College basketball transfer portal 2024: Ranking top 60 players as Kentucky, Mark Pope enter market (2024)

Kentucky basketball announced the hiring of Mark Pope as its next basketball coach on Friday. Pope, who spent the last five years as BYU's coach, will need to hit the ground running in recruiting as he steps in to one of the most high-pressure jobs anywhere in sports.

It was proven again in the 2023-24 season at places like South Florida and Utah State that first-year coaches can enter and have early success by flipping their rosters through the transfer portal. The expectation at UK will be for Pope to do the same. Is it possible that a couple of players from the Wildcats' 2023-24 roster could return? Absolutely. Is it possible that a couple of freshmen who signed with the program under John Calipari could still choose to attend Kentucky? Of course.

But the safe bet is that Pope's first roster at Kentucky will have more transfers than the combined total of returners or freshman signees. So who will Pope and the Wildcats pursue? Here's a look at the top 60 players on the move in this year's transfer cycle.

The spring portal window runs from March 18 to May 1. However, players who have entered the portal by then don't face a firm deadline on when they must commit. Additionally, graduate transfers and players impacted by coaching changes that occur after May 1 will be able to transfer after the deadline. Players who have also entered the NBA Draft will have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern on May 29 to withdraw if they wish to return to college for the 2024-25 season.

As players enter the portal, we will rank the best of them here. The rankings will be updated regularly as players either enter the portal or announce their intentions to enter the portal.

Check out the latest transfer portal updates from 247Sports

1. Johnell Davis

Old school: FAU

Davis played a key role in taking FAU to the 2023 Final Four and built on his breakout season by upping his scoring average to 18.2 points in 2023-24. The 6-foot-4 guard hit 41.4% of his 3-pointers, pulled down 6.3 rebounds and averaged 1.4 steals for the Owls in his fourth season of college basketball. He's only got one season left to play and is also testing the NBA Draft waters.

2. Tucker DeVries

Old school: Drake| New school: West Virginia

DeVries won Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year twice during three seasons while playing for his father, Darian DeVries. The 6-foot-7 wing averaged 21.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in 2023-24. He's a career 35.9% 3-point shooter and dynamic offensive threat. DeVries is following his father, who accepted the West Virginia job.

3. Zeke Mayo

Old school: South Dakota State|New school: Kansas

Mayo earned Summit League Player of the Year after averaging 18.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists for a South Dakota State team that won the conference. He's a career 38.8% 3-point shooter and scored 19 points on just 11 shots against Iowa State's vicious defense in an NCAA Tournament loss. There is a strong recent track record of Summit League Players of the Year transferring up. Max Abmas was the leading scorer for Texas this season after winning the award twice in his career at Oral Roberts. Baylor Scheierman has also been a star at Creighton the past two seasons after winning Summit League POTY at SDSU in 2022.

4. Mark Mitchell

Old school:Duke

Mitchell started 67 games in his two seasons at Duke after ranking as a five-star prospect in the Class of 2022. The 6-foot-9 forward is a dynamic athlete who played mostly at small forward in 2022-23 before sliding to power forward this past season. He averaged 11.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game on 54% shooting from the floor this past year. With two seasons of eligibility remaining and NBA-caliber upside, Mitchell will be one of the top prizes of this offseason.

5. AJ Storr

Old school: Wisconsin

Storr provided a significant jolt of offense for Wisconsin in the 2023-24 season, averaging 16.8 points. The 6-foot-6 wing is a multi-level scorer with the size needed to finish in the paint and around the rim. If surrounded with other dynamic playmakers who can share the offensive burden, it should allow Storr increase his efficiency after he shot 43.4% from the floor for the Badgers.

6. Vladislav Goldin

Old school: FAU

Goldin averaged 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game on an insanely efficient 67.3% shooting from the floor for FAU in 2023-24. The 7-foot-1 Russian is a rugged and seasoned veteran who impacts both ends of the floor. He is a particularly strong asset on offense, despite the fact that he's never attempted a 3-pointer.

