College basketball transfer portal 2024: Ranking top 40 players as Tony Perkins, Sean Pedulla explore options

College basketball’s transfer market continues to fill with quality talent, including an influx of high-impact guards. Since the NCAA Tournament’s first weekend concluded, players like Tony Perkins, Frankie Collins, Zeke Mayo, Tucker DeVries and Sean Pedulla have either entered the portal or signaled their intent to do so. 

Another one who joined the fray Wednesday, according to multiple reports, is Jalen Blackmon. The 6-foot-3 guard put Stetson on his back in the Atlantic Sun Tournament title game with a career-high 43 points to lead the Hatters to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearances.

Collectively, the group will draw waves of attention in the sport’s open market as coaches around the country seek to bolster their rosters with experienced backcourt players. Arguably the most interesting of the bunch is Mayo. After winning Summit League Player of the Year honors in 2023-24, South Dakota State’s leading scorer should have plenty of options.

Though originally from the basketball hotbed of Lawrence, Kansas, Mayo flew under the radar as a high school prospect. But after starting 21 games as a freshman for the Jackrabbits in 2021-22, Mayo took on a starring role each of the past two seasons. With an impressive body of work for a winning program at SDSU under his belt, Mayo could be a difference-maker for a high-level program in 2024-25 as he uses his final season of eligibility.

The spring portal window opened on March 18 and will remain open until May 1. However, players who have entered the portal by then don’t face a firm deadline on when they must commit. Additionally, graduate transfers and players impacted by coaching changes that occur after May 1 will be able to transfer after the deadline.

As players enter the portal, we will rank the best of them here. The rankings will be updated regularly as players either enter the portal or announce their intentions to enter the portal.

Check out the latest transfer portal updates from 247Sports

1. Tucker DeVries

Old school: Drake

DeVries won Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year twice during three seasons while playing for his father, Darian DeVries. The 6-foot-7 wing averaged 21.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in 2023-24. He’s a career 35.9% 3-point shooter. He is expected to follow his father, who accepted the West Virginia job. 

2. Zeke Mayo

Old school: South Dakota State

Mayo earned Summit League Player of the Year after averaging 18.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists for a South Dakota State team that won the conference. He’s a career 38.8% 3-point shooter and scored 19 points on just 11 shots against Iowa State’s vicious defense in an NCAA Tournament loss. There is a strong recent track record of Summit League Players of the Year transferring up. Max Abmas was the leading scorer for Texas this season after winning the award twice in his career at Oral Roberts. Baylor Scheierman has also been a star at Creighton the past two seasons after winning Summit League POTY at SDSU in 2022.

3. Clifford Omoruyi

Old school: Rutgers

Entering the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Omoruyi’s 93 blocks ranked fourth nationally. The 6-foot-11 center is an elite rim protector with consecutive Big Ten All-Defense honors. Omoruyi also averaged double figures in each of the last three seasons and posted 29 double-doubles in his four years with Rutgers. He can’t do much away from the rim offensively but is excellent defensively.

4. Jevon Porter

Old school: Pepperdine

Porter ranked as a top-100 prospect in the Class of 2022 and earned honorable mention All-WCC honors this season while averaging 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and one block per game. The 6-foot-11 younger brother of Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr. is a career 32.5% 3-point shooter and could get high-major interest because of his size, pedigree and flashes of perimeter shooting.

5. Tony Perkins

Old school: Iowa

Perkins averaged 14 points, 4.6 assists and 1.6 steals while starting all 34 games for Iowa as a senior. Following 126 career appearances for the Hawkeyes, he should make a significant impact at his next destination. Though just a career 31.7% 3-point shooter, Perkins is a physical guard at 6-foot-4 who can attack the basket. He also rated as Iowa’s top defender in the 2023-24 season, per evanmiya.com.

6. Meechie Johnson

Old school: South Carolina

Johnson wasn’t necessarily South Carolina’s best all-around player. But the 6-foot-2 guard did lead the Gamecocks in scoring at 14.1 points per game in 2023-24 during his second season in the program. Johnson began his career at Ohio State and will have one season of eligibility remaining.

