The loaded freshman class has stolen the spotlight recently, as three rookies (BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Illinois’ Keaton Wagler and Houston’s Kingston Flemings) dropped 40-plus points on the same day last weekend. But what about the transfers?
Many of the nation’s top teams are being led by transfers who continue to fly under the radar. From rising sophomores like BYU’s Robert Wright III to former mid-major studs like Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz and more, these portal acquisitions have lived up to expectations and could very well shape what happens in March.
Below is a ranking of the top 10 transfers so far, along with some of the most notable risers and fallers.
1. Keyshawn Hall, Auburn
Looking to hush a hyped up ‘O-Dome’ crowd Saturday afternoon in Gainesville, Hall attacked the rim on Auburn’s opening possession and drew a foul. After drilling the pair, the senior poured in the next eight Tigers points, driving Auburn to a 15-point lead at the break that they would not relinquish.
What provoked the outburst from Hall, you may be wondering. Well, according to the senior, motivation gleaned from film study with coach Steven Pearl got the competitive juices flowing.
“He said somebody on Florida’s gonna win Player of the Year,” Hall said. “That kind of got to me.”
Hall, who transferred from UCF this offseason following stints with UNLV and George Mason, leads Auburn with 20.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest. Jan. 20 at Ole Miss, Hall paced the Tigers with 19 points, including 11 of 12 shooting from the charity stripe.
2. Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Lendeborg bounced back nicely following his worst scoring output of the season on Jan. 17, scoring 15 or more in wins over Indiana and rival Ohio State. The N.J. native dominated on both sides of the court against the Hoosiers, finishing with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and 3 steals.
Leading the Buckeyes by just a point midway through the second half Saturday afternoon, Lendeborg found fellow transfer Elliot Cadeau, who cashed a triple. A few possessions later the pair connected again, with this long ball from Cadeau pushing the Wolverine lead to nine.
A gauntlet awaits Lendeborg and Michigan this week, as the Wolverines welcome unbeaten No. 5 Nebraska to Ann Arbor Tuesday night before heading to East Lansing for a rivalry clash with Sparty on Friday evening.
Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg Played 11 Games of High School Basketball. Now He’s a Contender for National Player of the Year.
The Wolverines’ 6-foot-9 forward and two-time transfer went from junior college to mid-major to arguably the best team in the country
3. Malik Reneau, Miami
A pair of losses halted a 10-game win streak for the Canes, who suffered their first conference loss on Jan. 17 at then-No. 22 Clemson. Although Reneau struggled in the defeat, tallying just 11 points before fouling out, the Miami native continues to make his case for top portal acquisition of the offseason.
Saturday at Syracuse, Reneau gave the Orange all they could handle and then some, finishing with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists, each of which were a team high. One area of concern to keep an eye on for Reneau is a surging turnover count. The senior gave away the rock seven times against the Orange’s trademark zone defense.
“We just had to make sure we got the ball in the middle,” coach Jai Lucas said. “We weren’t making the right reads and I thought in the first half, Malik wasn’t and that’s how he ends up with seven turnovers.”
4. Robert Wright III, BYU
Jaw-dropping performances have become the new ‘norm’ in Provo. However, as freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa continues to impress (he scored 43 on Saturday night), steady backcourt play from Wright has helped keep the Cougars in rhythm offensively.
The visiting Utes came to town ready to clash with their rivals, aggressively closing out on shooters and tightly contesting passing lanes. Despite this, Wright finished with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and maybe the most important of them all, zero turnovers. The sophomore converted 7 of 8 free-throw attempts in the victory.
5. Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee
Similarly to the aforementioned Wright, an epic performance from a freshman overshadowed outstanding play from the floor general. Led by 29 points from former five-star Nate Ament and 24 from Gillespie, the Vols secured a monster 79-73 win at then-No. 17 Alabama.
A slow shooting night from distance did not deter the Maryland transfer, who finished just 2 of 9 from beyond the arc. Gillespie dished out 4 assists and controlled the tempo, a key when taking on a fast-paced Bama crew in a hostile environment. The senior played a vital role in closing out the contest, calmly swishing crunch-time foul shots.
6. Nick Boyd, Wisconsin
Five consecutive Badger wins helped vault Boyd into this week’s Top 10. Although Wisconsin hit a roadblock Sunday night in a 73-71 home loss to USC, Boyd poured in a team-high 29 points.
Boyd delivered his best game as a Badger on Jan. 17 vs. Rutgers. The SDSU transfer uncorked for 34 points, hitting all but one of his 15 free-throw attempts. In addition, Boyd dropped 9 dimes while giving the ball away just once.
7. Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska
Head coach Fred Hoiberg and his staff felt the urge to deliver a fiery message in the visiting locker room, as the Huskers trailed unranked Minnesota by six at the break.