7. Clifford Omoruyi

Old school: Rutgers

Entering the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Omoruyi's 93 blocks ranked fourth nationally. The 6-foot-11 center is an elite rim protector with consecutive Big Ten All-Defense honors. Omoruyi also averaged double figures in each of the last three seasons and posted 29 double-doubles in his four years with Rutgers. He can't do much away from the rim offensively but is excellent defensively.

8. Tramon Mark

Old school: Arkansas

Mark averaged 16.2 points on 48% shooting for Arkansas in 2023-24 after spending the first three years of his career at Houston. The 6-foot-5 guard is just a career 32% 3-point shooter, but he's a battle-tested veteran with the ability to go out and get buckets in a variety of ways.

9. Oumar Ballo

Old school:Arizona

Ballo's size at 7-feet and 260 pounds makes him a difficult player for opponents to manage. He averaged 12.9 points and 10.1 rebounds in 2023-24 for Arizona on 65.8% shooting. There isn't much versatility to his game, and Ballo's free-throw shooting dipped to a career-worst 49.5% this past season. But he's a productive bruiser with a proven track record at an elite program.

10. Robbie Avila

Old school: Indiana State

Avila became a college basketball cult hero while earning all-MVC honors as a sophom*ore. The 6-foot-10 center averaged 17.4 points and 6.6 rebounds on 53.6% shooting for an Indiana State team that finished 32-7. Avila is great around the rim but also shot 39.4% from 3-point range on 4.2 attempts per game, which makes him a rarity among bigs in college basketball.

11. Kevin Miller

Old school: Wake Forest

Miller averaged 15.6 points, 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals while starting all 35 games for Wake Forest in 2023-24. The 6-foot guard is a career 36.5% 3-point shooter and hit 84.5% of his free throws for the Demon Deacons. He's been prone to turnovers but is an offensive spark plug with a proven body of work in a major conference.

12. Tony Perkins

Old school:Iowa

Perkins averaged 14 points, 4.6 assists and 1.6 steals while starting all 34 games for Iowa as a senior. Following 126 career appearances for the Hawkeyes, he should make a significant impact at his next destination. Though just a career 31.7% 3-point shooter, Perkins is a physical guard at 6-foot-4 who can attack the basket. He also rated as Iowa's top defender in the 2023-24 season, perevanmiya.com.

13. Meechie Johnson

Old school:South Carolina| New school: Ohio State

Johnson wasn't necessarily South Carolina's best all-around player. But the 6-foot-2 guard did lead the Gameco*cks in scoring at 14.1 points per game in 2023-24 during his second season in the program. Johnson began his career at Ohio State and will have one season of eligibility remaining as he returns to his home state to finish out his career with the Buckeyes.

14. Darlinstone Dubar

Old school: Hofstra

Dubar is a 6-foot-6 wing who averaged 17.8 points and 6.8 rebounds on 39.9% 3-point shooting for a 20-win Hofstra team. He began his career at Iowa State, starting seven games for the Cyclones in 2020-21. As a fifth-year player with a proven shot and good size, he'll have opportunities to return to a major conference. Alabama guard Aaron Estrada is a recent example of a quality high-major player to come through Hofstra.

15. Kobe Johnson

Old school: USC| New school: UCLA

Johnson stood out as an elite defender for USC, collecting 2.2 steals per game and rating as one of the top players on that side of the ball in the Pac-12. The 6-foot-5 wing also scored 10.9 points per game in 2023-24. Though just a career 32.9% 3-point shooter, Johnson has some chops as a distributor and will be a plug-and-play veteran at his next stop.

16.Cade Tyson

Old school:Belmont

Tyson is a career 44.6% 3-point shooter on 287 attempts over two seasons with Belmont. At 6-foot-7 with a demonstrated outside stroke, he could be an impact player for a high-major program. How Tyson will translate defensively to a higher level is likely the biggest question mark here.

