Never-Too-Early Preseason Top 25 Update: Key Commits for UConn and Illinois

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1. Michigan State

Last week: 1

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

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

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

For Michigan State, the transfer portal might as well not exist. The Spartans have not had a single player transfer out or in, although Tom Izzo is looking for a quality big man to add to his roster. He is reportedly focusing his efforts on Washington center Franck Kepnang, Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam and Charlotte center Anton Bonke. 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 national preseason player of the year. 

2. 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), Tony Bilic (Croatia), Stefan Vaaks (Providence)

It was a big week for retention as Stojakovic, Mirkovic and the Ivisic brothers all announced their intentions to run it back in Champagn. They were always projected to do that, so it did not change the Illini’s ranking. Zens is a nice addition who should be a good development piece if he sticks around. Brad Underwood remains set to return five of the top eight scorers from his Final Four squad. Illinois is also one of six schools in the hunt for Wisconsin’s high-scoring guard John Blackwell, and Underwood remains in the hunt for Chinese schoolboy Boyuan Zhang.

3. UConn

Last week: 7

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

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

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

It was a huge week in Storrs. Hines and Khamenia committed to Dan Hurley, and Mullins announce he was bypassing the NBA Draft. I had previously listed Mullins to be a departure based on his draft projections. Those additions more than made up for the decisions of Furphy and Stewart to enter the portal. Ross and Demary officially announced on Saturday that they are coming back.

4. Duke

Last week: 4

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

Retaining: Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster, Dame Sarr, 

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

Scharnowski became Jon Scheyer’s first portal pickup of 2026, but there are likely to be others. Duke is among the finalists for two of the most prized transfers, Wisconsin guard John Blackwell and Santa Clara wing Allen Graves. Cayden Boozer was already projected to return, so his decision to run it back for his sophomore season did not change Duke’s assessment. 

5. Arizona

Last week: 6

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)

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. Mandaquit also showed potential as a reserve at Washington last season. Now the big wait is on Krivas, who has not announced his NBA draft plans yet but is projected by Wasserman as the No. 29 overall pick. Arizona is also on the final list of candidates for Blackwell.

6. Michigan

Last week: 3

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)

Mara and Johnson are eligible to return, but since they’re projected as first-round draft picks, they are listed as departures. Dusty May is replenishing his roster without an oustanding recruiting class, but he is still hoping to land a big fish in the portal. Wake Forest guard Juke Harris is among his top targets.

7. Gonzaga

Last week: 5

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)

The Zags lost Smith to the portal, but they found a pretty good replacement in Harwell. 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, but he’s going to need more help. Gonzaga is in the hunt for Campbell guard Jeremiah Johnson, along with several other high-major programs. Mark Few is also hoping Massamba Diop, a 7-foot-1 sophomore center from Arizona State, to play alongside Huff.

8. 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 doesn’t change the Cyclones’ projections because he was always listed here as a departure. 

9. 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 has still not lost or signed any players via the portal, although Ryan Odom is still reportedly pursuing Kentucky forward Mouhamed Dioubate. Otherwise, the Cavs will return four of the top six scorers from the team that finished second in the AC.

10. Tennessee

Last week: 19 

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): 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)

Rick Barnes added two significant pieces last week in Haralson and Hill. He is still waiting on Ament, who has not declared his NBA Draft intentions but is unlikely to return for his sophomore season. Lundblade is one of the nation’s top three-point shooters, and his arrival has this shaping up to be one of the best offensive teams Barnes has coached.

11. Texas

Last week: 17

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

Sean Miller has put together a consensus top-five transfer class with the additions he made last week. 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. Swain announced last week that he is entering the draft, but he was always projected as a departure. 

12. Florida

Last week: 23

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

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

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

Condon’s announcement that he was bypassing the NBA Draft was a big boost for the Gators. Now Todd Golden is waiting on similar decisions from Haugh and Chinyelu. Aberdeen is a former Gator who transferred to Kentucky and now wants to transfer back, although he will need a waiver from the NCAA to be able to do so.

Golden has been recruiting the portal for other additions, but players are typically reluctant to commit to a program with two major draft decisions still in flux. 

13. Alabama

Last week: 10

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)

The Crimson Tide added some good pieces in the last week. Garrison in particular has the chance to offset the loss of Sherrell. Allen hasn’t announced his intentions yet but is likely to test the waters. Wassserman projects him as the No. 22 overall pick. 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: 11

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)

Flemings announced for the draft on Sunday, but he was always projected as a departure. East, a 6-foot-9 junior forward, and Hadnot, a 6-foot-3 senior guard, should give Kelvin Sampson the depth he needs to be competitive in the Big 12 again next season. 

15. Arkansas

Last week: 13

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

Retaining: Malique Ewin, Billy Richmond, Isaiah Sealy

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

Wilkinson, who averaged 17.4 points for the Bulldogs as a sophomore, was a huge pickup for John Calipari. Bowser is a 6-foot-11 senior forward who should give the Hogs a strong presence at the rim. Arkansas’ fortunes next season will depend heavily on whether Smith can live up to his considerable hype. Calipari has lost out on several perimeter targets but is reportedly still pursuing 7-foot-2 Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam.

