Landrew (22), Junior County (36), Najai Hines (Seton Hall), Nik Khamenia (Duke), Oskar Giltay (Stanford)

Dan Hurley added another frontcourt piece in Giltay, a 6-foot-10 sophomore forward who averaged 3.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game for the Cardinal. He and Hines will try to make up for the loss of Reed and Reibe. Mullins’ decision to forego the NBA Draft was huge. Ball will miss all of next season following wrist surgery.

6. Florida

Last week: 12

Losing: Rueben Chinyelu, Xaivian Lee, Micah Handlogten, Olivier Rioux

Retaining: Boogie Fland, Urban Klavzar, Isaiah Brown, C.J. Ingram, Alex Lloyd, Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh

Incoming (144): Jones Lay (NA), Denzel Aberdeen (Kentucky)

The Gators were the biggest winners of the week as Haugh turned down NBA money to return to Gainesville. Coming after Condon did the same the week before, that gives Florida another shot at winning a title. Chinyelu declared for the draft but is maintaining his eligibility. Wasserman projects him as a second-round pick going No. 44 overall, so it’s plausible he comes back. In the meantime, he’ll be listed as a departure. Ingram announced his return as projected. A major question for Florida remains as Aberdeen is applying to the NCAA for a waiver to grant him an extra season. If that gets denied, the Gators are going to be precariously thin in the backcourt.

7. Arizona

Last week: 5

Losing: Brayden Burries, Koa Peat, Montiejus Krivas, Jaden Bradley, Tobe Awaka, Anthony Dell’Orso, Dwayne Aristode

Retaining: Ivan Kharchenkov, Sid Gueye, Bryce James

Incoming: (29): Caleb Holt (4), Cameron Holmes (29), Derek Dixon (North Carolina), J.J. Mandaquit (Washington)

Wasserman wrote on Twitter that he expects Krivas to return, but until that is official, Krivas will be listed as a departed plalyer. Needless to say, his return would be huge for the Wildcats, who are already projected to be a top-10 team. Peat and Burries declared for the draft as projected. Dixon was a terrific pickup for Tommy Lloyd’s program. He showed much promise as a freshman in Chapel Hill and seems poised for a breakout season.

North Carolina freshman point guard Derek Dixon scored two huge buckets in the final minute to seal the Tar Heels’ win at Kentucky
Point guard Derek Dixon is poised for a breakout sophomore year
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

8. Tennessee

Last week: 10

Losing: Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Nate Ament, Felix Okpara, Cade Phillips, Jaylen Carey, J.P. Estrella, Bishop Boswell, Amari Evans,

Retaining: DeWayne Brown, Ethan Burg, Troy Henderson

Incoming (26): Chris Washington Ralph Scott (54), Manny Green (100), Marquis Clark (212), Tyler Lundblade (Belmont), Dai Dai Ames (Cal), Miles Rubin (Loyola Chicago), Jalen Haralson (Notre Dame), Terrence Hill Jr. (VCU), Braedan Lue (Kennesaw State)

Ament was always projected as a departure, so his decision to enter the NBA Draft did not change Tennessee’s assessment. Rick Barnes added a nice piece in Lue, a 6-foot-8 junior forward who averaged 10.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists. With Lunblade, Haralson and Hill in the backcourt, this is shaping up to be one of the best offensive teams Barnes has coached.

9. Texas

Last week: 11

Losing: Dailyn Swain, Jordan Pope, Tramon Mark, Chendall Weaver, Lassina Traore, Nic Codie, Declan Duru, Cam Heide

Retaining: Matas Vokietaitis, Simeon Wilcher

Incoming (12): Austin Goolsby (19), Bo Ogen (38), Joe Sterling (101), Isaiah Johnson (Colorado), David Punch (TCU), Amari Evans (Tennessee), Elyjah Freeman, Auburn, Mikey Lewis (Saint Mary’s)

Lewis gives Sean Miller a consensus top-five transfer class. The Longhorns will go into next season as one of the favorites to win the SEC. Punch has the potential to be an All-SEC forward after he averagd 14.1 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Horned Frogs. He and Vokietaitis will comprise one of the top frontcourt tandems in the country. Freeman is a 6-foot-8 rising sophomore forward who averaged 9.2 points and 5.2 rebounds while starting 21 games as a freshman. It appears Swain is likely to remain in the draft.

