NCAAB · 1 year ago

Biggest Transfer Need for College Basketball’s Top 10 Programs

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

10. UCLA Bruins
Mick Cronin’s UCLA Bruins had a miserable 2023-2024 season. Cronin went very young with his roster and tried to rely heavily on freshmen and sophomores to carry the load. They grew during the season but got off to a dreadful start and were far too inconsistent even in March, missing the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins bring back a decent nucleus for next season and have added two transfers (Skyy Clark and Kobe Johnson), but they need significant help in the post to have a shot in the Big Ten in 2024-2025. Adem Bona is reportedly leaving for the NBA Draft, and Kenneth Nwuba graduated, so UCLA has no post presence on the roster. UCLA needs a rim protector and rebounder. A player like Jonas Aidoo from Tennessee or Amari Williams from Drexel would help immensely.

UCLA 2025 NCAA Title Odds: +5500
1. Arizona Wildcats - Floor-Spacing Forward
The Arizona Wildcats went 27-9 and 15-5 as they won the PAC-12 Conference and earned a 2-seed in the West Region. The season bitterly ended as they were upset by the Clemson Tigers, and Oumar Ballo joined the transfer portal. His departure, combined with Keshad Johnson exhausting his eligibility, leaves a big hole on Arizona's interior. Their most significant need in the portal is help at the forward position. The Wildcats need capable bodies to rebound and help defend the paint as they migrate to the Big 12. Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd wants to play an open style that puts multiple three-point shooters on the floor, and having a floor-spacing forward would be ideal. Purdue’s Mason Gillis does not have the best stats, but he’s tough, experienced, and a knockdown shooter from the perimeter. Gillis shot 46.8% from three during the 2023-2024 season and would be a perfect fit for the Wildcats.

Arizona 2025 NCAA Title Odds: +2000
2. Connecticut Huskies - Elite Rim Protector
The Connecticut Huskies are back-to-back National Champions and are, without debate, college basketball’s best program. Dan Hurley has relied on a mix of player development, high school recruiting, and transfer portal additions to build his rosters, and he’ll need to do that again to have a chance at a third straight title. Stephon Castle, Tristen Newton, Donovan Clingan, and Cam Spencer are all gone, and UConn will need players like Samson Johnson, Jaylin Stewart, and Solomon Ball to develop. The Huskies have some options at guard that could emerge, but they don’t have an elite rim protector. UConn’s defensive system relies heavily on a rim-protecting center, and former Rutgers center Clifford Omoruyi makes a lot of sense. Omoruyi is an athletic big who averaged 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and nearly three blocks per game.

UConn 2025 Title Odds: +1300
3. Duke Blue Devils - Guard Depth
Jon Scheyer’s Duke Blue Devils lost to North Carolina State and fell short of reaching the Final Four. Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain are likely entering the NBA Draft, and Mark Mitchell is transferring. That leaves three starting spots up for grabs for the 2024-2025 season. Cooper Flagg leads a star-studded recruiting class heading to Durham, but Duke will need a strong portal season to round out the roster. The Blue Devils will have a loaded frontcourt thanks to the addition of Flagg and Khaman Maluach. Adding a veteran bench post player would make sense, but it’s not urgent. The most significant need is a veteran guard with perimeter shooting expertise. Tyrese Proctor and Jeremy Roach are still undecided on their futures, and Duke would love to have them back. Either way, they need to replace McCain, and having a veteran guard would provide insurance and depth. A player like Javon Small from Oklahoma State would be ideal.

Duke 2025 NCAA Title Odds: +1100
4. Gonzaga Bulldogs - Reliable Scoring Punch
The Gonzaga Bulldogs had a subpar first half of the season before roaring to life in February and March and finishing strong. They made another Sweet 16 before succumbing to the Purdue Boilermakers. The Bulldogs could return as many as 12 scholarship players from the 2023 roster, and they have already addressed one opening by adding wing Michael Ajayi from Pepperdine. Ajayi averaged 17.2 points per game last season, adding positional versatility and scoring to the lineup. Gonzaga could still use another quality scorer, particularly from a guard. The Bulldogs appear to have zeroed in on Mount St. Mary’s guard Dakota Leffew as the primary target. Leffew is 6’5” and averaged 17.6 points per game, hitting nearly 37% of his three-point attempts.

Gonzaga 2025 NCAA Title Odds: +2500
5. Houston Cougars - Fifth Starter
The Houston Cougars ran out of gas as star point guard Jamal Shead left the Sweet 16 game against the Duke Blue Devils with an ankle injury. Houston never recovered, while Duke upset Kelvin Sampson’s team to advance. Shead is headed to the NBA Draft, and the Cougars desperately need a replacement point guard because there is no true lead guard to step in and take his place. This past weekend, Houston felt they may have landed a suitable replacement. Milos Uzan transferred from Oklahoma after starting 56 games for the Sooners. He’s not the dynamic player Shead was, but he is experienced and capable of plugging the hole in the lineup. The other four 2023-2024 starters are returning, and the Cougars should be among the nation’s best again.
6. Indiana Hoosiers - Dynamic Perimeter Play
Mike Woodson’s Indiana Hoosiers missed the NCAA Tournament this past season, and the fan base is desperate to see the program return to the Big Dance in 2025. Under Woodson, the frontcourt has often been stellar, and that was the case again last season. The duo of Malik Reneau and Kel’El Ware were highly effective and helped IU frequently dominate the points in the paint battle. However, IU was near the bottom of every statistical category for perimeter shooting and guard play. Only Trey Galloway was remotely effective amongst IU’s guards and best suited for a super-sub role. Indiana needs to land a center to pair with Reneau, but the position gets the benefit of the doubt, given Woodson’s success with big men at IU. The most significant need is unquestionably dynamic guards and shooters. IU got off to a great start, landing top target Myles Rice from Washington State, but they still need to add at least two more perimeter threats that can help space the floor and create offense from the guard position. Players like Connor Hickman and Kanaan Carlyle are IU’s top targets for filling the need.