7. Darlinstone Dubar

Old school: Hofstra

Dubar is a 6-foot-6 wing who averaged 17.8 points and 6.8 rebounds on 39.9% 3-point shooting for a 20-win Hofstra team. He began his career at Iowa State, starting seven games for the Cyclones in 2020-21. As a fifth-year player with a proven shot and good size, he’ll have opportunities to return to a major conference. Alabama guard Aaron Estrada is a recent example of a quality high-major player to come through Hofstra.

8. Maxime Raynaud

Old school: Stanford

Raynaud was named the Pac-12’s most improved player after nearly doubling his scoring average to 15.5 points per game as a junior. The seven-footer collected 9.6 rebounds per game and hit 36.1% of his 3-pointers on 61 attempts. The drawback is how limited he is defensively for a player of his size (0.8 blocks per game in 29.1 minutes).

9. Kobe Johnson

Old school: USC

Johnson stood out as an elite defender for USC, collecting 2.2 steals per game and rating as one of the top players on that side of the ball in the Pac-12. The 6-foot-5 wing also scored 10.9 points per game in 2023-24. Though just a career 32.9% 3-point shooter, Johnson has some chops as a distributor and will be a plug-and-play veteran at his next stop.

10. Tyrin Lawrence

Old school: Vanderbilt

Lawrence is a 6-foot-4 guard with 105 career appearances for an SEC program under his belt. Though just a career 28.7% 3-point shooter, he’s a good defender and averaged better than 13 points per game the past two seasons. He is the type of seasoned veteran with a track record of production who could provide reliable minutes for a good high-major program.

11. Brandon Garrison

Old school: Oklahoma State

Garrison showed glimpses of why he was a top-50 prospect and McDonald’s All-American in the Class of 2023 during his freshman season at Oklahoma State. There are offensive strides to be made, but Garrison blocked 1.5 shots per game in just 22.7 minutes and has three seasons of eligibility remaining to continue realizing his potential.

12. Cade Tyson

Old school: Belmont

Tyson is a career 44.6% 3-point shooter on 287 attempts over two seasons with Belmont. At 6-foot-7 with a demonstrated outside stroke, he could be an impact player for a high-major program. How Tyson will translate defensively to a higher level is likely the biggest question mark here. 

13. Jalen Blackmon

Old school: Stetson

Blackmon turned heads nationally with his 43-point outburst in the ASUN Tournament title game. The 6-foot-3 guard hit 38.1% of his 3-pointers on 8.3 attempts per game in the 2023-24 season and is a career 90.6% free-throw shooter. The Indiana native has only one season of eligibility remaining but has proven himself worthy of a shot to shine on the sport’s big stage.

14. Gibson Jimerson

Old school: Saint Louis

Shooters like Jimerson don’t come around often. The 6-foot-5 wing hit 39.5% of his 789 long-range attempts over five seasons for Saint Louis. He’s got one season left to play and should be heavily pursued after demonstrating one of college basketball’s most consistent outside strokes in an unparalleled sample size.

15. Jacob Crews

Old school: UT Martin | New school: Missouri

Crews shot 41.4% from 3-point range on 6.7 attempts per game as a junior for a UT Martin team that won a share of the OVC regular-season title. He also yanked down 8.2 rebounds per game for the Skyhawks. There are questions about his defense, but at 6-7 and with a good shooting stroke, he is big pickup for Missouri. The Tigers are coming off a winless SEC campaign and need help.

16. Dug McDaniel

Old school: Michigan

McDaniel averaged 16.3 points and 4.7 assists while shooting 36.8% from 3-point range on 5.8 attempts for a bad Michigan team. The 5-11 guard also rated as the Wolverines’ top defender, per evanmiya.com. Although his offensive numbers dipped against Big Ten foes, the former four-star prospect will help a team needing to upgrade its guard play.

17. Malik Mack

Old school: Harvard 

Mack’s efficiency dipped down the stretch, but it was still a phenomenal freshman season for the 6-foot-1 guard, who averaged 17.2 points and 4.8 assists per game. The Ivy League Rookie of the Year finished with 18 points and six assists at Boston College and scored 27 at Indiana during the first month of his college career. It was an impressive peek at what he’s capable of against high-major opposition.

