It's May, and while the casual fan has tuned out college hoops until the fall, well the diehards know the truth: This is where the real fun begins.
It's transfer season, BABY!!!!
That's right, it's a new world of college hoops, and now, April and May portal recruiting is often as important - if not more so - than year-round high school recruiting. And because of it, we'll have you covered from all angles here at Aaron Torres Online and Aaron Torres Media.
First off, if you're not following our portal tracker - @CBBTransfers on Twitter, make sure to do so. That's our one stop shop for all things transfer portal visits, commitments and players entering the portal. The full running list is available at CollegeBasketballTransfers.com.
But also, as I've done every year, I also keep a list of the my "Best Players in the Transfer Portal - Right Now."
The list of players is starting to thin out, but there have been some new, recent entrants that certainly spice things up. Plus, with the NBA Draft deadline coming, expect a few new names to enter as well.
Anyway, here's our list of the 10 best players in the portal right now - with some new names now available.
1. Hunter Dickinson, C, Michigan
Dickinson's entry into the portal during Final Four weekend sent shockwaves through college basketball, and now the waiting game has begun. Dickinson took visits to Maryland, Georgetown, Kentucky, Kansas and Villanova, and now everyone must play the waiting game.
On Tuesday, Dickinson recaped all those visits - but also didn't commit. Meaning the wait game will continue until... some unspecified amount of time.
As Tom Petty said "the waiting is the hardest part" but for one school it will absolutely be worth it, as Dickinson is, quite possibly the most accomplished player to ever enter the portal. The 7'1 center is a a two-time All-American who finished this season averaging 18.5 points, nine rebounds and nearly two blocks a game, all while shooting 43 percent from behind the arc.
Should he commit to Kansas or Kentucky it immediately puts them on the short list of "national title favorites" and a commitment at Villanova, Georgetown and Maryland would validate each of the new-ish staffs there. Villanova and Maryland both become likely preseason Top 10 to 15 teams with as well.
So yeah, a lot is on the line. All as the entire sport waits to see what his next move is.
2. Grant Nelson, F/C, North Dakota State
There have been whispers for weeks that Nelson - an athletic and skilled big man from North Dakota State - would enter the transfer portal, and on Tuesday it became official.
It's worth noting that he is currently testing the NBA Draft waters, and as a player that's legitimately draftable in the second round, there's a chance he never plays college basketball again. Early reports are that he'd at least consider a return to North Dakota State as well for his senior year if he does return to college.
But if he does end up transferring, he becomes an immediate plug-and-play difference maker who is athletic, can run the floor and score from all three levels. Early whispers are that - not surprisingly - Arkansas could be a landing spot if he stays in college hoops.
3. Tre White, F, USC
White was a genuinely surprising entrant to the portal, as a former high four-star recruit who started every game on the Trojans' NCAA Tournament team this year. However, he elected to leave the Trojans, with rumors persisting that he's looking for bigger NIL opportunities.
Whatever the case, one program is getting a high-upside wing with NBA type talent, who averaged nine points and five rebounds per game as a freshman in a power conference this year.
Put simply, there just aren't that many guys with White's upside who are also proven at the high-major level, and it shows with who has reached out. His list includes a "who's who" of programs looking for help on the wing.
Per reports, he's already visited Louisville and Central Florida, with a trip to Alabama in the works.
4. Jaylon Tyson, G/F, Texas Tech
Tyson is an interesting story, as a player who committed to Texas Tech out of high school, then followed Chris Beard to Texas when he got the job in Austin.... only to leave after a semester to go back to Texas Tech.
When Mark Adams was fired, Tyson again hit the portal.
Because of it, it's hard to know if Tyson will even be eligible next season, but if he is, someone is about to get one of the most talented players in the portal. Tyson is a big, physical guard who averaged 10.1 points and six rebounds, to go along with 43 percent three-point shooting.
He's the kind of big, tough wing, who could kind of fit in just about anywhere.
5. Tyrin Lawrence, G, Vanderbilt
In what has become nothing short of a devastating off-season for Vanderbilt, Lawrence became the latest Commodore to hit the portal a few days back. He joins former starters Jordan Wright (committed to LSU) and Myles Stute (South Carolina) to leave the program for greener pastures this off-season.
Whoever gets him will add a big, 6'4 guard, who has proven an ability to get buckets against elite competition. He went for 21 in a Vanderbilt win at Rupp Arena in the final week of the regular season, then added 18 in a win over the Wildcats in the SEC Tournament. He also dropped 24 points in an NIT win over Michigan.
Auburn and LSU (where his former teammate Jordan Wright ended up) are believed to be the favorites for his services.
6. Jordan Dingle, G, Penn
Another late entrant to the portal, the Ivy League Player of the Year and nation's second leading scorer recently decided to transfer.
As you can guess from the description above, Dingle is a guy best known for putting the ball in the basket. At 6'3 he isn't overly big, but has an innate ability to get to his spots and finish around the rim, all while shooting 36 percent from behind the three-point arc.
Like Nelson, Dingle is currently testing the NBA Draft waters, so there's a possibility he never plays college hoops again. If he does, he has ties to John Calipari (his father played for Coach Cal at UMass) as well as Rick Pitino, the new head coach at St. John's.
7. Olivier Nkamhoua, F, Tennessee
Nkamhoua is one of the more interesting names in the portal, for a number of different reasons.
This past season, the versatile, 6'9 forward was one of the few offensive bright spots for Tennessee, averaging 10.8 points per game, to go along with five rebounds and two assists per contest as well. That included a 28-point masterpiece in a Round 2 upset of Duke.
Did I mention he did this all coming off major knee surgery a year ago, and wasn't really "himself" until late in the year?
