College basketball transfer portal Big Board: Best available players right now

The party is just beginning for the Michigan Wolverines, who captured their first national championship in men's basketball in nearly 40 years with a victory over UConn on Monday night. But there ain't no rest for the wicked, and there's even less for college coaches these days — the transfer portal opens up on Wednesday, meaning the road to next year's Final Four begins immediately after the last one ended.

That's an awfullly quick turnaround, and teams will need to move fast, because there are a ton of talented players looking for new homes this offseason. Whether you need an impact big man or a guard who can lead your offense, there's a little something for everyone (provided, of course, that you pay up for the privilege).

Best available players in men's college basketball transfer portal

We've put together a full ranking with brief scouting reports on our top 25 below. But to help you keep track of all the comings and goings once portal season gets rolling, here's a quick list of the current best available, with their overall ranking as well.

1. C Flory Bidunga

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-10, 235 pounds
• Previous School: Kansas
• 2025-26 Stats: 13.3 points, 9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 2 

Bidunga will also be testing the NBA Draft waters, but given that he's a projected second-round pick at the moment, at least one more year of college seems like a safe assumption. A former five-star recruit, he ranked fourth in the country in blocks this season, earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors to boot. When he's on his game, he's a one-man defensive architecture on the interior, with serious bounce as both a rim protector and a finisher.

2. G/F Juke Harris

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-7, 200 pounds
• Previous School: Wake Forest
• 2025-26 Stats: 21.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.3 steals
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 2 

Harris was given the keys to Wake's offense this season and largely answered the challenge, scoring 15 more points per game while also increasing his shooting efficiency. His size allows him to get his shot at any time and score at all three levels, though he'll need to improve his playmaking ability if he wants to be viewed as a primary creator for a true contender next year.

3. F Miles Byrd

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 190 pounds
• Previous School: San Diego State
• 2025-26 Stats: 10.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.9 steals, 1.2 blocks
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 1

You might look at those raw numbers and think this ranking is a bit aggressive, but I simply do not care. Byrd is that much of a difference-maker as a defender, willing and able to guard up and down the positional spectrum thanks to his length, tenacity and preposterous hands. (Yes, he really did average more than a block per game at 6-foot-6.) There are questions on the other end, particularly regarding his ability to shoot. But he's smart and experienced, and game-wreckers like this don't come around very often.

4. G John Blackwell

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 203 pounds
• Previous School: Wisconsin
• 2025-26 Stats: 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 steal, 38.9% 3P
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 1

When Blackwell's in rhythm, he's an absolute flamethrower; look no further than the 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting he dropped on Michigan in an upset win at Ann Arbor back in January. He can sometimes be a little bit too confident, and his decision-making suffers as a result. But man, scoring is scoring, and there just aren't very many better than this in this year's portal cycle.

5. F Paulius Murauskas

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-8, 235 pounds
• Previous School: Saint Mary's
• 2025-26 Stats: 18.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 1

It feels like Murauskas is already ticketed for a reunion with his old coach, Randy Bennett, at Arizona State, especially considering that he began his collegiate career at Arizona. And it would be a heck of a way to start his tenure in Tempe, considering just how skilled the Lithuanian is. His athleticism and foot speed will be tested as he returns to power-conference competition, but he can score in the post and from outside, and he's also adept as a passing hub from the elbow. He's the sort of big man who makes offense much, much easier.

6. G Isaiah Johnson

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 170 pounds
• Previous School: Colorado
• 2025-26 Stats: 16.9 points, 3.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 1.0 steal, 37.8% 3P
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 3

Despite being a true freshman thrown into the playmaking fire on a bad team, Johnson more than kept his head above water. Not only did he lead the Buffaloes in points and steals, but he did so while also shooting more than 48 percent from the field and nearly 38 percent from 3. That's an awfully impressive debut, and suggests that he's ready for more — more responsibility, and more talented players around him. Once he's not asked to do quite so much, the assist numbers should tick up even more.

7. G Jackson Shelstad

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 170 pounds
• Previous School: Oregon
• 2025-26 Stats: 15.6 points, 4.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 1

Shelstad's shooting numbers slipped precipitously this season, but don't let that fool you — Oregon was an abject disaster this year, and his time on the court was cut short by a season-ending hand injury in December. Shelstad remains the same blue-chip recruit who more than lived up to the hype across his first two years in Eugene, a silky-smooth scorer who reminds you of CJ McCollum on certain nights. Plenty of power-conference teams would kill to have him at the controls.

