There are hundreds of impactful transfers across college basketball every season, including several dozen just within the power conferences. Whittling it down to only a top 15 is inevitably a fraught endeavor that will end with great players getting snubbed.
But for the purposes of this exercise, we looked for players who have been clear difference makers for successful teams, which is why the word “impactful” is used. Merely putting up great numbers was not enough to get you in the top 15, especially not for players on struggling teams. Each of these players is on a team that was projected to reach the NCAA Tournament in Jerry Palm’s Bracketology entering midweek action.
Things will also change in the weeks ahead as the grind of conference play catches up with certain players. Already, some here are beginning to falter a bit from their early-season trajectories, which will make this a topic worth revisiting in March.
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As a bonus, we’ve also included the top-five transfer busts of the season so far. But we’re going to start with the good news.
Top 15 impact players from transfer portal
1. PJ Haggerty, Memphis
Old school: Tulsa
Two years after building an NCAA Tournament team around an intraconference transfer in Kendric Davis from SMU, Penny Hardaway has done it again. The Tigers thrived throughout one of the nation’s most brutal nonconference schedules, thanks in large part to Haggerty’s seamless transition. The Tulsa transfer is second nationally in scoring and gets to the free-throw line more than any player in the AAC. He’s also taken significant strides as a 3-point shooter, which has helped the Tigers sustain one of the nation’s best team 3-point percentages (39.5%).
2. Javon Small, West Virginia
Old school: Oklahoma State
It was obvious Small would play a key role under first-year West Virginia coach Darian Davries after he led Oklahoma State in scoring and assists during his lone season there. It was less obvious that he would take the sort of quantum leap needed to position the Mountaineers for NCAA Tournament consideration and to put himself in the All-American conversation. During WVU’s 2-1 run against Gonzaga (win), Louisville (loss) and Arizona (win) in the Battle 4 Atlantis, Small averaged 23.7 points, 5.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds and two steals. In a stunning win at Kansas on Dec. 31, he posted a double-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Small’s assist-to-turnover ratio is significantly better than ever before, and he’s remained a fairly efficient scorer even while ranking third in the Big 12 in attempts at 14 per game.
3. Chucky Hepburn, Louisville
Old school: Wisconsin
Sometimes a change of system can do wonders for a player. Such is the reality for Hepburn, who is averaging career bests in points (15.1), assists (6.4) and steals (2.5) while keying Louisville’s Year 1 resurgence under Pat Kelsey. During his three seasons at Wisconsin, the Badgers typically played at a slow-ish pace and didn’t always take a ton of 3-pointers. Now, in Kelsey’s free-flowing system, Hepburn is not only scoring for himself but creating for others at an impressive clip. He leads the ACC in assists and steals and has the Cardinals surging toward their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.
4. Alijah Martin, Florida
Old school: FAU
After playing a key role in FAU’s emergence under Dusty May, Martin has taken his game to unexpected heights for a national-title contender, managing to fit in flawlessly with returning backcourt stars Walter Clayton and Will Richard. Together, the trio forms arguably the best backcourt in college basketball. Martin is averaging career bests in points, assists, steals and shooting percentage.
5. JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Old school: New Mexico
Toppin’s productivity has ticked down since his return from a knee injury that forced him to miss four games in December. But sustaining the averages of 19.5 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks that he posted over the season’s first two months was always going to be tough in the Big 12. Toppin remains a productive force capable of going off for 20+ points with a combination of length and agility that is difficult for opponents to defend. While the NBA Draft could beckon, current projections suggest staying in college basketball would likely be the wise move for Toppin, who could be a terror in the Big 12 for another two seasons, especially as his outside shot continues developing.
6. Chaz Lanier, Tennessee
Old school: North Florida
Lanier is still getting his feet underneath him against SEC competition after exploding onto the scene at North Florida last season following three years as a reserve in the ASun. But the 3-point marksman was spectacular throughout the season’s first two months as the Vols rose to No. 1 in the country. Lanier averaged 20.3 points on 46.7% 3-point shooting at high-volume (8.6 attempts) over Tennessee’s first 14 games. Getting back to that level of production and efficiency may not be practical in the nation’s toughest league. But Lanier remains a significant piece to the puzzle for a top-10 team.
7. Jason Edwards, Vanderbilt
Old school: North Texas
Edwards is a jittery scoring dynamo who fits perfectly in first-year coach Mark Byington’s system. Defenses must respect his outside shot, but Edwards’ quickness allows him to attack closeouts and reach the rim or the free-throw line. He dropped a team-high 18 in wins over top-10 foes Tennessee and Kentucky in back-to-back weeks and is a big reason why the Commodores could be headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017.
8. John Tonje, Wisconsin
Old school: Missouri
Few saw this one coming. Tonje took a medical redshirt after appearing in just eight games at Missouri last season, which afforded him one last shot in college basketball. The former four-year Colorado State guard is making the most of it by stepping into the scoring role vacated by AJ Storr, who transferred to Kansas. The offensive punch provided by Tonje has helped propel the Badgers into the top-20 and into the upper-echelon of the Big Ten.
