Last season, Big 12 Basketball was led by a pair of elite freshmen: 6-foot-9 forward AJ Dybansta (25.5 points per game at BYU) and 6-foot-5 guard Darryn Peterson (20.2 points per game at Kansas). Those two went on to become the first two picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.
While another Jayhawks freshman may be the early favorite for the top pick in the 2027 draft, look for transfers to be more of the focus in the Big 12 this season. Here’s a look at the top 20 impact transfers for the league.
1. Paulius Murauskas, 6-foot-8 senior forward, Arizona State
2025-26 stats (Saint Mary’s): 18.4 points, 7.6 rebounds
Murauskas is coming off a career-high year at Saint Mary’s, ranking in the top four in both scoring and rebounding. The two-time All-ACC forward produced six double-doubles, including 32 points and 15 rebounds in a win over Pacific. He’s set to follow Randy Bennett from Saint Mary’s to Arizona State as the projected focal point of the WCC-heavy roster.
2. Dedan Thomas Jr., 6-foot-1 senior guard, Houston
2025-26 stats (LSU): 15.3 points, 6.5 assists
After two years as an all-conference player at UNLV, Thomas was limited to just 16 games last season at LSU. But he showed he’s a quality high-major guard, including three games with at least 10 assists, including 22 points and 12 assists against Southern Mississippi. Coach Kelvin Sampson has a great track record with lead guards, and Thomas is primed to continue that trend.
3. Keanu Dawes, 6-foot-9 senior forward, Kansas
2025-26 stats (Utah): 12.5 points, 8.8 rebounds
In two years at Utah, Dawes averaged 10.4 points and 7.6 rebounds while starting 34 games. The athletic forward did produce 14 double-doubles last season, including 22 points and 12 rebounds on the road at Kansas. He’s now set to be a starting frontcourt piece for the same Jayhawks, giving them a proven rebounder who can also offer some interior defense.
4. Kayden Mingo, 6-foot-3 sophomore guard, Baylor
2025-26 stats (Penn State): 13.7 points, 4.3 assists
The former top-50 prospect had a strong freshman year at Penn State, finishing second on the team in scoring while also adding 2.1 steals per game. Mingo, who started all 28 games for the Nittany Lions, had a pair of 24-point outings as his season-high in scoring. Mingo and his brother, incoming five-star 6-foot-5 guard Dylan Mingo, are set to be the lead guards for the revamped Baylor backcourt.
5. Cruz Davis, 6-foot-3 senior guard, Texas Tech
2025-26 stats (Hofstra): 20.1 points, 4.7 assists
Davis, who ranked third in the country with 38 minutes played last season, led the CAA in scoring and earned Conference Player of the Year honors. The veteran player also shot 40 percent from three-point range on six attempts a game and had five games of at least 30 points last season, including 36 in a road upset win over Pitt. Texas Tech won’t need Cruz to play the whole game on the court this upcoming season, but they’ll welcome his natural scoring ability as a lead guard option.
6. Mouhamed Sylla, 6-foot-10 sophomore center, West Virginia
2025-26 stats (Georgia Tech): 9.6 points, 7.2 rebounds
An ankle injury limited Sylla to just 16 games as a freshman but he was impactful when he was on the floor. The big man, who shot 58 percent from the field, had five double-doubles in his first six games, along with a 12-point outing against Mississippi State. He’s a definite breakout player to watch as West Virginia’s starting center.
7. Delrecco Gillespie, 6-foot-8 senior forward, Houston
2025-26 stats (Kent State): 17.7 points, 11.3 rebounds
Gillespie spent four years at Kent State, slowly developing into one of the nation’s best rebounders. Ranked third in the country on the boards, Gillespie produced 21 total double-doubles, including 18 points and 20 rebounds in a game against UMass. The former All-MAC defender is a natural fit in Houston’s frontcourt, paired with returning 6-foot-7 senior forward Joseph Tugler to create a top-tier duo inside.
8. Jaquan Johnson, 5-foot-9 junior guard, Iowa State
2025-26 stats (Bradley): 16.9 points, 3.6 assists
Johnson is one of the Big 12’s top two-way incoming players, coming off earning Defensive Player of the Year honors in the Missouri Valley Conference. In his first year as a full-time starter, Johnson had a trio of 30-plus point outings, including 35 points, 7 rebounds and 6 steals in overtime at Evansville. He’s set to replace 6-foot-1 guard and four-year starter Tamin Lipsey as the next lead ball-handler for the Cyclones.
9. Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, 6-foot-1 senior guard, Texas Tech
2025-26 stats (UNLV): 20.7 points, 3.1 rebounds
After two years as a bench piece at Illinois, Gibbs-Lawhorn turned into the top scorer in the Mountain West, shooting 50 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range. The dynamic scorer had a nine-game stretch where he scored 20-plus points, including a career-high 42 points in an overtime win over Nevada. He joins Davis in the revamped backcourt at Texas Tech, where he looks to prove that he is a high-major caliber guard.
