As offseason domination of the portal becomes more imperative, it doesn’t take long to tell which teams had success.
In Ann Arbor, Dusty May’s scouting of big men continues to hit at an impressive rate. Across the midwest in Manhattan and Iowa City, a pair of point guards have put their respective squads on their backs.
As the calendar year flips to 2026, Hoops HQ brings you the top 10 transfer players in college hoops, along with risers and fallers to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
1. Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
When May landed the No. 1 overall portal prospect this offseason, expectations soared for the 2025-26 Wolverines. Two months in, it is more than safe to say Lendeborg has lived up to the hype. The UAB transfer has driven No. 2 Michigan’s 11-0 start, averaging 15.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
In each of the team’s road victories thus far, Lendeborg paced the Wolverines with 14 and 29 points against TCU and Maryland, respectively. With yet another dominant frontcourt built by May and a trio of reliable guards, Michigan appears a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten.
Lendeborg and the Wolverines will host USC Friday night at the Crisler Center.
2. Chad Baker-Mazara, USC
A journeyman with the miles to compete with the likes of Odysseus, Baker-Mazara continues to produce at a high level, no matter what colors he dons. This season in the cardinal and gold of No. 24 USC, the Auburn transfer leads the 12-1 Trojans with 21 points and 3.2 assists per contest.
Maximum effort on the defensive end supplements the offensive production of the 6-foot-7 Baker-Mazara. The Dominican Republic native has recorded at least one block in each of his last five games, which included 31 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, a trio of blocks and a steal in a Dec. 9 win at San Diego. With fellow transfer star Rodney Rice set to miss the remainder of the season following shoulder surgery, Baker-Mazara will need to continue to pick up the slack.
3. PJ Haggerty, Kansas State
After two years playing in the American, Haggerty re-joined the Big 12 with a bang, averaging 22.9 points per game to open the season. Haggerty, who started his career with a season apiece at TCU, Tulsa and most recently Memphis, immediately became one of the most sought after — and most expensive — portal talents following his entry.
Ultimately, Jerome Tang and his staff landed his services, and the investment in the talented junior has garnered steady returns. Supporting players will need to step up, however, as the Wildcats prepare for No. 10 BYU and No. 1 Arizona. In the four contests that Haggerty fell shy of the 20-point mark, K-State reached 70 in just one.
4. Bennett Stirtz, Iowa
The sole Hawkeye averaging double-figures, Stirtz remains the oil that keeps the ship moving for Ben McCollum-led squads. Stirtz, who played for McCollum at Division II Northwest Missouri State and Drake, has rarely left the court in 2025-26 on his way to averaging 16.7 points through 12 games.
In key nonconference victories over Xavier and Ole Miss, Stirtz combined for 50 points while playing all 40 minutes in each contest. The workhorse will look to continue to build momentum as No. 25 Iowa braces for the brunt of Big Ten play.
5. Robert Wright III, BYU
Freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa has absorbed a majority of the attention directed at No. 10 BYU this season. With monstrous slams and a 23.1 points scoring average that ranks second in the country, Dybantsa cannot help but steal the show.
Yet, with Dybantsa double teamed and time winding down in a tie game against a scrappy Clemson team, who drilled a buzzer-beating three pointer to secure a 67-64 win for BYU? You guessed it, Wright III, who flew in from the backcourt to splash the game-winning deep shot. “You got to trust your teammates,” Dybantsa said after the game. “It doesn’t matter if I had 50 that game, whoever’s open is going to get the ball.”
Wright III leads the team with 5.5 assists per game and is pouring in 16.2 points per contest. The Baylor transfer recorded a double-double in the Cougars’ 98-70 shellacking of then No. 23 Wisconsin on Nov. 21.
6. Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee
A Tennessee native who played two seasons at Belmont to start his career, Gillespie held an integral role in the success of the ‘Crab Five’ at Maryland a season ago. Back in his home state for his senior season, Gillespie has filled in nicely for the departure of longtime leader Zakai Zeigler.
Gillespie has controlled the tempo for No. 19 Tennessee while leading the team in scoring (17.6) and assists (5.7). Although the Vols suffered a trio of nonconference losses, victories over then-No. 3 Houston and then-No. 11 Louisville undoubtedly boosted their resume. Gillespie led the team in scoring in both wins, while giving the ball away just three times total.
7. Cade Tyson, Minnesota
Similar to Gillespie, Tyson began his collegiate career with two seasons at Belmont. Following a 2024-25 season at North Carolina in which he recorded zero starts, Tyson has been on a tear to open his tenure with Minnesota.
The North Carolina native led the Golden Gophers in scoring in nine of their first 12 games, including a career-high 38 points on Dec. 14. A sharpshooter that can drain shots with the best in the country, Tyson is on pace for a 50/40/80 season (53.7 percent from the field, 42.2 percent from three-point range, 81.2 percent from the free-throw line).