8. G Stefan Vaaks

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-7, 206 pounds
• Previous School: Providence
• 2025-26 Stats: 15.8 points, 3.2 assists, 2.5 rebounds
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 3

It took Vaaks some time to adjust to the college game, but he came on strong down the stretch for the Friars, blossoming as a knockdown shooter and eventually earning Big East All-Freshman honors. He's not afraid to pull the trigger from just about anywhere, and he's good enough off the bounce and as a passer to make defenses pay for overcommitting. Overall athleticism, particularly on the defensive end, is a question that needs to be answered, but he should hopefully put on some strength over the summer.

9. G/F Neoklis Avdalas

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-9, 215 pounds
• Previous School: Virginia Tech
• 2025-26 Stats: 12.1 points, 4.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 3

Avdalas is a funky player, the sensibility of a point guard trapped in the body of a power forward. He was the straw that stirred the drink for Mike Young's motion offense in Blacksburg, leading the Hokies in assists as a freshman. The passing chops are awfully exciting, but he'll have to improve his ability as a scorer (he shot worse than 40 percent from the field this year) to really take off. It's also unclear where his home should be defensively.

10. C Somto Cyril

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-11, 260 pounds
• Previous School: Georgia
• 2025-26 Stats: 9.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 75.9% FG
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 2

Cyril is an easy scout: He's here to throw down dunks and block as many shots as humanly possible. There isn't much to his offensive game beyond two or three feet, but when you can jump like he can and protect the rim like he does, that's really all you need. He's got the potential to blossom into something like a college version of Mitchell Robinson if he continues to hone his instincts as a defender — there's a reason he was once committed to play for John Calipari at Kentucky.

11. G Acaden Lewis

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 180 pounds
• Previous School: Villanova
• 2025-26 Stats: 12.2 points, 5.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 1.9 steals
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 3

I'm personally a little bit disappointed that Lewis has decided to leave Villanova after just one season, as it felt like the Wildcats were the best spot to highlight the four-star freshman's considerable skills. He's a dynamic creator with the ball in his hands, and if he can take steps forward as a shooter (just 27 percent from deep this year) we'd really be in business. Between the questions about his shot and his penchant for baffling lapses on the defensive end, though, the total product is something less than the highlight reel would lead you to believe.

12. G Dedan Thomas Jr.

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 178 pounds
• Previous School: LSU
• 2025-26 Stats: 15.3 points, 6.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 1

Before his season was waylaid by injury in late December, Thomas looked like one of the very best guards in the SEC, blossoming as the engine of LSU's offense after spending his first two years at UNLV. He does most of his work inside the arc, but he's a crafty handler and finisher who makes great reads out of the pick and roll. You could do a lot worse as your point guard, even if I don't quite know whether he's good enough to be the lead guy on a truly great offense. For a team surrounding him with shooters, though, he's a perfect fit.

13. F Oswin Erhunmwunse

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-10, 235 pounds
• Previous School: Providence
• 2025-26 Stats: 6.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.1 blocks
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 2

Another big man who makes a monster impact despite a limited offensive game, Erhunmwunse is an absolute load to deal with on the interior at both ends of the floor. The block totals should give you some idea of his ability as a rim protector, and he also posted a frankly preposterous 14.2 percent offensive rebounding rate as a sophomore. This is a fun portal class for big men, and he's one of the most tantalizing out there. Even better, there still might be room to grow.

14. G Markus Burton

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-0, 190 pounds
• Previous School: Notre Dame
• 2025-26 Stats: 18.5 points, 3.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 1

A preseason First-Team All-ACC selection, Burton's junior year never got off the ground thanks to an ankle injury that limited him to just 10 games. But before he got hurt, he looked like the same dynamic scorer we saw in 2024-25, a relentless attacker who can be extremely difficult to deny off the dribble. He's not much of a shooter, and he put up some gaudy turnover numbers as Notre Dame asked him to do everything for them on offense. Still, he's more than capable as a lead ballhandler, a walking paint touch who's more than happy to make the right read and will draw oodles of fouls.

15. G K.J. Lewis

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 210 pounds
• Previous School: Georgetown
• 2025-26 Stats: 14.9 points, 5.1 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 2.1 steals
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 1

More of a role player in two years at Arizona, Lewis became the offensive fulcrum at Georgetown, leading the Hoyas in scoring this season. Really, though, he's overstretched in that role: He's a sub-30 percent shooter from deep for his career, and he doesn't score efficiently enough inside the arc to make up for so-so playmaking metrics. He's a menace of an on-ball defender, though, capable of defending 1-4 on the positional spectrum thanks to his wide frame. If you slot him back into a supplementary role, you'd have yourself a very useful player as a slasher and secondary ball-handler.