18. Kanaan Carlyle

Old school: Stanford

Carlyle averaged 11.5 points and 2.7 assists per game in his freshman season at Stanford after ranking as a four-star prospect in the Class of 2023. His best games came against Arizona and Washington State, which were both NCAA Tournament teams. With three seasons of eligibility remaining and a proven body of work at the high-major level, there is some upside here.

19. Otega Oweh

Old school: Oklahoma 

Oweh’s production and efficiency dropped dramatically during the grind of Big 12 play after his sophomore season began with tantalizing glimpses of offensive promise. But while his game remains a work in progress, the 6-foot-5 wing is already a great defender. With two years left to play, Oweh is worth a swing for a team in need of perimeter defense.

20. Koren Johnson

Old school: Washington

Johnson earned Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year honors while averaging 11.1 points, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals for Washington. The 6-foot-2 guard is a career 35.1% 3-point shooter over his two seasons and also rates as a good defender for his size. 

21. Malik Dia

Old school: Belmont

Dia shined as a dynamic frontcourt player in his sophomore season at Belmont after playing sparingly during his freshman season at Vanderbilt. He averaged 16.9 points and 5.8 boards for the Bruins while shooting 34.1% from 3-point range. He’s 6-9 and has surprising athleticism for a player with such a big frame. His game needs refining, but Dia’s upside is clear.

22. Terrence Edwards

Old school: James Madison

Edwards was the leading scorer at 17.2 points per game for a James Madison team that finished 32-4 with a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-6 guard also dished out 3.4 assists for the Dukes after making significant productivity strides in all four years he was at JMU.

23. Ja’Kobi Gillespie 

Old school: Belmont

Belmont was at its best with Gillespie on the floor; he averaged 17.2 points, 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals for the Bruins. The 6-foot guard is on the smaller side but shot a ridiculous 66% inside the arc and a solid 38.7% beyond it. With two seasons of eligibility remaining, he’s worth a shot for a high-major team in need of an on-ball guard.

24. Skyy Clark

Old school: Louisville

After spending one season at Illinois, Clark transferred to Louisville and led the moribund Cardinals in scoring during the 2023-24 season at 13.2 points per game. His career 1:1 assist-turnover ratio is unappealing, but if the former top-40 prospect can find the right fit, he could still shine.

25. Houston Mallette

Old school: Pepperdine | New school: Alabama

Mallette is a career 37.5% 3-point shooter on 512 attempts over three seasons at Pepperdine. The 6-foot-5 guard upped his mark to a career-best 41.5% in 2023-24 and had big games against quality foes like Indiana State and UNLV. Alabama wasted little time snatching up Mallette. His combination of size and shooting ability should make him a natural fit with the Crimson Tide.

26. Saint Thomas

Old school: Northern Colorado

Northern Colorado produced a gem last cycle in Dalton Knecht. Can it come through again? Thomas is a vastly different player but nonetheless intriguing. At 6-foot-7, he averaged 19.7 points, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals while making 57.2% of his 2-pointers and 33% of his 3s in 2023-24. The dynamic forward began his career at Loyola Chicago and has just one season left to play.

27. Bensley Joseph

Old school: Miami

Joseph played a key role on Miami’s Final Four team in 2023 and upped his contributions to 9.6 points and 3.4 assists per game as a starter in 2023-24. The 6-foot-1 guard is a career 37.9% 3-point shooter and has one season left to play.

28. Michael Ajayi

Old school: Pepperdine | New school: Gonzaga

Ajayi is 6-foot-7 and hit 47% of his 3-pointers on 2.5 attempts per game while averaging 17.2 points in his lone season at Pepperdine. While Ajayi was a rebounding force for the Waves with 9.9 per game, his defense is a question mark. He should be a natural fit at Gonzaga as the Bulldogs seek to build a deeper roster after struggling with depth in 2023-24.

29. Frankie Collins

Old school: Arizona State 

Collins is only a career 30.8% 3-point shooter, but he is an excellent perimeter defender. The 6-foot-1 guard led the Pac-12 in steals at 2.6 per game during his second season at Arizona State. The former Michigan guard has one season of eligibility remaining.