17.Brandon Garrison

Old school:Oklahoma State

Garrison showed glimpses of why he was a top-50 prospect and McDonald's All-American in the Class of 2023 during his freshman season at Oklahoma State. There are offensive strides to be made, but Garrison blocked 1.5 shots per game in just 22.7 minutes and has three seasons of eligibility remaining to continue realizing his potential.

18. Jonas Aidoo

Old school: Tennessee

Aidoo took significant strides as a junior during the 2023-24 season, averaging 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks as a full-time starter for the Volunteers. At 6-foot-11, he registered as one of the most impactful defenders in the SEC. However, Aidoo did struggle in the rare instances when he was matched up against the sport's top bruisers such as Hunter Dickinson, Ryan Kalkbrenner and Zach Edey.

19.Jevon Porter

Old school:Pepperdine

Porter ranked as a top-100 prospect in the Class of 2022 and earned honorable mention All-WCC honors this season while averaging 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and one block per game. The 6-foot-11 younger brother of Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr. is a career 32.5% 3-point shooter and could get high-major interest because of his size, pedigree and flashes of perimeter shooting.

20.Malik Mack

Old school:Harvard

Mack's efficiency dipped down the stretch, but it was still a phenomenal freshman season for the 6-foot-1 guard, who averaged 17.2 points and 4.8 assists per game. The Ivy League Rookie of the Year finished with 18 points and six assists atBoston Collegeand scored 27 atIndianaduring the first month of his college career. It was an impressive peek at what he's capable of against high-major opposition.

21. PJ Haggerty

Old school:Tulsa | New school: Memphis

Haggerty averaged 21.2 points on 54% shooting inside the arc for Tulsa in 2023-24. What separates the 6-foot-3 guard from some of the other volume scorers in the portal is that he has three seasons left to play. Instead of merely serving as a one-year rental, he could potentially develop into a three-year rotational mainstay. And if he develops his 3-point shot, he could be a high-level college star.

22. Alijah Martin

Old school: FAU

Martin was a three-time all-conference performer at FAU while appearing in 124 games across four seasons under Dusty May. The 6-foot-2 guard is a good defender for his size and a career 36.9% 3-point shooter. He's more of a shooting guard than a point guard and has proven he can make substantive contributions to a winning program.

23. Ryan Conwell

Old school:Indiana State

Conwell is a 6-foot-4 guard who hit 40.7% of his 3-point attempts on 7.1 tries per game as a sophom*ore at Indiana State. He finished second on the team in scoring at 16.6 points per game and dished out 2.5 assists. Considering that Conwell also rates as a quality defender, he should garner significant interest as he hits the market with two seasons of eligibility remaining.

24.BJ Freeman

Old school:Milwaukee

Freeman was a busy man the past two years at Milwaukee, leading a pair of 20-win teams in scoring. In 2023-24, he also led the Panthers in rebounds (6.6), assists (4.1) and steals (1.1). At 6-foot-6, he's both a good solo shot creator and can facilitate for others. His results against high-major opposition were mixed in a limited sample size over the past two years, but Freeman can help a good team.

25. Jalen Blackmon

Old school: Stetson

Blackmon turned heads nationally with his 43-point outburst in the ASUN Tournament title game. The 6-foot-3 guard hit 38.1% of his 3-pointers on 8.3 attempts per game in the 2023-24 season and is a career 90.6% free-throw shooter. The Indiana native has only one season of eligibility remaining but has proven himself worthy of a shot to shine on the sport's big stage.

26. Rylan Griffen

27. Jacob Crews

Old school:UT Martin| New school: Missouri

Crews shot 41.4% from 3-point range on 6.7 attempts per game as a junior for a UT Martin team that won a share of the OVC regular-season title. He also yanked down 8.2 rebounds per game for the Skyhawks. There are questions about his defense, but at 6-7 and with a good shooting stroke, he is big pickup for Missouri. The Tigers are coming off a winless SEC campaign and need help.