16. F Kwame Evans Jr.

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-10, 220 pounds
• Previous School: Oregon
• 2025-26 Stats: 13.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 blocks, 1.0 steals
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 1

A former five-star recruit, Evans is a tremendous athlete with serious bounce, but he remains a bit of a tweener. Offensively, Oregon asked too much of him this year, and he failed to take a step forward either as a shooter or a post presence. Defensively, he's more a 4 than a 5, though he's a tremendous weak-side defender who can cover space in a hurry and block a lot of shots. If he commits to doing the dirty work, or if he becomes more of a stretch 4, he'd skyrocket up these rankings.

17. F Jalen Haralson

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-7, 220 pounds
• Previous School: Notre Dame
• 2025-26 Stats: 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 3

Haralson was left to soak up the offensive responsibility for the Irish after Burton went down, an awfully tough ask for any freshman. But he did get to the line a ton and show advanced passing feel; put him in a more functional overall context — and maybe get him a guard to share at least some of the ball-handling duties — and he could develop into a great slashing wing who can finish at the rim and defend multiple positions.

18. C Mouhamed Sylla

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-10, 240 pounds
• Previous School: Georgia Tech
• 2025-26 Stats: 9.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 3

Hey look, another pogo-stick big man who can block nearly anything and is a vacuum cleaner on the glass. Sylla is another center who will get capital-p Paid in this cycle, and it's not hard to see why when you consider how much havoc he wreaked on the interior as a true freshman in the ACC. He's still raw, but the ceiling is the roof.

19. G Jeremiah Wilkinson

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 185 pounds
• Previous School: Georgia
• 2025-26 Stats: 17.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.6 steals
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 2

The dictionary definition of an undersized combo guard, Wilkinson can score points in bunches, earning ACC Sixth Man of the Year honors at Cal as a freshman before leading an explosive Georgia offense in scoring this year. He doesn't have the most well-rounded game, and you'll have to hide him on defense, but hey: Sometimes you just need a bucket.

20. C Najai Hines

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-10, 265 pounds
• Previous School: Seton Hall
• 2025-26 Stats: 6.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.2 blocks
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 3

Hines was a frustrating watch at times this year, as you'd expect from a freshman big man; between foul trouble and conditioning issues, he had a hard time staying on the court, averaging just 18 minutes a game off the bench for the Pirates. When he was out there, though, man did he make an impact. There just aren't a ton of college frontcourts that can handle his strength and physicality down low, as evidenced by the second-highest block rate in the country.

21. F Drew Scharnowski

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-9, 230 pounds
• Previous School: Belmont
• 2025-26 Stats: 10.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 blocks
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 2

Scharnowski did it all for a 26-win Belmont team this year, not only anchoring the defense but also serving as the offensive hub once lead guard Nic McClain was lost to injury. He was elite as a shot-blocker and on the glass, though it remains to be seen how he'll hold up physically if he jumps up a level in competition. With his skill level as both a scorer and a passer, though, he'll be a positive player wherever he lands even if he's no longer first-team all-conference.

22. G Terrence Brown

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 175 pounds
• Previous School: Utah
• 2025-26 Stats: 19.9 points, 3.8 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 1

I can't wait to see what Brown looks like with a more functional team around him than what he had at Utah this season. He had one of the highest usage rates in the country, as the Utes simply didn't have anybody else who could break down a defense. The result was always going to be pretty inefficient, and sure enough it was. But he also posted a very solid assist rate in addition to getting to the line pretty much at will; he's a gifted player with the ball in his hands, and there's no reason he can't lead a quality power-conference offense with some help.

23. G Terrence Hill Jr.

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 180 pounds
• Previous School: VCU
• 2025-26 Stats: 15.0 points, 2.8 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 37% 3P
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 2

Hill Jr.'s scoring prowess was on full display during VCU's remarkable comeback win over UNC in the first round of the NCAA tournament, and now he's hoping to parlay that into a portal payday. He'll probably be successful, too: Shooters like Hill don't grow on trees — he hit 7-of-10 against the Heels — and he can really fill it up when he gets rolling. He's also a better defender and rebounder than you'd expect from someone his size.

24. F Bryson Tiller

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-11, 240 pounds
• Previous School: Kansas
• 2025-26 Stats: 7.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocks
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 3

The yin to Bidunga's yang, Tiller is better suited as a 4 than a 5 at this stage but still acquitted himself well as an interior presence in his freshman season. He's got some distance to go yet before he can be fully trusted as a defensive anchor, but he's got all the tools, and his rebounding and shot-blocking numbers this season were promising.

25. F Sananda Fru

• Height/Weight: 6-foot-11, 250 pounds
• Previous School: Louisville
• 2025-26 Stats: 9.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 blocks
• Years of Eligibility Remaining: 1

Fru was Louisville's leading rebounder and shot blocker this season, all while leading the entire ACC in field goal percentage. Much like the other bigs ahead of him on this list, he brings toughness and defense to the table despite a limited offensive game, though he's not quite as explosive an athlete.