The addition of Mikey Lewis from St. Mary's gives Texas one of the best transfer classes in the country
The addition of Mikey Lewis from St. Mary’s gives Texas one of the best transfer classes in the country
NCAA Photos via Getty Images

10. Iowa State

Last week: 8

Losing: Joshua Jefferson, Dominick Nelson, Tamin Lipsey, Nate Heise, Eric Mulder, Cade Kelderman, Milan Momcilovic, Mason Williams

Retaining: Killyan Toure, Blake Buchanan, Jamarion Batemon, Dominykas Pleta, Xzavion Mitchell

Incoming (19): Dorian Rinaldo-Komian (103), Jackson Kiss (106), Christian Wiggins (120), Yusef Gray Jr. (188), Taj Manning (Kansas State), Leon Bond (Northern Iowa), Jaquan Johnson (Bradley), Tre Singleton (Northwestern)

T.J. Otzelberger bagged five guys from the transfer portal over the first weekend, thus ending his roster management process way earlier than many of his counterparts. Momcilovic’s decision to enter both the draft and the portal (he says he is committed to staying in the draft but wants to keep his options open) was a significant blow, but it was not unexpected based on his draft projections.

11. Virginia

Last week: 9

Losing: Malik Thomas, Jacari White, Dallin Hall, Ugonna Onyenso, Devin Tillis

Retaining: Thijs De Ridder, Chance Mallory, Sam Lewis, Johann Grunloh, Elijah Gertrude, Martin Carrere, Silas Barksdale

Incoming: None

Virginia is one of the few high-major programs that has neither lost a player to the transfer portal nor signed one, although Ryan Odom has said he hopes to add another player or two. He is pursuing LMU forward Jalen Shelley. Otherwise, the Cavs will return four of the top six scorers from the team that finished second in the AC.

12. Gonzaga

Last week: 7

Losing: Graham Ike, Tyon Grant-Foster, Jalen Warley, Adam Miller, Steele Venters, Emmanuel Innocenti, Braeden Smith

Retaining: Braden Huff, Davis Fogle, Mario Saint-Supery, Parker Jefferson

Incoming (21): Luca Foster (39), Sam Funches (89), Jack Kayil (Germany), Isiah Harwell (Houston)

It’s critical that Gonzaga gets Huff back to health after he missed the last three months of the season with a knee injury. Fogle is poised for a breakout sophomore season. Gonzaga is in the hunt for Campbell guard Jeremiah Johnson, along with several other high-major programs. Mark Few is also hoping to land Massamba Diop, a 7-foot-1 sophomore center from Arizona State, who is also considering St. John’s.

Contingent on his recovery, Braden Huff could lead Gonzaga’s offense again next season
Getty Images

13. Alabama

Last week: 13

Losing: Labaron Philon, Amari Allen, Latrell Wrightsell, Houston Mallette, Noah Williamson, Taylor Bol Bowen, Jalil Bethea, Aiden Sherrell, Davion Hannah

Retaining: Aden Holloway, London Jemison, Keitenn Bristow, Collins Onyejiaka

Incoming (10): Qayden Samuels (18), Jaxon Richardson (21), Tarris Bouie (40), Cole Cloer (NC State), Jamarion Davis-Fleming (Mississippi State), Brandon Garrison (Kentucky), Drew Fielder (Boise State)

Oats continued to shore up his frontcourt with the addition of Fielder, a 6-foot-10 senior forward who averaged 14.7 points and 5.7 rebounds for the Broncos last season. He should be a nice complement for Garrison to help offset the loss of Sherrell. The other big question is Holloway, whose season ended early after he was arrested on drug charges but recently announced his intentions to return.

14. Houston

Last week: 14

Losing: Kingston Flemings, Milos Uzan, Chris Cenac Jr., Emanuel Sharp, Isiah Harwell, Ramon Walker, Kalifa Sakho

Retaining: Joseph Tugler, Mercy Miller, Chase McCarty, Cedric Lath, Bryce Jackson, Kordel Jefferson

Incoming (29): Arafan Diane (16), Ikenna Alozie (55), Dedan Thomas (LSU), Delrecco Gillespie (Kent State), Corey Hadnot II (Fort Wayne), Braden East (Lamar)

The Cougars are loaded up for another run at a Big 12 title. Tugler’s decision to return was huge. He and Diane will make for an imposing tandem in the paint. Thomas is going to need to carry a heavy load to offset the losses of Uzan, Flemings and Sharp.