“We kind of took turns at them,” Hoiberg said. “I started it, Nate (Loenser) went, then I went back at them, and you know championship teams respond the right way and that’s exactly what our guys did.”
Sandfort, along with his teammates, took that message to heart. The Iowa transfer scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half as Nebraska outscored the home team 46-21 in the final 20 minutes. For Sandfort, who finished with his first double-double of the season, the outing marked his fourth consecutive game with more than 20 points.
8. Bennett Stirtz, Iowa
Reeling from three straight losses, Iowa headed to Assembly Hall in desperate need of a win on Jan. 17. Thanks in large part to 53 combined points from the Hawkeyes’ backcourt, 27 of them from Stirtz, Iowa left Bloomington with a 74-57 victory.
Stirtz, who transferred from Drake alongside head coach Ben McCollum, paces Iowa in scoring (18.3 points per game) and assists (5.0). He followed his performance against the Hoosiers with 20 points vs. Rutgers.
9. Chad Baker-Mazara, USC
An up and down season continues for Baker-Mazara, who rejoined the Top 10 this week. The journeyman who suited up for Auburn a season ago returned to early-season form in the Trojans’ road win Sunday night. The Dominican native recorded 38 minutes, totaling 29 points and 4 rebounds to drive a 73-71 USC victory.
Although consistency remains a problem for Eric Musselman’s group, who fell at home to Northwestern on Jan. 21, Baker-Mazara appears back on the right track. He is averaging just under 20 points per game in the last three.
10. Dior Johnson, Tarleton State
Johnson, whose 23.6 points per game ranks third nationally, possesses nearly as much talent as any guard in college hoops. Jan. 15 at Southern Utah, Johnson continued a ridiculous hot streak.
The junior, who averaged just over eight minutes per game at UCF last season, exploded for 40 points. The outburst marked his seventh outing of 30 or more points this season, and his fourth in a row.
As Johnson continues to display his talent for coaches across the country to see, expect the former five-star recruit to be highly coveted in the portal next offseason.
Risers and Fallers
Outside our top 10 list, hundreds of transfer contributors around the country continue to make their case. On the other end of the spectrum, some players with high expectations entering the season have struggled to find their footing.
Risers
Donovan Dent, UCLA
With then-No. 4 Purdue in town for a Tuesday night Big Ten clash, Dent delivered his best game as a Bruin in front of a raucous home crowd at Pauley Pavilion.
The New Mexico transfer led UCLA with 23 points and 13 assists, including the game-winning dish to Tyler Bilodeau with eight seconds to play. Improved play from Dent has helped pave the way to success for the Bruins, who have won four of their last five.
Ryan Conwell, Louisville
Conwell makes his second appearance in the risers’ group, as the Xavier transfer falls just shy of the top 10 once again. With his play as of late, however, the senior is more than making his case.
Jan. 17 at Pitt, 24 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists from Conwell drove a walloping of the Panthers, 100-59. At home against Virginia Tech on Saturday, Conwell poured in 15 more points. His 19.5 points per game leads the Cardinals.
Malik Thomas, Virginia
A key piece of the puzzle for No. 17 Virginia’s turnaround this season, Thomas helped UVA land a pair of road victories on Jan. 13 and Jan. 17.
Taking on then-No. 2o Louisville, Thomas dropped a team-high 19 points. Locked in a tight battle with SMU, Thomas tallied 23 points and 11 rebounds to help secure the 72-68 win.
Fallers
Cade Tyson, Minnesota
Four consecutive outings of less than 20 points marked the lengthiest stretch of the season for Tyson. As has been the case all season, the team struggled alongside the UNC transfer, dropping four straight.
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, a Colorado State transfer, has settled in as a Gopher, averaging 20 points over his last four. Niko Medved and his staff will need Tyson to return to form for the Gophers to rack up wins in a conference littered with heavyweights.
Lamar Wilkerson, Indiana
Like Tyson, Wilkerson’s performance has heavily determined the overall success of the group. In back-to-back matchups vs. Iowa and at then-No. 3 Michigan, Wilkerson totaled just 17 points. Thus, the Hoosiers lost both games by a combined 31 points.
Wilkerson got back on track Friday night at Rutgers, finishing with 27 points and 5 assists in a 82-59 win.
Andrew Rohde, Wisconsin
Poor shooting continued to plague Rohde in Sunday’s loss to USC. A Virginia transfer acquired for his shooting prowess, Rohde finished the contest just 2 of 10 from the floor and 2 of 7 from three-point range.
The senior has surpassed two three-point makes just once this season. Overall, the Wisconsin native has seen his success rate from beyond the arc drop by nearly nine percent from a season ago.
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