NCAA BB Transfer Portal or Free Agency? The Best Transfers this Summer

Dude….

As the summer continues to wind down, there will be a lot of different faces in different uniforms heading into the 2023-2024 Ncaa Basketball season. With a bunch of transfers seeking new programs to call their home, I want to take this opportunity to go over some of those new faces. I have found 5 transfers that I think will make a MASSIVE impact on their programs. Don’t worry I have a few honorable mentions. With the transfer rules changing to allow student-athletes to play right after transferring, makes it like free agency in the NBA. If it was a different fit, more money, or a better opportunity that dragged these athletes to different programs. These eight names are names that should be on your radar for this upcoming season.

Honorable Mentions:

Arthur Kaluma transfers to K-State- Jerome Tang makes another splash in the transfer market by getting an unvalued junior to take the place of Keyontae Johnson. Arthur Kaluma played third fiddle to Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman and Ryan Kalkbrenner the last two seasons. Kaluma showed amazing athleticism in the Creighton rotation but was looking for a place where he would be the #1 player. The guy. Kaluma can be that guy for Tang’s Wildcats. Tang also has grad transfer, Tylor Perry, from North Texas to help solidify this explosive offense. Kaluma has all the talent to make the jump to stardom. Tang is putting a lot of marbles in the bag hoping Kaluma can help him make another deep tournament run this March.

Ernest Udeh Jr transfers to TCU- Now as a Kansas fan, this one hurt. A lot. Ernest Udeh Jr showed a ton of talent in his freshman year at Kansas. Bill Self thrives with a prolific big at the center of his offense. Ernest demonstrated that he was going to be a top center in the Big 12, maybe even the whole NCAA. With Ernest just being a freshman, he looked to jump into the starting rotation. However, Bill Self landed the top center in the transfer portal. Now Udeh Jr. looked to take a back seat role again. Ernest is good enough to go start now since Kansas landed a big that was guaranteed to start over him, Udeh Jr. hoped in the transfer portal. Jamie Dixson had a lightning-fast roster last year that was harmed by the injury bug. With their best player Mike Miles Jr going to the draft and top big Kenny Lampkin Jr transferring to Colorado, Dixson went looking for the last missing piece to his roster. A talented center. Udeh Jr. decided to stay in the Big 12 and should start next to top veterans such as Chuck O’Bannor. Ernest and Co. are trying to help TCU make some more noise in the talent heavy Big 12.

Jahvon Quinerly transfers to Memphis- Memphis. The home of basketball players who love to use their guns. All jokes aside, Memphis reloads with talent after a great finish to the 2022-2023 season. Jahvon Quinerly is a grad transfer from Alabama, who was a one-seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament. Qunierly played a massive role for coach Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide. However, it wasn’t Qunierly’s team. It was Brandon Miller’s. Every Batman needs a robin and as long as Quinerly stayed healthy, he seemed to be that guy. However, something was missing. The Crimson Tide got knocked out in the Sweet Sixteen and Brandon Miller left to go number 2 in the NBA Draft. Leaving Quinerly to try and vamp up new freshmen and sophomores. Quinerly realized that he wasn’t going to have a lot of success at Alabama trying to babysit freshmen for 2 months until they adapted to the college game. Quinerly hoped in the transfer portal to seek out a veteran team. He found one with Penny Hardaway and the Memphis Tigers. Penny has a squad where the average age is over 24 years old. To put it into perspective, I graduated college this May. I’m 22!!! Having an average age of 24 is almost unheard of. Thanks to covid, athletes got an extra year of eligibility, making most teams older. Memphis has some young talent such as Mikey Williams, the internet sensation who was supposed to be the next big thing. Williams now has assault with a weapon charges looming, which left a vacancy at the guard position. Quinerly will slide right into that opening and try and help Memphis win a conference championship and hopes to make a deep run in this year’s tournament.

Now that the Honorable mentions are done. Here are my top 5 impact transfer portal signings.

#5 Caleb Love transfers to Arizona- Caleb Love is a dawg. Let’s clear that up first. Yes, the Tar Heels SUCKED last year. Yes, they were projected to be the #1 team in the preseason and didn’t even qualify for the tournament. Yes, it was partly Caleb’s fault. However, the Tar Heels didn’t work because the big three of Bacot, Davis, and Love didn’t mix. RJ Davis and Caleb both need the ball. They both need to be the guy. You can’t have two alpha lions in the same pack. It doesn’t work. So, Caleb looked to bring his alpha lion energy to a squad that needs that. The Arizona Wildcats were looking for a new leader of the pack. Love is kind of the perfect fit. The Wildcats have a talented center in Oumar Ballo who can play. Pelle Larsson rounds out the talented frontcourt. John Bradley, a key guard for the Alabama Crimson Tide last year, joins Love in the backcourt. Keshad Johnson, a transfer from San Diego State, looks to continue to find the magic he found in California in the sand dunes of Arizona. Love and Arizona will have the likes of USC and UCLA battling for the Pac-12 Championship. The Wildcats have a new alpha, and they hope this alpha can lead them to the promise land.