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15. Arkansas

Last week: 15

Losing: Darius Acuff, Meleek Thomas, Trevon Brazile, Nick Pringle, Karter Knox, D.J. Wagner, Malique Ewin

Retaining: Billy Richmond, Isaiah Sealy

Incoming (7): Jordan Smith (2), J.J. Andrews (12), Abdou Toure (26), Jeremiah Wilkinson (Georgia), Cooper Bowser (Furman)

Ewin’s decision to enter the transfer portal was a blow to a team that was already losing a lot of talent in the frontcourt. It is especially unhelpful that it came so late. Richmond declared for the draft but is retaining his eligibility. Wasserman projects him as undrafted. Acuff declared for the draft as expected. Wilkinson, who averaged 17.4 points for the Bulldogs as a sophomore, was a huge pickup for John Calipari. Arkansas’ fortunes next season will depend heavily on whether Smith can live up to his considerable hype.

Jordan Smith Jr
An explosive combo guard, Smith is one of the top prospects in this year’s recruiting class
Getty

16. Louisville

Last week: 16

Losing: Mikel Brown Jr., Ryan Conwell, Kasean Pryor, J’Vonne Hadley, Ally Khalifa, Isaac McKneely, Kobe Rodgers, Sananda Fru, Khani Rooths, Vangelis Zougris

Retaining: Adrian Wooley

Incoming: London Johnson (NBA G League), Flory Bidunga (Kansas), Jackson Shelstead (Oregon), Karter Knox (Arkansas), Alvaro Folguerias (Iowa), De’Shayne Montgomery (Dayton), Gabe Dynes (USC)

It was another huge week for Pat Kelsey as he landed three solid transfers. Folgueris is a 6-foot-9 senior forward who was one of the stars of Iowa’s run to the Elite Eight. Montgomery is a 6-foot-4 senior who averaged 13.4 poitns, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the Flyers. Dynes averaged 11.9 minutes for USC but he stands 7-foot-3 and could emerge as a quality rim protector. It also doesn’t hurt that Louisville beat out Kentucky for Dynes. Louisville is a finalist for Eastern Michigan forward Mo Habhab. Knox was a two-year starter (mostly) at Arkansas who will bring wing athleticism.

17. Ohio State

Last week: 17

Losing: Bruce Thonrton, Devin Royal, Christoph Tilly, Brandon Noel, Puff Johnson, Colin White, Gabe Cupps, Taison Chatman

Retaining: John Mobley, Amare Bynum, Ivan Njegovan, Josh Ojianwuna

Incoming (33): Anthony Thompson (7), Alex Smith (122), Andrija Jelavic (Kentucky), Justin Pippen (Cal), Jimmie Williams (Duquesne), Curtis Givens (Memphis)

The hits keep coming for Jake Diebler, who added depth to his backcourt with the signing of Givens, a 6-foot-3 junior who started 15 games for the Tigers and averaged 9.4 points and 2.3 assists on 36.5 percent three-point shooting. Williams averaged 15.1 points per game as a sophomore for the Dukes. Mobley has said he is entering the NBA Draft but Wasserman projects him as undrafted, so he is projected to return.

18. Purdue

Last week: 18

Losing: Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer, Oscar Cluff

Retaining: Omer Mayer, Daniel Jacobsen, C.J. Cox, Gicarri Harris, Jack Benter, Antoine West Jr., Raleigh Burgess 

Incoming (7): Luke Ertel (41), Jacob Webber (64), Sinan Huan (83), Jemyn Sondrup (134), Rivers Knight (211), Caden Pierce (Princeton) 

Purdue does not have any significant players in the transfer portal. Matt Painter made a run at Kansas forward Flory Bidunga and Saint Mary’s center Paulius Murauskas, but both landed elsewhere. The Boilemakers’ fortunes in the Big Ten will depend heavily on whether Pierce can make an immediate impact and whether Mayer takes a big leap forward.