28. Dug McDaniel

Old school: Michigan| New school: Kansas State

McDaniel averaged 16.3 points and 4.7 assists while shooting 36.8% from 3-point range on 5.8 attempts for a bad Michigan team. The 5-11 guard also rated as the Wolverines' top defender, per evanmiya.com. Although his offensive numbers dipped against Big Ten foes, the former four-star prospect will help a team needing to upgrade its guard play.

29. Myles Rice

Old school: Washington State | New school: Indiana

Rice defeated cancer and helped lead Washington State to its first NCAA Tournament since 2008. With coach Kyle Smith off to Stanford, it was no surprise to see Rice hit the portal. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 14.8 points, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals for the Cougars and should have three seasons of eligibility remaining. He needs to improve his 3-point shot (27.5% on 3.7 attempts per game) and bulk up. But there is a lot to like about his trajectory.

30. Kanaan Carlyle

Old school:Stanford

Carlyle averaged 11.5 points and 2.7 assists per game in his freshman season at Stanford after ranking as a four-star prospect in the Class of 2023. His best games came againstArizonaandWashington State, which were both NCAA Tournament teams. With three seasons of eligibility remaining and a proven body of work at the high-major level, there is some upside here.

31. Otega Oweh

Old school:Oklahoma

Oweh's production and efficiency dropped dramatically during the grind of Big 12 play after his sophom*ore season began with tantalizing glimpses of offensive promise. But while his game remains a work in progress, the 6-foot-5 wing is already a great defender. With two years left to play, Oweh is worth a swing for a team in need of perimeter defense.

32.Ja'Kobi Gillespie

Old school:Belmont |New school:Maryland

Belmont was at its best with Gillespie on the floor; he averaged 17.2 points, 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals for the Bruins. The 6-foot guard is on the smaller side but shot a ridiculous 66% inside the arc and a solid 38.7% beyond it. With two seasons of eligibility remaining, he's a good addition for a Maryland team that needs help in the backcourt.

33. Kylan Boswell

Old school: Arizona

Boswell started 35 games for Arizona as a sophom*ore, averaging 9.6 points and 3.6 assists while shooting 37.9% from 3-point range. The 6-foot-2 guard isn't particularly explosive or rangy, which means he has limitations as a driver and defender. But he's sure-handed and produced a solid track record of perimeter shooting in two years with the Wildcats.

34.Saint Thomas

Old school:Northern Colorado

Northern Colorado produced a gem last cycle inDalton Knecht. Can it come through again? Thomas is a vastly different player but nonetheless intriguing. At 6-foot-7, he averaged 19.7 points, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals while making 57.2% of his 2-pointers and 33% of his 3s in 2023-24. The dynamic forward began his career atLoyola Chicagoand has just one season left to play.

35. J'Vonne Hadley

Old school: Colorado

Though only a role player on a team oozing talent, the 6-foot-6 wing did a lot for the Buffaloes, averaging 11.6 points, six rebounds and 2.4 assists. He attempted just 1.3 shots from 3-point range but hit 41.7% of them, and he was efficient inside the arc (56.5%). How he might translate into a larger role is tough to project, but the combination of size and skill make him intriguing.

36. Koren Johnson

Old school: Washington

Johnson earned Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year honors while averaging 11.1 points, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals for Washington. The 6-foot-2 guard is a career 35.1% 3-point shooter over his two seasons and also rates as a good defender for his size.

37.Tyrin Lawrence

Old school:Vanderbilt

Lawrence is a 6-foot-4 guard with 105 career appearances for an SEC program under his belt. Though just a career 28.7% 3-point shooter, he's a good defender and averaged better than 13 points per game the past two seasons. He is the type of seasoned veteran with a track record of production who could provide reliable minutes for a good high-major program.

