One of the biggest storylines of each college basketball season is the impact of transfers and how well they play for their new team. At the same time, some struggle at their new stop and underachieve.
But what about those who have done both?
For this piece, I’ll be looking at those who have gone through a specific journey of playing well somewhere, struggling at another spot, then excelling this season after another change of scenery.
Focusing on “bounce back transfers”, here’s the top 10 so far for the 2025-26 season.
1. Michael Ajayi – Butler Bulldogs
2023-24 (Pepperdine): 17.2 points, 9.9 rebounds
2024-25 (Gonzaga): 6.5 points, 5.4 rebounds
2025-26: 16.8 points, 12.3 rebounds
Ajayi never really fit with the Bulldogs a year ago but has now become a Big East Player of the Year candidate, leading Butler in both scoring and rebounding. The 6-foot-7 senior forward had 28 points and 15 rebounds in a double-overtime win over Providence, along with a recent 19-point and 20-rebound effort in a key win over Northwestern. In a Big East conference that’s been largely disappointing, Ajayi’s play has given Butler a chance to be not only a contender but one who ultimately can make the NCAA Tournament.
2. Cade Tyson – Minnesota Golden Gophers
2023-24 (Belmont): 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds
2024-25 (North Carolina): 2.6 points, 1.1 rebounds
2025-26: 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds
Tyson was arguably the most disappointing transfer a year ago, contributing nothing at UNC. The 6-foot-7 senior forward has found his footing with the Gophers, ranking top-10 in the country in scoring, including a season-high 38 points and 11 rebounds against Texas Southern. If the Tar Heels even had half of this last year, they would’ve been a Sweet 16 unit.
3. William Kyle – Syracuse Orange
2023-24 (South Dakota State): 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.6 blocks
2024-25 (UCLA): 2.9 points, 1.8 rebounds
2025-26: 11.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.3 blocks
The 6-foot-9 senior forward is a former conference Defensive Player of the Year back at South Dakota State, but had a rough time as a backup big man at UCLA. He’s been great on both ends with the Orange, not only averaging a double-double but also blocking more than three shots a game, including six against Delaware State. When healthy, Kyle and 6-foot-8 sophomore forward Donnie Freeman make one of the top frontcourts in the ACC.
4. Frank Mitchell – St. Bonaventure Bonnies
2023-24 (Canisius): 12.1 points, 11.6 rebounds
2024-25 (Minnesota): 4.9 points, 4.6 rebounds
2025-26: 16.6 points, 11.4 rebounds
The 6-foot-8 senior forward got onto the national scene two years ago at Canisius, averaging a double-double as one of the nation’s top rebounders. After limited production at the Big Ten level, Mitchell is thriving again as the lead big man for the Bonnies. He has nine double-doubles in 13 games, including 19 points and 18 rebounds against Colgate. Recent back-to-back 20-point outings indicate that Mitchell is more than just a rebounding machine as well.
5. Ven-Allen Lubin – NC State Wolfpack
2023-24 (Vanderbilt): 12.3 points, 6.3 rebounds
2024-25 (North Carolina): 8.7 points, 5.5 rebounds
2025-26: 13 points, 7.3 rebounds
Tyson wasn’t the only transfer forward who didn’t play well at UNC last year, with Lubin serving as his teammate from that infamous frontcourt. His production at NC State matches his play at Vanderbilt two years ago, as he is shooting 67 percent from the field. That includes a 23-point outing against Texas and 16 points and 11 rebounds versus Kansas.
Katz’s Corner: Re-Ranking the Best Transfers of 2025-26
Who were the most impactful players to come through the portal? PLUS: Shoutouts for Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson, Gonzaga’s big men and and more.
6. De’Shayne Montgomery – Dayton Flyers
2023-24 (Mount St. Mary’s): 13.2 points, 3.5 rebounds
2024-25 (Georgia): 6.5 points, 2.1 rebounds
2025-26: 15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds
The 6-foot-4 junior guard averaged more than 13 points per game as a freshman at Mount St. Mary’s and now is putting up career-high numbers for the A-10 Flyers. Not only is Montgomery shooting 56 percent from the field as a perimeter player, but he’s also at nearly 43 percent from three-point range. This includes a 27-point outing against East Tennessee State. Between him and 5-foot-10 senior guard Javon Bennett, Dayton could have the best backcourt in the league.
7. David Coit – Maryland Terrapins
2023-24 (Northern Illinois): 20.8 points, 3.4 assists
2024-25 (Kansas): 5.1 points, 1.3 assists
2025-26: 14.8 points, 2.9 assists
The 5-foot-11 senior guard averaged more than 20 points per game at Northern Illinois two years ago but willingly took a lesser role at Kansas last season. He’s back to playing like a lead guard at Maryland, shooting a career-high 46 percent from deep on 6.5 attempts a game. Coit has had a couple of massive individual outings, including 31 points against Michigan and 41 in an overtime victory over Mount St. Mary’s.
8. Baraka Okojie – Mercer Tigers
2023-24 (George Mason): 8.1 points, 2.4 assists
2024-25 (Memphis): 1.5 points, 1.2 assists
2025-26: 17.9 points, 5.3 assists
As a freshman at George Mason, Okojie looked to be a future star point guard. However, the 6-foot-3 junior guard did next to nothing at Memphis and transferred to the SoCon level. He’s now an early candidate for Player of the Year, leading the Bears in both scoring and rebounding. That includes a career-high 29 points and 10 assists in a win over Elon and 20 in a close defeat at Clemson.
9. Kanaan Carlyle – Florida Atlantic Owls
2023-24 (Stanford): 11.5 points, 2.7 assists
2024-25 (Indiana): 4.0 points, 1.2 assists
2025-26: 14.5 points, 3.1 assists
The former top-100 prospect was a double-digit scorer as a freshman at Stanford. After struggling at Indiana last year, the 6-foot-3 junior guard has become FAU’s lead guard, shooting 42 percent from the field. Carlyle’s production has been a bit inconsistent at times, but he does have three straight outings of at least 20 points, including 24 against LMU.
10. Carey Booth – Colorado State Rams
2023-24 (Notre Dame): 6.4 points, 4.3 rebounds
2024-25 (Illinois): 1.2 points, 0.9 rebounds
2025-26: 12.4 points, 6.5 rebounds
The former top-100 prospect showed signs of promise as a freshman at Notre Dame but failed to crack the rotation when he transferred to Illinois a year ago. The 6-foot-10 junior has become one of the better forwards in the Mountain West, doubling his career shooting percentage to 60 percent through 12 games, including three double-doubles and 15 points against Virginia Tech. Just as important, Booth has developed a three-point shot, making 13 of 28 (46.4 percent).
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