#4 Max Abams transfers to Texas- Who remembers the Oral Roberts run two years ago and made it to the Sweet Sixteen? Guard Max Abmas was at the center of that team. He shot his way to allow #15 seed Oral Roberts upset #2 Ohio State and #7 Florida in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Now, Max Abmas takes the leap from Mid Major to a Power Conference. Rodney Terry is now officially the head coach of the Texas Longhorns. The Longhorns made it to the Elite Eight last year before falling to the Miami Hurricanes. With veterans like Tyrese Hunter and big man Dylan Disu returning, Abmas doesn’t have to carry a team. We have seen that he can carry a team, but now he has help. Abmas can be as talented as he was at Oral Roberts and will have Tyrese Hunter to pass the ball to and Disu rebounding it for him. No more hero ball is needed. Max can take over when he needs to. Expect the Longhorns to make a splash this year once again.

#3 LJ Cyer transfers to Houston- Cyer looked to be the face of Baylor Basketball. After being a part of the 2021 championship run, Cyer played backup to Davion Mitchell and Jared Butler, LJ showed flashes of potential of becoming the next centerpiece of the Scott Drew offense. Cyer averaged his highest point total in his career last season with 15 points per game. LJ moving on from Baylor came as a shock to me. He played well and was the centerpiece of the Scott Drew offense. Maybe something happened behind closed doors that drove Cyer away? Who knows. Whatever it was, Cyer dipped out of Waco and wanted a fresh start. Kelvin Sampson and the Houston Cougars could be what Cyer has been searching for. With Marcus Sasser leaving Houston for the draft, the role of guard in Sampson’s well-oiled offense. LJ fits like a brand new conk to help the Sampson bus to continue to move forward. With Jamal Shead returning to be the duo piece next to Cyer and incoming Temple transfer Damian Dunn coming into the fold, this team should take a lot of shots. This trio gives me 2020 Baylor vibes, it’s just funny Cyer went to a school in the same conference. Cyer may be looking for revenge, and Sampson’s squad may just help him do that.

#2 Kel’el Ware transfers to Indiana- You may be wondering why Kel’el is #2. His freshman year at Oregon was rather forgetful as the Ducks didn’t qualify for the tournament either. However, Kel’el Ware showed his potential and it put him on the national radar once he entered the transfer portal. Ware demonstrates freak athleticism that seems like it needs to be polished. Mike Woodsen seems to be a phenomenal pick for Ware to go and develop his game. Indiana is a college basketball staple that has been looking to make it over the hump for over a decade. Jalen Hood-Schifino and Trayce Jackson-Davis lead the Hoosiers to their first tournament run in forever. I don’t even remember the last time Indiana was relevant until last year. Now, Woodson loses both of those players to the NBA but strikes in the transfer portal by snagging Kel’el Ware. Woodson also added top freshman Mackenzie Mgbako to help spread the floor. With Savvy vet Xavier Johnson coming back from injury, Trey Galloway and Malik Reneau looking to make bigger strides this season. Ware looks to help this historic franchise get back on top in the Big 10.

#1 Hunter Dickenson transfers to Kansas- I know how it looks ok. Oh, the Kansas fan picked the Kansas transfer as the most impactful. This guy is so biased. I may be biased. However, you cannot deny how good Dickenson is, especially with a Hall of Fame coach who is known for doing well with talented big men. Hunter Dickenson finds himself in the National Player of the Year candidacy once again. Phog Allen is already a tough place to play, but adding a big man to this Kansas roster makes them one of the best teams in the nation. Hunter joins arguably the best true point guard in college hoops right now in Dajuan Harris Jr. Veteran shooter from Towson, Nick Timberlake, adding much-needed outside shooting to the roster. The defense is locked down thanks to Kevin McCullar Jr returning to school and KJ Adams rounding out the starting five. With talents like Arterio Morris and Freshman Elmarko Jackson coming off the bench, Kansas was already loaded without Dickenson. With Dickenson in Bill Self’s offense, they may be unstoppable.