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Offseason? What offseason? There’s no such thing in college basketball! And we’re not complaining, because the sport is fascinating to follow even after UConn was crowned the national champion last week. Roster construction is changing across the country by the minute. When it’s all said and done, there will be in the neighborhood of 2,000 names in college basketball’s transfer portal.
Should the portal and NIL money be regulated? We can discuss that until the sun comes up, but you can’t deny the volume of player movement — and storylines with that movement — around college hoops.
On Tuesday, one of the largest names in the portal both in size and impact decided to take his talents to Mike Woodson in Bloomington, with Oumar Ballo committing to Indiana.
He was No. 1 across the country in many transfer portal player rankings, having averaged 12.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game this past season and setting an Arizona record for career field goal percentage at 64%.
With that, let’s reset and take a look at where we stand in the portal.
Here are my top-10 names to monitor, and others to keep an eye on, as the wild, wild west nature of this period of roster construction forges ahead.
Johnell Davis: Florida Atlantic
The American Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Year this past season, Davis is testing the NBA Draft waters as well, but has his name in the portal and is a highly sought-after talent. A 6-foot-4, 203-pound bulldog, Davis is a tough guard who can score in a variety of ways, having averaged 18.2 points per game while rebounding well for his size at 6.3 per contest. A key part of FAU’s Final Four run in 2023, Davis is experienced and impacts the game on both ends of the floor.
The second team All-Big Ten selection had 11 performances of at least 20 points this past season as a Badger, averaging 16.8 points per game. At 6-7, his ability to create tough matchups on the perimeter was on display plenty of times this past season. One note reflecting the wild nature of college hoops: if Storr does return to college basketball and elects to transfer, it will be his third school in as many years after he started his career at St. John’s. The offensive prowess that he presents makes him such a valuable name because he would change the complexion of a team.
Point guard play makes or breaks a team in college basketball, and the 6-2 Duke transfer sent shockwaves through the sport on Tuesday night when announcing he is heading to a new destination for his fifth season. Roach has been a key weapon on a Final Four team and helped the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight last season. This comes off as a choice by the Duke court general to capitalize on the money. Averaging 14 points and 3.3 assists per game, Roach plays with swagger and would add a seasoned presence and poise to a team. Could we see some drama in his next destination? A battle between John Calipari, Rick Pitino and Mark Pope is on the table.
An All-Big Ten selection and one of the best defensive players in college basketball with 2.9 blocks per game (which ranked third in the nation), Omoruyi is a hard-nosed veteran who is the best big man on the market currently. He’s been a part of two NCAA Tournament teams with the Scarlet Knights and is a double-double type of piece, having averaged 10.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game as a senior. Here are his 12 finalists:
North CarolinaUCLAKansas StateGeorgia TechGeorgetownBaylorAlabamaOregonWashingtonGeorgiaSt. John’sMississippi State
With Ballo off the board, look for Omoruyi to only try to hike the price up.
The Mountain West Player of the Year and an AP All-American Honorable Mention, Osobor is a 6-8, 250-pound forward who averaged 17.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game for the Aggies and was the top talent in a six-bid conference for the NCAA Tournament. With more than a block and a steal per game, along with shooting marks close to 60%, Osobor has only gotten better and is a hot commodity right now.
Mark Mitchell: Duke
With No. 1 ranked recruit Cooper Flagg coming into the Blue Devils program, Mitchell was automatically going to take a back seat as Jon Scheyer has the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class. So, Mitchell is seeking a new destination and is a large name for both his experience and upside in a different system. At 6-9, he is a versatile forward who, with time to work on the jump shot, could be a really intriguing prospect. This past year, he averaged 11.6 points on 54% shooting from the floor and 6.0 rebounds.
He developed a cult-like following throughout March, getting nicknamed “Cream Abdul-Jabbar” for his unique and versatile toolbox, as he averaged 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game for the Sycamores, charging now-Saint Louis head coach Josh Schertz’s team to the NIT championship game. There’s a good possibility Avila follows Schertz to the Billikens program, but never say never in this ever-changing world.
This was a big piece of news on Tuesday night when the Gaels leading scorer, a two-time first-team All-WCC performer who had totaled over 900 points in two seasons, announced that he was portaling. With close to 17 points per contest on 57% shooting from the floor during the conference tournament this past season, Mahaney led Saint Mary’s to the program’s first WCC Tournament crown in five years. This is a massive loss for Randy Bennett, as the 6-3 guard has 50 starts in two seasons under his belt and knows how to run a team.
The rising senior will be a highly sought-after big man because he does so many things right and comes from great coaching with Rick Barnes, meaning playing hard is non-negotiable. Averaging 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while playing almost 25 minutes per game, the 6-11, 241-pound big man is productive in a variety of ways. In the analytics world, he’s even higher on the list than No. 9.
The appeal factor is that he was a key contributor on Alabama’s first-ever Final Four team, averaging 11.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while shooting 45% from the floor and 39% from 3-point territory. While defense is a question mark, Griffen’s bucket-getting ability and his 6-6 frame make him a tough cover for any team, and he would bring a lot of experience to the fold of a program. The fact that he has two years of eligibility left is also a positive.
10 other names to watch:
Dillon Mitchell, TexasTyrese Hunter, TexasJavon Small, Oklahoma StateVlad Goldin, Florida AtlanticMaxime Raynaud, StanfordDanny Wolf, YaleKanaan Carlyle, StanfordAden Holloway, AuburnDJ Wagner, KentuckyOtega Oweh, Oklahoma
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.
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