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10. Isaac Celiscar, 6-foot-6 junior forward, Baylor
2025-26 stats (Yale): 13.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists
The skilled forward had a breakout second year at Yale, shooting 57 percent from the field and 41 percent from deep on two attempts a game. The All-Ivy forward produced five double-doubles, including 16 points and 14 rebounds versus Penn. Celiscar’s versatility should make him a valuable rotation piece for the Bears next season, if not a clear starter.
11. Jackson Holcombe, 6-foot-7 senior guard, Utah
2025-26 stats (Utah Valley): 16 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists
Holcombe was a breakout star in the WAC, earning all-league and all-defensive honors, including a combined 3.3 steals and blocks per game. The big guard had nine games of at least 20 points, including 26 points and 13 rebounds against Southern Utah. After losing all of its guards from last season, Utah will look to Holcombe to fill the void.
12. Justin Neely, 6-foot-5 senior forward, Colorado
2025-26 stats (UNC Greensboro): 17.9 points, 11.5 rebounds
After four years at Albany, Neely became a breakout star in the SoCon, ranking second in the country in rebounding while producing 18 double-doubles. Among his top individual performances were 35 points against Western Carolina, along with 22 points and 24 rebounds in the win over Wofford in the SoCon Tournament. He looks to become Colorado’s key frontcourt piece for next season.
13. Finley Bizjack, 6-foot-4 senior guard, West Virginia
2025-26 stats (Butler): 17.1 points, 2.5 assists
Bizjack started 61 games the last two years at Butler and is coming off an All-Big East campaign in which he ranked third in the league in scoring. He had six games of at least 25 points, including 30 in a double-overtime loss to Providence. Already a proven high-major starter and lead guard, Bizjack will be paired with incoming five-star 5-foot-9 freshman guard Miles Sadler in the revamped backcourt.
14. Leroy Blyden Jr., 6-foot-1 sophomore guard, Kansas
2025-26 stats (Toledo): 16.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists
Blyden was the MAC Rookie of the Year at Toledo, shooting 46 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range. He had 13 games of at least 20 points, including a season-high 36 in a win over Western Michigan. Kansas has another 6-foot-1 guard of its own joining in five-star freshman Taylen Kinney, but look for Blyden to have a big role in the offense as a likely starter.
15. Riley Allenspach, 6-foot-11 senior forward, Cincinnati
2025-26 stats (George Mason): 13.6 points, 6.1 rebounds
After two years of limited production off the bench at Samford, Allenspach was a breakout star at George Mason, earning All-Atlantic 10 honors. He shot 57 percent from the field and had four games of at least 20 points, including 26 points and 8 rebounds against Old Dominion. Allenspach gives the Bearcats a true floor-spacing option in the frontcourt and a capable offensive threat to balance the offense.
16. Dior Johnson, 6-foot-3 senior guard, UCF
2025-26 stats (Tarleton State): 24 points, 3.3 rebounds
Last year was the big breakthrough for the former top-30 prospect out of high school. Johnson was one of the country’s top scorers despite playing around 26 minutes per game off the bench, earning WAC Sixth Man of the Year honors. He had a 42-point outing against Baylor last season and will face them again as he reunites with the Knights, expecting to have a much larger role this time around.
17. Corey Hadnot II, 6-foot-3 senior guard, Houston
2025-26 stats (Purdue Fort Wayne): 20.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists
After two years as a bench piece with the Mastodons, Hadnot broke out as a full-time starter, leading the Horizon League in scoring. He was also fairly efficient, shooting 52 percent from the field and 36 percent from deep. Hadnot, who had a 32-point game against Western Michigan, joins Thomas as the likely starting backcourt duo for Houston.
18. Joel Foxwell, 6-foot-1 sophomore guard, Arizona State
2025-26 stats (Portland): 15.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists
The Australian ball-handler was one of the top scorers in the WCC while leading the league in assists. Foxwell had six double-digit assist games last season, as well as a season-high 35 points in a win over Pepperdine. The all-league guard joins several other former WCC players moving to Arizona State as the projected starting point guard.
19. Tylen Riley, 6-foot-3 senior guard, Cincinnati
2025-26 stats (Tulsa): 15 points, 4.4 assists
Riley went from two seasons of little production at Cal Baptist to an all-conference guard in the American. He shot 45 percent from the field and had eight games of at least 20 points last season, including 30 against Wichita State. The capable combo guard is set to be a lead guard candidate at Cincinnati.
20. Jordan Burks, 6-foot-9 senior forward, Oklahoma State
Burks played a key role in UCF’s run to the NCAA Tournament, finishing third on the team in scoring. He shot 37 percent from three-point range on five attempts a game and had five games of at least 20 points, including 22 in the Round of 64 defeat to UCLA. He joins an Oklahoma State roster with plenty of double-digit scorers but no stars, setting up Burks to be a potential focal point next season.
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