16. Louisville

Last week: 18

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)

Pat Kelsey’s portal haul continued with the addition of Knox, who was a two-year starter (mostly) at Arkansas. Louisville also announced Wooley’s return on Saturday. He was already projected to return. Blackwell visited last week and has Louisville in his top six candidates. Kelsey is still hoping to Blackwell or Troy senior forward Thomas Dowd.

17. Ohio State

Last week: 15

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)

The Buckeyes were bolstered on Sunday with the commitment of Williams, who averaged 15.1 points per game as a sophomore for the Dukes on Saturday. Bynum might have had a chance to get drafted, but he has announced his return as projected. 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: 16

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, but Matt Painter would like to add another player or two. He made a run at Kansas forward Flory Bidunga prior to his commitment to Louisville. Purdue is one of several high-major schools hoping to land Saint Mary’s center Paulius Murauskas.

19. UCLA

Last week: 25

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)

UCLA picked up a pair of terrific guards in Petty and Rovinson. Mick Cronin is hoping to add another as he hosted Blackwell on an official visit last week. Cronin is also targeting Virginia Tech forward Christian Gurdak, Texas Tech forward LeJuan Watts and N.C. State sharp shooter Matt Able. Doing well in the portal is critical because 

Cronin is not a fan of high school recruiting, which is a risky decision considering the SoCal crop was so bountiful this year. 

UPDATED: Ranking the Top 50 Players in the NCAA Men’s Transfer Portal

April 19 update: Over 2,000 players have declared their intent to change schools. We rank the top 50.

20. Indiana

Last week: NR

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)

Nobody had a better week in the portal than Darien DeVries, whose program lost six players to the portal and another six to eligibility. 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. Combine that haul with the highly-ranked recruiting class, and the Hoosiers are back in business.

21. BYU

Last week: NR

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)

Wright’s decision to come back to BYU, especially after visiting Kentucky, was huge for the Cougars. The three transfers will add depth, size and shooting. Kevin Young needed the influx because he lost six players to the portal. Branch is not quite as good as Dybantsa, but he is a one-and-done talent who will make an instant impact. 

22. Missouri

Last week: NR

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. Bringing in 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.

23. Wisconsin

Last week: 21

Losing: Nick Boyd, Braeden Carrington, Andrew Rohde, John Blackwell, Aleksas Bieliauskas

Retaining: Nolan Winter, Austin Rapp, Jayden Jones, Jack Janicki, Will Garlock, Zach Kinzinger

Incoming (104): Owen Foxwell (Australia), LaTrevion Fenderson (208), Jackson Ball (NA), Trey Autry (George Washington), Eian Elmer (Maryland), Victory Onuetu (Hofstra)

Losing Bieliauskas was a blow, but Greg Gard picked up a quality trio of transfers to help replace him. It will be hard, though, to make up for the loss of Blackwell’s 19.1 points per game.

 

24. Nebraska

Last week: 22

Losing: Rienk Mast, Jamarques Lawrence, Sam Hoiberg, Jared Garcia, Berke Buyuktuncel

Retaining: Connor Essegian, Pryce Sandfort, Braden Frager, Cale Jacobsen, Leo Curtis, Ugnius Jarusevicius

Incoming (34): Collin Rice (81), Jacob Lanier (96), Sam Orme (Belmont), Kadyn Betts (Montana), Trevan Leonhardt (Utah Valley), Boden Kapke (Boston College)

Fred Hoiberg picked up three quality players in the portal, but the heart of this team will be in its returning core. Essegian is a sharp shooter who is returning from a season-ending ankle injury he sustained in November. 

25. Kansas

Last week: 12

Losing: Darryn Peterson, Melvin Council, Tre White, Flory Bidunga, Bryson Tiller, Elmarko Jackson, Jamari McDowell

Retaining: Kohl Rosario, Paul Mbiya, Samis Calderon

Incoming (5): Taylor Kinney (13), Davion Adkins (70), Trent Perry (94), Luke Barnett (140), Keanu Dawes (Utah)

Kansas lost six players to the transfer portal. They signed their first transfer in Dawes, a 6-foot-9 senior forward. Anton Bonke, a 7-foot-2 junior center from Charlotte, also visited Lawrence recently but has yet to announce his decision. Ditto for Utah guard Terrence Brown. The Jayhawks will rise in the rankings if five-star recruit Tyran Stokes commits as expected.

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Notable Omissions

VANDERBILT: Mark Byington picked up three transfers last week but is still waiting on a final decision about the draft from Tyler Tanner.

NORTH CAROLINA: The Tar Heels dropped out of the rankings due to freshman Dylan Mingo’s decision to decommit. 

KENTUCKY: Mark Pope finally got some portal commitments in Alex Wilkins (Furman) and Zoom Diallo (Washington). Adding Syracuse forward Donnie Freeman would be huge.

ST. JOHN’S: The Red Storm added a pair of international players, but they dropped out of the rankings after their projected starting backcourt of Dylan Darling and Joson Sanon entered the portal. Rick Pitino has yet to sign a Division I transfer.