IU's Top 5 Transfer Targets
7. Kansas Jayhawks - Skilled Wing
By their standards, the Kansas Jayhawks had a disappointing 2023-2024 campaign. They faltered down the stretch and struggled without Kevin McCullar Jr. Even before his injury, they were nowhere near contending for the Big 12 title and appear to have fallen behind the Houston Cougars in the conference pecking order. It seems Hunter Dickinson is returning, but Johnny Furphy is likely headed to the NBA Draft. Dajuan Harris is returning, and Kansas has already added guards Zeke Mayo and Riley Kugel to help with perimeter creation and shot-making. The Jayhawks need a versatile space-creating wing. The Jayhawks thrive with a versatile wing that can make threes; ideally, they’d have a pair to place next to Dickinson. A player like Belmont’s Cade Tyson or Alabama’s Rylan Griffen would be ideal.

Kansas 2025 NCAA Title Odds: +1200
8. Kentucky Wildcats
Coaching changes in the transfer portal era often result in a roster reset, which is precisely what is happening in Lexington with the Kentucky Wildcats. John Calipari exited for Arkansas. Kentucky turned down some of their top choices before settling on former player Mark Pope from BYU. Pope may be a great choice, but he is under intense pressure. The hire mostly underwhelmed UK fans. The Wildcats need everything as the roster is mostly barren, but the focus seems to fit what Pope wants to do. They need three-point shooting, and Pope’s BYU Cougars shot more than almost anyone in the country. He likely wants his Kentucky teams to play the same way: spread the floor, get an open three-point shot, and fire away. A dynamic shooter like Johnell Davis (although he’s heavily rumored to be following Dusty May to Michigan) would jumpstart the rebuild.
9. North Carolina Tar Heels
The North Carolina Tar Heels figure to be one of the best teams in the country once again in 2024-2025. The most significant loss to the roster is undoubtedly the departure of Armando Bacot. The veteran paint presence exhausted his eligibility, and there is now a giant hole in the middle of UNC’s lineup. Jalen Washington has the physical tools to step into that role, and if he can stay healthy, he could be a solution at center. UNC needs a big wing that can shoot from the perimeter. Cormac Ryan filled a valuable role as a big guard who could be relied on to space the floor and nail three-pointers, and the Tar Heels need a replacement. Cade Tyson from Belmont makes perfect sense. He made 46.5% of his threes in 2023-2024 on 5.5 attempts per game and is an adequate defender and rebounder. Tyson is originally from Monroe, North Carolina, and should be UNC’s top target.

UNC 2025 NCAA Title Odds: +1600
10. UCLA Bruins
Mick Cronin’s UCLA Bruins had a miserable 2023-2024 season. Cronin went very young with his roster and tried to rely heavily on freshmen and sophomores to carry the load. They grew during the season but got off to a dreadful start and were far too inconsistent even in March, missing the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins bring back a decent nucleus for next season and have added two transfers (Skyy Clark and Kobe Johnson), but they need significant help in the post to have a shot in the Big Ten in 2024-2025. Adem Bona is reportedly leaving for the NBA Draft, and Kenneth Nwuba graduated, so UCLA has no post presence on the roster. UCLA needs a rim protector and rebounder. A player like Jonas Aidoo from Tennessee or Amari Williams from Drexel would help immensely.

UCLA 2025 NCAA Title Odds: +5500
1. Arizona Wildcats - Floor-Spacing Forward
The Arizona Wildcats went 27-9 and 15-5 as they won the PAC-12 Conference and earned a 2-seed in the West Region. The season bitterly ended as they were upset by the Clemson Tigers, and Oumar Ballo joined the transfer portal. His departure, combined with Keshad Johnson exhausting his eligibility, leaves a big hole on Arizona's interior. Their most significant need in the portal is help at the forward position. The Wildcats need capable bodies to rebound and help defend the paint as they migrate to the Big 12. Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd wants to play an open style that puts multiple three-point shooters on the floor, and having a floor-spacing forward would be ideal. Purdue’s Mason Gillis does not have the best stats, but he’s tough, experienced, and a knockdown shooter from the perimeter. Gillis shot 46.8% from three during the 2023-2024 season and would be a perfect fit for the Wildcats.

Arizona 2025 NCAA Title Odds: +2000

Biggest Transfer Need for College Basketball’s Top 10 Programs

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