Highly-touted guard Omer Mayer has been a non-factor for the Boilermakers in his freshman season
Purdue needs Omer Mayer to have a standout sophomore season
Getty Images

19. USC

Last week: NR

Losing: Alijah Arenas, Chad Baker-Mazara, Ezra Ausar, Jaden Brownell, Kam Woods, Ryan Cornish, Terrance Williams, Jordan Marsh, Jerry Easter, Gabe Dynes

Retaining: Rodney Rice, Jacob Cofie,

Incoming (6): Christian Collins (9), Adonis Ratliff (17), Darius Ratliff (23), KJ Lewis (Georgetown), Eric Reibe (UConn), Jalen Cox (Colgate)

Reibe’s decision to commit to USC vaulted the Trojans into the top 25. The dynamic 7-foot-1 sophomore forward is a former McDonald’s All-American who is poised for a breakout season after averaging 5.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.8 minutes as a freshman at UConn. Cox was also a solid addition after averaging 17.9 points last season for Colgate. USC will climb even higher up the rankings if Arenas comes back. He has entered the draft while maintaining his eligibility. Wasserman projects him as an early second-round pick. Musselman is also reportedly in the hunt for Baylor guard Tounde Yessoufou, who declared for the NBA Draft but entered the transfer portal a few hours before the deadline. Yessoufou is a projected first-round pick. If Rice returns to form after missing most of last season due to a knee injury and the Trojans stay healthy otherwise, they can contend for a Big Ten title. Collins could likewise be a program changer.

Center Eric Reibe's decision to switch coasts from UConn to USC vaults the Trojans into the Top 25
Center Eric Reibe’s decision to switch coasts from UConn to USC vaults the Trojans into the Top 25
Getty Images

20. UCLA

Last week: 19

Losing: Donovan Dent, Tyler Bilodeau, Skyy Clark, Jamar Brown, Steven Jamerson

Retaining: Trent Perry, Eric Dailey, Xavier Booker, Brandon Williams, Eric Freeny

Incoming (40): Joe Philon (71), Javonte Floyd (193), Sergej Macura (Mississippi State), Filip Jovic (Auburn), Jaylen Petty (Texas Tech), Azavier “Stink” Robinson (Butler)

Once again, Mick Cronin is relying heavily on the transfer portal instead of recruiting freshmen. His strategy appears to be paying off as the Bruins have landed several top players. Robinson wil slide into the starting point guard role as a replacement for Dent. Cronin is also reportedly pursuing Baylor guard Tounde Yessoufou, who is a projected first-round pick but entered the transfer portal a few hours before the deadline.

21. Indiana

Last week: 20

Losing: Lamar Wilkerson, Tayton Conerway, Tucker DeVries, Reed Bailey, Sam Alexis, Conor Enright, Nick Dorn, Aleksa Ristic, Jasai Miles

Retaining: Trent Sisley

Incoming (5): Vaughn Karvala (51), Trevor Menhertz (65), Prince-Alexander Moody (80), Bryce Lindsay (Villanova), Aiden Sherrell (Alabama), Samet Yigitoglu (SMU), Markus Burton (Notre Dame), Darren Harris (Duke), Jaeden Mustaf (Georgia Tech)

It took a couple of weeks, but Darien DeVries pulled off a huge portal haul in mid-April to put the Hoosiers back into the top 25. Lindsay and Burton are high-scoring guards, and Harris would have had more impact at Duke if he weren’t playing with so much talent. Yigitoglu is an experienced big who can finish at the rim and protect it on defense. DeVries is also trying to land Junjie “Barry” Wang, a 6-foot-9 forward from China who averaged 8.5 points and 3.0 rebounds for San Francisco last season. Wang took an official visit to Bloomington last week.

22. Miami

Last week: NR

Losing: Malik Reneau, Tre Donaldson, Ernest Udeh, Tru Washington, Noam Dovrat, Timo Malovec, Salih Altuntas, John Laboy

Retaining: Shelton Henderson, Dante Allen, Marcus Allen

Incoming (67): Caleb Gaskins (20), Acaden Lewis (Villanova), Somto Cyril (Georgia), DeSean Goode (Robert Morris), Quin Berger (Bucknell)

With the addition of Berger, Jai Lucas now has eight scholarship players. He’ll need to add a few more transfers after losing seven players to the portal, but this is shaping up to be another competitive team. Lewis was one of the top freshmen in the country last season and should be a top-three ACC point guard. Shelton has the potential to play his way into the lottery as a sophomore. The 6-foot-11 Cyril was a starter last season for Georgia, where he averaged 9.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in 21.2 minutes.