38. Danny Wolf

Old school:Yale

Wolf averaged 14.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks for a Yale team that reached the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. He is more fluid, nimble and versatile than a typical seven-footer. Wolf can attack defenders off the dribble, hit 3-pointers or post up. He has two seasons left, and his rare combination of size and tools make him one of this offseason's most interesting transfer prospects.

39. Terrence Edwards

Old school: James Madison| New school: Louisville

Edwards was the leading scorer at 17.2 points per game for a James Madison team that finished 32-4 with a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-6 guard also dished out 3.4 assists for the Dukes after making significant productivity strides in all four years he was at JMU.

40. Jordan Pope

Old school: Oregon State

Pope averaged 17.6 points and 3.4 assists while shooting 37.1% from beyond the arc for Oregon State as a sophom*ore in 2023-24. The 6-foot-2 guard needs to improve defensively but is a proven high-major scorer with two years of eligibility remaining.

41. Skyy Clark

Old school: Louisville| New school: UCLA

After spending one season at Illinois, Clark transferred to Louisville and led the moribund Cardinals in scoring during the 2023-24 season at 13.2 points per game. His career 1:1 assist-turnover ratio is unappealing, but if the former top-40 prospect can fit in with the Bruins, he can turn things around.

42. Seth Trimble

Old school: North Carolina

Trimble played a vital role off the bench for North Carolina as a sophom*ore, proving to be a shutdown defender and occasional source of offensive juice. The former top-40 prospect seemingly would have been in line for an expanded role as a junior with the Tar Heels. Depending on where he lands, the 6-foot-3 guard is likely to have all-conference potential.

43. Houston Mallette

Old school:Pepperdine | New school: Alabama

Mallette is a career 37.5% 3-point shooter on 512 attempts over three seasons at Pepperdine. The 6-foot-5 guard upped his mark to a career-best 41.5% in 2023-24 and had big games against quality foes like Indiana State and UNLV. Alabama wasted little time snatching up Mallette. His combination of size and shooting ability should make him a natural fit with the Crimson Tide.

44. Great Osobor

Old school: Utah State

Osobor earned Mountain West Player of the Year honors after averaging 17.7 points, nine rebounds and 1.4 blocks for a Utah State team that won a strong league. The 6-foot-8 big man does his work in the paint and hasn't shown much of an outside shot, but his effectiveness as an interior scorer is tremendous.

45. Aaron Bradshaw

Old school: Kentucky

Bradshaw struggled for minutes as a freshman while navigating a crowded Kentucky frontcourt. He was the No. 5 overall player in the Class of 2023, according to 247Sports, and showed glimpses of promise during his lone season with the Wildcats. The 7-footer can step out and hit 3-pointers and is more mobile as a perimeter defender than most college centers.

46.Malik Dia

Old school:Belmont

Dia shined as a dynamic frontcourt player in his sophom*ore season at Belmont after playing sparingly during his freshman season atVanderbilt. He averaged 16.9 points and 5.8 boards for the Bruins while shooting 34.1% from 3-point range. He's 6-9 and has surprising athleticism for a player with such a big frame. His game needs refining, but Dia's upside is clear.

47. Dre Davis

Old school: Seton Hall

Davis averaged 15 points per game and shot 35% from 3-point range in his second season at Seton Hall. It was the fourth season of college basketball for the 6-foot-5 guard, who began his career at Louisville. He averaged 16.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game during Seton Hall's five-game NIT title run.

48. Michael Ajayi

Old school: Pepperdine | New school: Gonzaga

Ajayi is 6-foot-7 and hit 47% of his 3-pointers on 2.5 attempts per game while averaging 17.2 points in his lone season at Pepperdine. While Ajayi was a rebounding force for the Waves with 9.9 per game, his defense is a question mark. He should be a natural fit at Gonzaga as the Bulldogs seek to build a deeper roster after struggling with depth in 2023-24.

49. Frankie Collins

Old school: Arizona State

Collins is only a career 30.8% 3-point shooter, but he is an excellent perimeter defender. The 6-foot-1 guard led the Pac-12 in steals at 2.6 per game during his second season at Arizona State. The former Michigan guard has one season of eligibility remaining.

