College basketball’s transfer portal officially opens for business today, March 24. It will close on April 22, but players have until the fall to announce their choices and enroll in school.
Hoops HQ is partnering with The Portal Report to bring you the most comprehensive inside coverage of all the news happening with respect to the portal.
We will know a lot more about who is transferring once they formally put their names into the portal, but hundreds of players have already made their intentions to transfer known. Here are the top 10 players who have done so as portal season begins.
1. Bryce Hopkins, 6-foot-7 senior wing, Providence
After a stellar sophomore year at Providence, earning a 2022-23 All-Big East First Team nod, Hopkins tore his ACL and missed most of the 2023-24 campaign. He tried to return on December 3, but after just three games he suffered a bone bruise and ended up taking another redshirt season.
Officially announcing his intentions to enter the portal on March 19, Hopkins had requested a “do not contact” tag. Despite this, it has been reported that he has already had several mid-majors offer deals including programs like Dayton, Tarleton State, Iona and Vermont.
But in reality, the much bigger sharks will be circling, with St. John’s and Georgetown appearing to be early leaders for top portal talent. Georgetown’s Ed Cooley previously recruited Hopkins as a transfer from Kentucky during his final season as head coach at Providence, which produced the best year of Hopkins’ career. St. John’s and Rick Pitino could have the early edge with Hopkins reportedly scheduled for a visit to the Queens, N.Y. campus today.
2. Owen Freeman, 6-foot-10 sophomore forward, Iowa
The 2023-24 Big Ten Rookie of the Year greatly improved with more minutes this season, averaging a career-high 16.7 points per game despite injury troubles. With McCaffery’s exit coming at season’s end, Freeman announced his plans to enter the transfer portal a day later, on March 15.
Now fully healthy, Freeman is receiving plenty of interest with Michigan, Ohio State, Gonzaga, Alabama and Arkansas all reportedly in the mix even before his initial announcement. According to 106.3 KXnO Iowa Sports Radio, Freeman already has a pair of offers on the table from both Alabama and Arkansas, which explains his decision to enter the portal with a “do not contact” tag.
3. BJ Freeman, 6-foot-6 senior forward, Arizona State
Freeman was dominant during the 2023-24 season at Milwaukee, averaging 21.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game on his way to an all-conference selection. A transfer up to Arizona State and into the Big 12 only saw Freeman’s development continue as he started 22 out of 25 games and managed 13.7 points per game.
But on February 24, it was announced that Arizona State dismissed Freeman for bad behavior, leading him to declare for the transfer portal on March 15. It has yet to be seen how his removal at ASU will affect his recruitment, but given what Freeman showcased early in the Big 12 it would be easy to see high majors becoming interested once again.
During his last stint in the portal, Freeman visited Oregon, Providence, Xavier and Florida State before committing to join Bobby Hurley and the Sun Devils. Kentucky’s Mark Pope expressed interest in the former Milwaukee transfer so as well it’ll be interesting to see which programs are willing to offer this offseason.
4. Jeremiah Wilkinson, 6-foot-1 freshman guard, California
In what was a tough season for Cal, with a 14-19 record and a 15th place finish in the ACC, the emergence of Wilkinson was a major bright spot. Averaging 15.1 points per game as a dynamic scorer, he was not only selected to the ACC’s All-Freshman team but was also honored as the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year.
The former three-star recruit had limited high major offers as a senior at The Skill Factory in Atlanta, Ga. He ended up at Cal over Butler, Florida and Mississippi State. Wilkinson opted for the portal on March 20 and now many high major programs are expected to be interested.
Mississippi State was perceived to be the early leader in Wilkinson’s high school recruitment with former Bulldogs assistant James Miller reportedly leading the charge. Miller now finds himself at Oklahoma State, working as an associate head coach under Steve Lutz. Could a move to a rebuilding program in the Big 12 be on the horizon?
5. Malik Reneau, 6-foot-9 junior forward, Indiana
Indiana announced the hiring of Darian DeVries on March 18, and not even a few hours later, Reneau declared his intentions to enter the transfer portal. A former four-star recruit, Reneau has been a force in the Big Ten the past two seasons and averaged 15.4 points per game and 6.0 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
Out of the prestigious Montverde Academy, Reneau had high major interest from all around the country and visited programs like Maryland and Virginia before committing to Florida. However, with Mike White’s departure for the Georgia head coaching position imminent, Reneau ultimately ended up at Indiana after a last minute switch.
White is once again interested in Reneau so Georgia should be considered an early front runner to secure his commitment. This alongside Miami and new head coach Jai Lucas would mark a return home since Reneau grew up in Miami, Fla while playing AAU for Nightrydas Elite.