9. Ja’Kobe Gillespie, Maryland
Old school: Belmont
Gillespie is on a tear halfway through Big Ten play, averaging 16.9 points, 4.9 assists and 1.9 steals against league opponents. Gillespie is shooting 43.9% from 3-point range during that stretch and has helped the Terrapins to a 6-4 conference mark. Over Maryland’s current three-game winning streak, he’s averaged 7.3 assists and 2.7 steals while contributing the sort of gluey grit the Terps will need to lock up an NCAA Tournament bid.
10. Danny Wolf, Michigan
Old school: Yale
Wolf is doing it all for a Michigan team that is showing tremendous promise under first-year coach Dusty May. With the handles of a guard and the size of a center, he is a matchup nightmare. Wolf can beat opposing bigs off the dribble or make them pay for sagging off by drilling outside shots. Against smaller defenders, he’s a bully. Wolf’s 3.7 turnovers per game are a serious issue, but his 3.8 assists per game help atone for that shortcoming. Wolf is the only player at the power conference level averaging 10+ points, 9+ rebounds, 3+ assists and 1+ block per game while averaging at least one made 3-pointer.
11. Vlad Goldin, Michigan
Old school: FAU
It wasn’t long ago that the Big Ten was dominated by All-American bigs such as Zach Edey, Hunter Dickinson, Luka Garza, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Kofi Cockburn, just to name a few of the conference’s recent high-profile bruisers. Michigan is doing its part to keep the conference at its historical quota. Goldin has been outright dominant at times with 36-point and 31-point outings in victories over UCLA and Minnesota. The former FAU star is providing rim protection and excellent screening as well.
12. Otega Oweh, Kentucky
Old school: Oklahoma
Oweh was already leading Kentucky in scoring. Now, amid nagging injuries to starters and double-figure scorers Andrew Carr and Lamont Butler, his role will become even more important. The Oklahoma transfer was previously known for his defense but is thriving in UK coach Mark Pope’s flowing offensive system. Oweh’s physical toughness and ability to reach the rim sets him apart from a group of skilled but more finesse teammates.
13. Zeke Mayo, Kansas
Old school: South Dakota State
Mayo wasn’t even the most-heralded transfer addition on the Kansas roster, but he’s easily been the most impactful. The Lawrence, Kansas, native and former Summit League Player of the Year is providing KU a badly needed perimeter scoring jolt and gives coach Bill Self another ball-handling option. As a result, veteran point guard Dajuan Harris Jr. is getting more rest than he has in any of the past three seasons.
14. Sean Pedulla, Ole Miss
Old school: Virginia Tech
Pedulla is thriving at Ole Miss after three seasons at Virginia Tech. He’s shooting the ball well from 3-point range, providing ball-handling and holding his own defensively in a tougher conference. If the Rebels can pull themselves out of their current three-game slide, they are tracking to reach the NCAA Tournament in coach Chris Beard’s second season.
15. Zhuric Phelps, Texas A&M
Old school: SMU
Texas A&M supplemented one of the strongest returning core groups in the country with a trio of power conference transfers. Phelps is the group’s standout, emerging as A&M’s leading scorer after three seasons at SMU. With veteran leader Wade Taylor IV missing time this month due to injury, Phelps stepped up his game and led the Aggies with 34 in a tight win at Oklahoma.
Five biggest busts of the transfer portal
1. Johnell Davis, Arkansas
Old school: FAU
Regardless of where you looked, Davis was considered one of the premier transfers of the cycle and understandably so. The 6-4 guard led FAU to the Final Four in 2023 and followed up by winning AAC Player of the Year as the Owls returned to the Big Dance. He shot 41.4% from 3-point range last season and has always been effective inside the arc. But it simply hasn’t panned out at Arkansas, where Davis is shooting just 37.9% from the floor, which is a career-worst mark by a significant amount.
2. Coleman Hawkins, Kansas State
Old school: Illinois
Given that he landed a widely publicized NIL deal worth more than $2 million, much was expected of Hawkins. It’s been a flop for both sides on the court as the former Illinois star has struggled in tandem with the Wildcats. K-State is trending aggressively toward bottom-feeder status in the Big 12 as Hawkins has struggled to deliver results that are in line with his compensation.
3. A.J. Storr, Kansas
Old school: Wisconsin
Kansas needed scoring punch on the wing following the departures of Johnny Furphy and Kevin McCullar. Storr looked like the perfect player to provide it after averaging 16.8 points and 3.9 rebounds at Wisconsin last season. However, he’s shooting a career-low 26.7% from 3-point range and has provided little value thus far in conference play.
4. Cade Tyson, North Carolina
Old school: Belmont
It was always unfair to expect that Tyson would be a plug-and-play replacement for Harrison Ingram. But he was a highly coveted player after shooting 42.9% from 3-point range in two seasons with a strong Belmont program. At UNC, the former all-Missouri Valley star has struggled to even crack the rotation. Of his 58 points this season, 23 came in one mid-December game against La Salle.
5. Jonas Aidoo, Arkansas
Old school: Tennessee
Aidoo was an all-SEC performer during his junior season at Tennessee. His transfer to Arkansas was among several reasons why the Razorbacks were expected to be an NCAA Tournament team in coach John Calipari’s first season. While his 55.3% shooting is a career-best, the Razorbacks aren’t getting anywhere close to all-conference production from Aidoo.
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