50. Frankie Fidler

Old school: Omaha

Fidler finished second in the Summit League in scoring at 20.1 points per game. The 6-foot-7 forward hit 35.6% of his 3-point attempts in 2023-24 and was effective against Big 12 foes TCU and Texas Tech. Max Abmas (Oral Roberts to Texas) and Grant Nelson (North Dakota State to Alabama) are recent examples of players from this league transferring up and playing big roles for good teams.

51. Riley Kugel

Old school: Florida| New school: Kansas

Kugel is an interesting prospect with good tools and NBA upside; however, the 6-foot-5 wing regressed as a sophom*ore while shooting just 31.2% from 3-point range. If he can push that closer to 40% and cut back on his turnovers, then Kugel could blossom into an impact 3-and-D player.

52. Mason Gillis

Old school: Purdue

Gillis appeared in 132 games over five seasons at Purdue, serving as a reliable stretch forward while shooting 40.7% from 3-point range. The 6-foot-6 Gillis isn't much of a playmaker or shot creator off the dribble, but he's steady and fully capable of taking on a larger offensive diet than he did with a Boilermakers team that centered everything around Zach Edey.

53. Tre Donaldson

Old school: Auburn

Donaldson averaged 6.7 points, 3.2 assists and shot 41.2% from 3-point range in just 19.3 minute per game at Auburn in 2023-24. With two years of eligibility remaining, the 6-foot-2 Donaldson could be an impact player for a team with a significant role available.

54. Javon Small

Old school: Oklahoma State

Small averaged 15.1 points and 4.1 assists in his lone season at Oklahoma State after spending two years at East Carolina. The 6-foot-2 guard hit 37.4% of his 3-pointers for the Cowboys, although that mark dropped to 31.8% in conference play.

55. Roddy Gayle Jr.

Old school: Ohio State

Gayle is a physical shooting guard who can take defenders off the dribble and use his strength and athleticism to get good looks. He's just a career 33.1% 3-point shooter, but after averaging 13.5 points and 3.1 assists for the Buckeyes as a sophom*ore, Gayle has shown he can be productive at the high-major level.

56. Sean Pedulla

Old school: Virginia Tech

Pedulla was a mainstay in the Virginia Tech rotation for the past three seasons and led the Hokies in scoring during the 2023-24 campaign at 16.4 points per game. He is a career 35.5% 3-point shooter and dished out 4.6 assists per game during his junior year. The 6-foot-1 guard struggled with turnovers in 2023-24 (3.3 per game) but has enough offensive game to garner significant interest.

57.Adou Thiero

Old school: Kentucky

Kentucky's most effective defensive lineups often featured Thiero. The tenacious 6-foot-6 wing guards and rebounds with a voracious appetite and can score attacking the rim. He's just a career 32.3% 3-point shooter and doesn't have a refined offensive game. Still, his 80% free-throw shooting mark in 2023-24 portends promise, and he could shine if given a greater and more consistent role.

58. Eric Dailey

Old school:Oklahoma State

Dailey was a bright spot for Oklahoma State during a down season, averaging 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 49.6% from the floor. The 6-foot-8 forward has three seasons left to play with promise as a versatile forward and the potential to impact both ends of the floor over a three-year period.

59.Micah Peavy

Old school:TCU

Peavy rated as TCU's top defender each of the past three seasons, perevanmiya.com. The 6-foot-7 wing is just a career 26.7% 3-point shooter. But for a team in need of a versatile, veteran defensive presence, he will make a significant impact.

60.Bensley Joseph

Old school:Miami|New school:Providence

Joseph played a key role on Miami's Final Four team in 2023 and upped his contributions to 9.6 points and 3.4 assists per game as a starter in 2023-24. The 6-foot-1 guard is a career 37.9% 3-point shooter and has one season left to play.