With an extra year of eligibility though, Nkamhoua decided to see what else is out there, and the hunch here is that he will land in a much more offensive-friendly system, especially for a guy of his skill-set.
Arizona is believed to be one of the leaders for Nkamhoua, in an otherwise quiet recruitment.
8. Matthew Cleveland, F, Florida State
Like Vanderbilt, it was a crushing off-season at Florida State, where the Seminoles lost their two most important players, Caleb Mills (committed to Memphis) and Cleveland to the portal.
Cleveland is probably the better long-term prospect, as a 6'7 forward who led the team in points and rebounds, averaging 13.8 and 7.4 respectively. He also shot over 35 percent from beyond the arc.
In terms of what's next, it appears as though things are down to Miami, Auburn and Missouri. It's worth noting that Cleveland's lead recruiter at Florida State, CY Young, is currently the associate head coach at Missouri.
9. Jaden Bradley, G, Alabama
A former McDonald's All-American, Bradley was an integral part of Alabama's top-ranked team early, only to see his numbers dip as the season wore on. He scored just two points total in Alabama's three NCAA Tournament games, finishing the year averaging six points and three assists per game.
Yet while the numbers dipped, the talent is still there for another program to unlock. Bradley is super-quick with the ball, with ability to get to the hole at will, and - considering he averaged three assists in less than 20 minutes of play this year - he has an ability to create for others as well.
Bradley's recruitment has been eerily quiet since he entered the portal, with no tangible reports on where he could end up.
10. Moussa Cisse, C, Oklahoma State
A former McDonald's All-American who's now played three years of college basketball, Cisse does one thing extremely well - protects the rim. He has led the Big 12 in blocked shots each of the past two seasons, averaging just under two per game in 2023. He also grabbed eight boards per contest. His offense is still evolving though, averaging just seven points per game this season.
What's interesting is what's next for the 7'0 center.
Because he's already transferred once (he began his career at Memphis) he will be an interesting case study as to whether the NCAA will actually hold out players who are transferring for a second time, and there are actually rumors over whether that uncertainty could be holding up his commitment.
Should he play next year, he'll be one of the best rim protectors in the sport.
Others to watch:
Joe Girard, G, Syracuse
Jaykwon Walton, G, Wichita State
Committed since our last list:
Ryan Nembhard, G, Creighton (committed to Gonzaga)
Max Abmas, G, Oral Roberts (committed to Texas)
Harrison Ingram, F, Stanford (committed to North Carolina)
Dalton Knecht, G/F, Northern Colorado (committed to Tennessee)
Tylor Perry, G, North Texas (Kansas State)
Graham Ike, F/C, Wyoming (committed to Gonzaga
Nick Timberlake, G, Towson (committed to Kansas)
Daniel Batcho, F, Texas Tech (committed to Louisiana Tech)
Avery Anderson, G, Oklahoma State (committed to TCU)
Kario Oquendo, G, Georgia (committed to Oregon)
Yohan Traore, F/C, Auburn (committed to UC-Santa Barbara
Kadin Shedrick, F, Virginia (committed to Texas)
RaeQuan Battle, G/F, Montana State (committed to West Virginia)
Arterio Morris, G, Texas (committed to Kansas)
Primo Spears, G, Georgetown (committed to Florida State
Hakim Hart, F, Maryland (committed to Villanova)
Aaron Estrada, G, Hofstra (committed to Alabama
Chris Ledlum, F, Harvard (committed to Tennessee)
Jamarion Sharp, C, Western Kentucky (committed to Ole Miss)
Tarin Armstrong, G, Cal Baptist (committed to G-League Ignite)
Posh Alexander, G, St. John's (committed to Butler)
Hunter Sallis, G, Gonzaga (committed to Wake Forest)
Committed Previously:
Jesse Edwards, F/C, Syracuse (committed to West Virginia)
Ace Baldwin, G, VCU (committed to Penn State)
LJ Cryer, G, Baylor (committed to Houston)
TJ Bamba, G, Washington State (committed to Villanova)
Kel'El Ware, F/C, Oregon (committed to Indiana)
Tramon Mark, G/F, Houston (committed to Arkansas)
JJ Starling, G, Notre Dame (Committed to Syracuse)
Steven Ashworth, G, Utah State (committed to Creighton)
Jameer Nelson Jr., G, Delaware (committed to Delaware)
Jalen Cook, G, Tulane (committed LSU)
Caleb Love, G, North Carolina (committed to Michigan)
Brandon Murray, G/F, Georgetown (committed to Ole Miss)
Dayvion McKnight, G, Western Kentucky (committed to Xavier)
Keyon Menifield, G, Washington (committed to Arkansas)
John Tonje, G, Colorado State (Committed to Missouri)
Reese Dixon-Waters, F, USC (committed to San Diego State)
El Ellis, G, Louisville (committed to Arkansas)
Khalif Battle, G/F, Temple (committed to Arkansas)
Walter Clayton Jr., G, Iona (committed to Florida)
Denver Jones, G, Florida International (committed to Auburn)
Jayden Epps, G, Illinois (committed to Georgetown)
AJ Storr, G/F, St. John's (committed to Wisconsin)
Micah Handlogten, C, Marshall (Committed to Florida)
Caleb Mills, G, Florida State (Committed to Memphis)
Steele Venters, G, Eastern Washington (committed to Gonzaga)
Fardaws Aimaq, F, Texas Tech (committed to Cal)
Darrion Williams, F, Nevada (committed to Texas Tech)
Kerr Kriisa, G, Arizona (committed to West Virginia
Ugonna Onyenso, C, Kentucky (will return to Kentucky)
Jamison Battle, G/F, Minnesota (committed to Ohio State)
Skyy Clark, G, Illinois (Committed to Louisville)
Paxson Wojcik, G, Brown (Committed to North Carolina)