6. Josh Dix, 6-foot-6 junior wing, Iowa
Iowa dismissed head coach Fran McCaffery on March 14 and as expected the program had a mass exodus of transfers, including Dix, who declared for the portal on March 19. In his first two seasons with the Hawkeyes, Dix showed gradual improvement and earned a 2023-24 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention, but in 2024-25 he truly jumped onto the scene.
Averaging 14.4 points per game while shooting 51 percent from the floor and 42 percent from three makes Dix one of the portal’s most intriguing early entries with interest already abundant. Reports have suggested that the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Louisville, Michigan State, Providence and Tennessee have all reached out.
According to Joe Tipton of On3, Dix wants to remain near his native Iowa, which would leave programs like Creighton, Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa State and Indiana all with a solid chance. Former Iowa assistant Kirk Speraw was a major factor in his initial commitment and while it’s yet to be seen if he’ll go for another job after leaving Iowa back in 2022, Dix could very well follow a coach with great midwest ties.
7. Nick Boyd, 6-foot-3 senior guard, San Diego State
Following an early exit at the 2025 NCAA Tournament with a First Four loss to UNC, Boyd announced his intentions to enter the portal just three days later. Boyd, a 2024-25 All-Mountain West Second Team selection, found success at San Diego State after playing a significant role as a starter in Florida Atlantic’s run to the 2023 Final Four.
Averaging a career-high 13.4 points per game, Boyd finished as the Aztecs’ leading-scorer this season. Of course, a reunion in Michigan with former FAU head coach Dusty May seems a strong possibility, and there’s no doubt Boyd could make a solid addition to the Wolverines’ backcourt rotation.
But if the Garnerville, N.Y. native and Don Bosco Institute graduate wants an opportunity closer to home for his final year of eligibility, Syracuse, Providence and Villanova will all be in search of talent. Boyd’s uncle, Fred Hill, was a longtime assistant at Seton Hall and led Rutgers as head coach from 2006-2010 and could provide a unique connection back on the east coast.
8. Chris Bell, 6-foot-7 junior forward, Syracuse
A proven contributor in the ACC, Bell started 32 games for the Orange in 2023-24 and averaged 12.0 points per game. However, this season saw Bell take on more of a reserve role as he played just 21.9 minutes per game and came primarily off the bench. Ultimately, the decline in consistent game time saw Bell announce his plans to enter the portal on March 22..
A former top-100 prospect with a four-star rating back in 2022, Bell had offers from highly regarded programs all across the country such as Creighton, Iowa State and Maryland. Closer to his native California, the biggest programs never came calling outside of a struggling USC, Washington, and mid-majors like San Diego State or Loyola Marymount.
Washington was amongst Bell’s final three candidates when it came time to commit with former Huskies head coach Mike Hopkins eager to keep him on the west coast. Hopkins now works as an assistant for the Phoenix Suns. If he lands at another program, he could set his sights again on Bell.
9. Jamichael Stillwell, 6-foot-8 junior forward, Milwaukee
After dominating at the JUCO level for two years, Stillwell took his talents to the Horizon League where he earned an All-Conference First Team selection in 2024-25. Averaging a double-double for Milwaukee, it’s evident Stillwell is ready for a step up in competition. He declared his intention to enter the transfer portal back on March 11.
Stillwell received attention from more than two dozen programs within a week of his official announcement on social media as Butler, Illinois, Pitt, Texas Tech and more all reportedly reached out. In addition, the Atlanta native has heard from several more local teams in Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Mississippi. As one of the most highly desired mid-major transfers to already enter the portal, his decision could come quickly as coaches already eliminated from postseason contention look to fill roster spots.
10. Jalil Bethea, 6-foot-5 freshman guard, Miami (FL)
In 2024, Bethea was a five-star prospect out of Archbishop Wood in Bucks County, Pa. Though he averaged just 7.1 points per game this season, the 2024 Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year found his footing late in ACC play and carved out a consistent role for the struggling Hurricanes.
With Jai Lucas officially named head coach at Miami earlier this month, Bethea entered the portal on March 21 and is likely to have a lot of high major interest. As the No. 10 prospect in the Class of 2024 according to ESPN, he held offers from multiple power conference programs including Alabama, Georgetown, Kansas, LSU and more.
While it is not known what will happen to Miami’s current coaching staff, assistant coach DJ Irving, a native of Chester, PA, played a big role in recruiting Bethea to Coral Gables, Fla. Maybe he’ll follow Irving to his next stop? More likely, Bethea heads back north toward his hometown of Philadelphia where he had previous offers from programs like Penn State, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Villanova and several mid-majors.