Hoops HQ’s Top 10 Bounce-Back Transfers
Ranking the transfers having the biggest bounce-back seasons, including Michael Ajayi (Butler), Cade Tyson (Minnesota) and Ven-Allen Lubin (NC State)
8. Malik Reneau, Miami
Set on rebuilding what was left of a once proud program, Miami head man Jai Lucas attacked the portal with intent. In Reneau, Lucas looks to have found the gem he was looking for. The Miami native who began his career at Indiana is off to career-best starts in scoring (20.4), rebounding (6.7) and blocks (1.2).
With a glaring lack of Duke on the schedule leading to a relatively light ACC slate, Miami’s reconstruction may be ahead of schedule. As Reneau and Michigan transfer guard Tre Donaldson continue to build chemistry, keep an eye on a hoops Hurricane brewing in South Beach.
9. Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska
Nebraska announced its arrival to the nation with an 83-80 road victory over then-N0. 13 Illinois on Dec. 13. The Huskers had yet to play an opponent of Illinois’ caliber, but behind 32 points from the flame-throwing Sandfort, No. 13 Nebraska kept its undefeated season alive.
Sandfort, an Iowa transfer, is having a career year scoring the rock, averaging 16.3 points per contest on just under 50 percent from the field. He poured in 28 in a tightly contested 105-99 win versus Oklahoma on Nov. 15. Coach Fred Hoiberg will need another elite performance from Sandfort when his team welcomes No. 9 Michigan State to town on Jan. 2.
10. Aday Mara, Michigan
A unique combination of talent, skill and production earned Mara the final spot in this week’s top 10. Alongside Lendeborg and Illinois transfer Morez Johnson Jr., Mara and the Wolverines present a mass of height and strength that seemingly no team can penetrate.
Mara, who has nearly doubled his numbers in each major category from last season at UCLA, leads Michigan in rebounding and blocks. On top of his defensive prowess, Mara scored a season-high 18 points in wins versus Wake Forest and Maryland in which he shot better than 70 percent from the floor.
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.
Find all that and more in this week’s portal risers and fallers.
Risers
Duke Miles, Vanderbilt
Miles, who has helped lead Vanderbilt to its best start since the 2007-08 season, narrowly missed the top 10.
The Commodores, who sit 12-0 and ranked No. 11 in the nation, have gotten 17.1 points, 4.7 assists and 2.8 steals per game from Miles, all of which lead the team. Vanderbilt will take on New Haven and South Carolina before welcoming No. 14 Alabama into Nashville on Dec. 7. Keep an eye on that clash as a measuring stick game for Vandy.
Ryan Conwell, Louisville
A three-time transfer, Conwell found his footing rapidly in Louisville, as his 19.2 points per game leads the Cardinals. With fellow transfers Isaac McKneely and Adrian Wooley struggling to find similar consistency, Conwell has been there to shoulder the load.
The senior dropped 24 and 21 points in wins over then-No. 9 Kentucky and then-No. 22 Indiana, respectively.
Nijel Pack, Oklahoma
A winding journey that began in Manhattan, Kan. will wrap up in Norman, Okla., and for Pack, the last stop may be the best stop.
His Sooners are just 9-3 to open the season. However, losses to No. 13 Nebraska and No. 7 Gonzaga hardly dent Oklahoma’s resume and Pack is averaging 16.6 points per game. Alongside St. Joseph’s transfer Xzayvier Brown, Miles and the Sooners backcourt has potential to do some serious damage in the SEC.
Fallers
Bryce Hopkins, St. John’s
A former four-star recruit out of Oak Park, Ill., Hopkins has failed to meet the production of his sophomore year at Providence.
After an underwhelming freshman season at Kentucky, Hopkins averaged 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Now he leads the Red Storm in scoring at 13.9 points per contest, but failed to deliver in key losses to then-No. 21 Auburn and Kentucky. St. John’s will need the old Hopkins to return if they want a shot at competing with No. 4 UConn for the conference crown.
Denzel Aberdeen, Kentucky
Fresh off a national championship with the Florida Gators, Aberdeen made the decision to join Big Blue Nation. Thus far, similar to the way the season has gone in Lexington, the results have been somewhat disappointing.
Aberdeen has stepped up from his role coming off the bench with the Gators, but has struggled to consistently produce on the offensive end. Sure, he dropped 26 in an early season loss to Louisville, but an 8.2 points per game average against other high-major opponents will need to improve drastically for the Wildcats to establish an offensive rhythm.
Owen Freeman, Creighton
A pair of bounceback victories to open Big East play from Creighton may have saved the train from rolling off the tracks early in the season.
For the Bluejays, who have already amassed five losses on the season, Freeman sits sixth on the scoring chart at 8.2 points per game. While fellow Iowa transfer Josh Dix leads the team in scoring, Freeman surpassed double-digit points four times in the team’s first 13 contests.
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