A shocking defeat threw a wrench into this week’s transfer rankings at HHQ. With the previous national title favorites stumbling in shocking fashion, a new portal star has earned the coveted top spot.
Meanwhile, choppy stretches for a pair of players previously in the top five resulted in a steep fall off.
Find all that and more in Hoops HQ’s inaugural portal report of 2026.
1. Keyshawn Hall, Auburn
An unbelievable week of hoops culminated in a vault to the top of this week’s portal rankings for Hall.
On Jan. 3, at Georgia, Hall poured in five points in the game’s final six seconds, helping Auburn to rally from a late five-point lead in unbelievable fashion to force overtime. Similar to the Georgia contest, Hall exploded at home versus Texas A&M, uncorking for a team-high 32 points. The Tigers fell once more, this time controversially as the officials waved off what would have been a game-winning 35-footer for Auburn.
To close the weeklong stretch, Hall and his teammates put it all together. Led by 32 more from the Cleveland native, Auburn clobbered then-No. 15 Arkansas, 95-73 at Neville Arena. Hall paces the Tigers in scoring (21.7) and rebounding (7.8).
2. Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Defensive struggles plagued Michigan on Saturday afternoon versus Wisconsin, and double-digit scoring production from four of five starters could not pick up the slack as the Wolverines dropped their first game of the season, 91-88 in Ann Arbor.
Lendeborg, who battled foul trouble for a majority of the contest, struggled in wins over then-No.24 USC and Penn State, which alongside Hall’s recent explosion, led to his slight dip in the rankings. Despite this, the UAB transfer remains the Wolverines’ leader in scoring at 14.7 points per contest, and has added just under 7 rebounds per game.
Four consecutive unranked opponents provide Lendeborg and Michigan ample time to prepare for a brutal stretch at month’s end where they get set to host No. 8 Nebraska before heading to No. 12 Michigan State for a rivalry showdown.
3. Malik Reneau, Miami
“Reneau is a really good player, all-league level.”
Following a 81-77 win at Wake Forest on Jan. 7, Reneau garnered lofty praise from Demon Deacons head coach Steve Forbes. A Miami native who committed to Jai Lucas for a chance to suit up for his hometown school after three seasons at Indiana, Reneau has driven the Canes’ 14-2 start.
Surrounded by transfer talent with the likes of Tre Donaldson and Ernest Udeh Jr., Reneau’s 20.6 points per game leads the team. He tallied a season-high 28 points in Miami’s conference opening win over Pitt on Dec. 30.
4. Robert Wright III, BYU
The Cougars continued to roar to open Big 12 play, handling Kansas State and Arizona State before leaving Salt Lake City with a hard-fought Holy War victory. Wright dished out 6 assists to go along with 23 points in the win, which has been nothing new this season for the Baylor transfer. The Delaware native is averaging 17.4 points per game and tops the team with 5.4 assists per contest.
Propelled by rising superstar AJ Dybantsa, sharpshooter Richie Saunders and elite ball control from Wright, BYU has not lost a game in nearly two months. A road clash with No. 15 Texas Tech on Jan. 17 opens a gauntlet of conference play for the Cougars that includes No. 1 Arizona and Kansas before the end of January.
5. Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee
Aside from true freshman Nate Ament, Gillespie joined the rest of the Volunteers who struggled to put the ball in the basket Saturday afternoon in Gainesville. Tennessee fell 91-67, dropping to 0-2 on the road to open SEC play.
Gillespie, who led the Vols in scoring (18.3) and assists (5.5) entering the contest, managed just 10 and 3, respectively. One rough outing doesn’t warrant a plummet in the rankings for Gillespie, however, as he exploded for a career-high 34 points in a Jan. 6 win over Texas. The Maryland transfer filled up the stat sheet, finishing the win with 4 rebounds, 5 assists, a block and a pair of steals.
6. Cade Tyson, Minnesota
Where Tyson goes, the Golden Gophers follow. When Tyson stumbles, the Gophers burrow. In each of Minnesota’s conference losses, off shooting nights from Tyson proved their downfall. In wins over Northwestern and then-No. 19 Iowa, Tyson scored 40 combined points on 11 of 25 shooting from the field.
For Niko Medved’s Gophers, who sit 3-2 in Big Ten play, this formula will prove tough to rely upon. Yes, Tyson is an outstanding scorer (his 21.6 points per game rank No. 14 in the nation). However, as shown by each of Minnesota’s losses, a reliance on one main source of points is simply unsustainable.
The Top 10 Under-the-Radar Transfers for the 2025-26 Season
With 2,000 players filtering through the transfer portal, some are bound to be undervalued. These are the most slept-on stars headed into the upcoming season.
7. Bennett Stirtz, Iowa
Long range deficiencies caused a plummet in the rankings for Stirtz, who finished 4 of 18 from deep in Hawkeye losses at Minnesota on Jan. 6 and versus then-No. 16 Illinois. In spite of a pair of poor shooting nights, Stirtz’s season percentages remain a near mirror image of his numbers from last season at Drake.