30. Frankie Fidler

Old school: Omaha

Fidler finished second in the Summit League in scoring at 20.1 points per game. The 6-foot-7 forward hit 35.6% of his 3-point attempts in 2023-24 and was effective against Big 12 foes TCU and Texas Tech. Max Abmas (Oral Roberts to Texas) and Grant Nelson (North Dakota State to Alabama) are recent examples of players from this league transferring up and playing big roles for good teams.

31. Andrej Stojakovic

Old school: Stanford

Stojakovic averaged 7.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per game as a freshman at Stanford after ranking as a top-25 prospect in the Class of 2023, per 247Sports. He hit just 32.7% of his 3-pointers and was not an impact defender. But with three seasons left to play, he’ll have time to realize the potential that made him a McDonald’s All-American.

32. Micah Peavy

Old school: TCU

Peavy rated as TCU’s top defender each of the past three seasons, per evanmiya.com. The 6-foot-7 wing is just a career 26.7% 3-point shooter. But for a team in need of a versatile, veteran defensive presence, he will make a significant impact.

33. Sean Pedulla

Old school: Virginia Tech

Pedulla was a mainstay in the Virginia Tech rotation for the past three seasons and led the Hokies in scoring during the 2023-24 campaign at 16.4 points per game. He is a career 35.5% 3-point shooter and dished out 4.6 assists per game during his junior year. The 6-foot-1 guard struggled with turnovers in 2023-24 (3.3 per game) but has enough offensive game to garner significant interest.

34. Clark Slajchert

Old school: Penn

Slajchert shot 42.2% from 3-point range on 6.1 attempts per game in 2023-24 while averaging 18 points per game. At 6-foot-1, adapting to the defensive demands of the high-major level could be a challenge. But his offensive game will be attractive to major programs in need of perimeter firepower.

35. Sincere Parker

Old school: Saint Louis

Parker is the definition of instant offense. The 6-3 guard averaged 15.9 points per game in just 20.7 minutes per contest off the bench for Saint Louis while shooting 42.6% from 3-point range. He went for 30 or more three games in a row during one February stretch of A-10 play. That should make him interesting to high-major programs.

36. Isaac McBride

Old school: Oral Roberts

McBride helped fill the scoring void at Oral Roberts that Max Abmas left behind upon transferring to Texas. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 19.1 points per game on 39.4% 3-point shooting for ORU in the 2023-24 season. He showed glimpses of promise as a freshman at Vanderbilt in 2020-21 and now could be ready for another crack at the high-major level.

37. Jordan Sears

Old school: UT Martin

Looking for a bucket? Sears has you covered. The 5-foot-11 guard ranked ninth nationally in points per game at 21.6 after making 43.2% of his 3-pointers on 5.5 attempts per game for UT Martin. He also dished out 4.5 assists and rated as the Skyhawks’ top defender, per evanmiya.com. How it might translate to a tougher conference is difficult to decipher, but he’s worth a look for teams needing some scoring punch.

38. Amari Williams

Old school: Drexel

Williams earned CAA Defensive Player of the Year for a third straight season while averaging 1.8 blocks per game. The 6-foot-10 rim protector rated among the top-100 defenders in all of college basketball following the conclusion of conference tournament play, per evanmiya.com. He also scored 12.2 points and grabbed 7.8 rebounds for a 20-win Dragons team.

39. Mikeal Brown-Jones

Old school: UNC Greensboro

After two years of major minutes at UNC Greensboro, Brown-Jones has proven himself worthy of a high-major opportunity. He’s 6-foot-8 and hit 43.1% of his 3-pointers in 2023-24 for a 21-win team. In a past life, Brown-Jones was on the outskirts of the rotation for a VCU team that reached the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

40. JP Pegues

Old school: Furman

Pegues earned First Team All-SoCon honors after averaging 18.4 points per game and 4.8 assists per game in his third season with a strong Furman program. The 6-foot-5 guard is a career 35.4% 3-point shooter and seasoned veteran who should be able to contribute at the high-major level..