23.  BYU

Last week: 21

Losing: A.J. Dybantsa, Richie Saunders, Keba Keita, Mihailo Boskovic, Kennard Davis, Abullah Ahmed

Retaining: Aleksej Kostic, Dominique Diomande, Khadim Mboup, Tyler Mrus, Brooks Bahr, Robert Wright

Incoming (15): Bruce Branch (6), Dean Rusckert (77), Abdullah Ahmed (NBA G League), Will Openshaw (NA), K.J. Perry (juco No. 2), Jake Wahlin (Clemson), Tyler Betsey (Syracuse), Collin Chandler (Kentucky), Adam Stewart (TCU)

In the last surprising development of the year, Dybantsa announced last week that he is entering the NBA Draft, where he is projected as the No. 1 overall pick. No one should expect Branch to match what Dybantsa did as a freshman, but he will have an immediate impact. Wright’s decision two weeks ago to return after entering the portal and considering Kentucky was also huge. Stewart is a 6-foot-11 forward, but he is inexperienced, having played just six games at TCU the last two seasons after taking a two-year LDS mission.

Former four-star recruit Robert Wright III is one of the strongest distributors in the Big 12
Robert Wright III opted for a return to BYU after an unsuccessful visit to Kentucky
Getty Images

24. Missouri

Last week: 22

Losing: Mark Mitchell, Shawn Phillips, Jayden Stone, Jevon Porter, Anthony Robinson, Sebastian Mack, Jacob Crews, TO Barrett

Retaining: Annor Boateng, Trent Pierce, Trent Burns

Incoming (11): Jason Crowe Jr. (5), Toni Bryant (27), Aidan Chronister (72), Bryson Tiller (Kansas), Jamier Jones (Providence), Jaylen Carey (Tennessee)

Dennis Gates was already bringing in a big-time recruiting class, and now he is surrounding the youngsters with three proven veterans. Signing the 6-foot-10 Tiller, who averaged 7.9 points and 6.1 rebounds while starting 31 games as a freshman, was especially sweet given that he came from the Tigers’ biggest rival. This is the first time in school history that Missouri is bringing in two McDonald’s All-Americans in the same year. Crowe is the school’s highest-rated recruit since Michael Porter Jr. committed in 2017.

25. St. John’s

Last week: NR

Losing: Zuby Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins, Oziyah Sellers, Dillon Mitchell, Sadiku Ibine Ayo, Joson Sanon, Dylan Darling, Kelvin Odih, Lefteris Liotopoulos

Retaining: Ian Jackson, Ruben Prey, Casper Pohto, Imran Wojijanovic, Handje Tamba

Incoming: Quinn Ellis (England), Dordije Jovanovic (Montenegro), Donnie Freeman (Syracuse), Lazar Stojkovic (Serbia), Avery Brown (Columbia)

Rick Pitino has pivoted hard to international recruiting, but he added another portal piece last week in Brown, a 6-foot-4 senior guard who was a three-year starter at Columbia before redshirting last season due to facial fractures. Freeman was a major pickup. The 6-foot-9 junior forward averaged 15.3 points and 7.5 rebounds during his two seasons as a starter at Syracuse. Prey and Jackson announced their returns last week as projected. Ellis is a point guard who played professionally in England and Jovanovic is a 6-foot-7 forward who is 22 years old.


Notable Omissions

Kansas: Bill Self added a nice piece in Charleston center Christian Reeves, but he is still waiting on five-star prospect Tyran Stokes to make his decision.

Wisconsin: The Badgers got knocked out of the rankings due to the additions at other programs. It will not easy to replace the likes of Nick Boyd, John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas.

Vanderbilt: The Commodores dropped out of the rankings when they lost Tyler Tanner to the NBA Draft.

North Carolina: Michael Malone added three good guards out of the transfer portal, but Henry Veesaar entered the NBA Draft as projected. The Tar Heels also lost their top high school recruit, Dylan Mingo.

Kentucky: Mark Pope added some frontcourt depth with Senegalese native Ousmane N’Diaye, who played professionally in Spain, but he has lost out on a number of key targets and only has one incoming freshman.

Meet your guide

Seth Davis

Seth Davis

Seth Davis, Hoops HQ's Editor-in-Chief, is an award-winning college basketball writer and broadcaster. Since 2004, Seth has been a host of CBS Sports and Turner Sports's March Madness NCAA basketball tournament. A writer at Sports Illustrated for 22 years and at The Athletic for six, he is the author of nine books, including the New York Times best sellers Wooden: A Coach’s Life and When March Went Mad: The Game Transformed Basketball.
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