The senior leads Iowa in scoring (17.6), assists (5.1) and steals (1.6). He is averaging just under 20 points per contest in conference play, including a 27-point performance in a win over UCLA in which Stirtz finished 8 of 10 from the field, 4 of 6 from deep.
8. Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska
Nebrasketball continues to shock the nation. Trailing Indiana by 16 points at historic Assembly Hall, many may have thought the undefeated run was coming to an end. Yet, led by a second half three-point avalanche, the Huskers pulled out an 83-77 road victory.
Following a slow start to the contest. Sandfort caught fire in the second half. The Iowa transfer closed out the final 20 minutes with 8 points and a pair of triples to finish the afternoon with 12 points. Sandfort, who ranks No. 2 for Fred Hoiberg’s group with 15.6 points per game, has cashed a trio of three-pointers in each of his last four outings.
9. Lamar Wilkerson, Indiana
Despite a second performance of 30 points or more this season from Wilkerson, Indiana fell just shy of an upset over then-No. 10 Nebraska. Prior to the season, Tucker DeVries, son of head coach Darian DeVries, absorbed a majority of the attention.
Yet, it has been Wilkerson who has powered the Hoosiers offense in 2025-26. A Sam Houston transfer, the jump in competition has proven no concern for Wilkerson, who ranks Top 50 in scoring nationally with 20.3 points per game. Indiana will need another terrific performance from Wilkerson when it visits No. 12 Michigan State on Jan. 13.
10. Duke Miles, Vanderbilt
One of just five remaining unbeatens in the nation, Vanderbilt leans heavily on the toughness and leadership brought by Miles. Following the Commodores’ 16th consecutive victory, which tied a program record, Miles kept a level head.
“Coach always says, ‘Come with a locked jaw,’” Miles said. “You never know, they might throw the punch first, but we try to throw the punch first. So, coming in we knew it was going to be some adversity.”
In the aforementioned home win versus LSU, Miles totaled 17 points and 5 assists for then-No. 11 Vandy. The game prior, Miles snagged 5 steals and added 19 points in a 96-90 win over then-No. 13 Alabama, the Dores’ toughest opponent to date. Miles and Vanderbilt will try for program history on Wednesday night at Texas.
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
- Nick Boyd, Wisconsin
A steady producer all season for the Badgers, Boyd’s performance at Michigan Saturday afternoon drove a monster upset for Wisconsin. Boyd scored 22 points, added 6 dimes and did a remarkable job taking care of the rock, committing zero turnovers.
While his Badgers undoubtedly have a tough road ahead in the Big Ten, the SDSU transfer will aid Wisconsin’s chances at an NCAA Tournament run. His 19.7 points and 3.4 assists per contest lead the Badgers.
- Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan
In spite of the team’s first loss, Johnson sustained the high level of play at which he has been performing all season. An Illinois transfer, Johnson finished the game with 18 points on 6 of 7 shooting.
The sophomore has finished just one contest under 50 percent from the floor in 2025-26. On Jan. 2 versus USC, Johnson surpassed the career-high mark he had set the previous game with 29 points. The definition of efficiency, Johnson finished 10 of 12 from the field and 8 of 10 at the line against the Trojans. His 68.9 field-goal percentage ranks No. 2 in the nation.
- Dior Johnson, Tarleton State
Once the No. 1 recruit in his class according to 247, a tumultuous start to Johnson’s collegiate tenure — one filled with off-court issues — saw the supremely talented guard land at Tarleton State for his junior season.
Given the chance to put his skill on display, Johnson has taken full advantage. The N.Y. native averages 23.8 points per contest, good for No. 2 in the country. Johnson uncorked for 42 points on Nov. 14 at Baylor, one of six performances of 30 points or more this season.
Fallers
- PJ Haggerty, Kansas State
At just under 23 points per game, Haggerty still ranks among the nation’s best in scoring. Unfortunately for Haggerty and the Wildcats, wins have not followed.
In three losses to open Big 12 play, Haggerty has maintained his scoring average. However, a surplus of turnovers have haunted the Wildcats. A total of 13 turnovers by Haggerty in that same span damaged K-State’s chance at victory and induced a drop in the rankings for Haggerty.
- Chad Baker-Mazara, USC
Sure, the Auburn transfer looked phenomenal to start the season on the West Coast. But when adversity hit in the form of road games versus then-No. 2 Michigan and then-No. 12 Michigan State, Baker-Mazara seemingly folded.
“He’s got to produce,” said head coach Eric Musselman. “I didn’t think he played very well at all tonight or at Michigan, and we need his scoring or we’ve got to look for someone else.”
Baker-Mazara bounced back with a 29-point showing in an overtime win against Minnesota, but the senior will need to clean up the 12 turnovers in his last three contests.
- Michael Rataj, Baylor
What appeared to be a solid offseason addition has flopped thus far in Waco. Rataj, who enjoyed a career year at Oregon State last season (16.9 points per game), has struggled to adapt to life in the Big 12.
The Germany native is averaging just over 6 points per contest in conference play, with four of his seven double-digit scoring games coming against non-high-major opponents.
Meet your guide
