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Top 10 Portal Prospects Before It Opens Monday

Top 10 Portal Prospects Before It Opens Monday

By Sam Kayser

The college basketball landscape is shifting faster than ever, and the transfer portal has become the epicenter of roster reconstruction. With player movement at an all-time high, programs are constantly on the hunt for impact transfers who can elevate their teams overnight. With the transfer portal set to officially open tomorrow morning, I looked at the Top 10 players who are already officially in the portal.

1. Dedan Thomas Jr. (UNLV transfer)

Thomas is a crafty, high-IQ point guard with elite feel for the game. He’s a dynamic playmaker with a tight handle, exceptional court vision, and the ability to manipulate defenses with pace and precision. With UNLV moving on from head coach Kevin Kruger, it wasn’t a huge surprise to see Thomas hit the portal. The Florida Gators are reportedly a school to watch in his recruitment, but I expect many more schools to be involved as seasons continue to wind down. He’ll be one of the top point guards to enter the portal this cycle.

 

2. Josh Dix (Iowa transfer)

Dix is the first of a couple Iowa Hawkeye transfers on this list, but will likely be the most highly sought after of the bunch. Dix is one of the elite shooters in college basketball with strong positional size and feel for the game. He had a breakout season this year for the Hawkeyes averaging 14.4PPG while shooting 42.2% from beyond the arc. I expect the majority of high-major programs to, at minimum, reach out to Dix who will likely have his pick of the litter when it’s all said and done. Alabama, Illinois, Iowa State, and Creighton are among some of the schools reportedly in the mix for the talented wing prospect.

3. Owen Freeman (Iowa transfer)

Freeman, another Iowa Hawkeye, was the first notable high-major transfer to hit the portal this cycle. Freeman missed the end of the Hawkeyes season with a hand injury, but was extremely productive in 19 games this season. The 6-10 big man averaged 16.7PPG and 6.7RPG on an impressive 63% from the floor. Gonzaga, Michigan and Creighton are three schools who were immediately linked to the talented big man, but I wouldn’t be shocked for other schools to potentially pop in. The price tag for Freeman is reportedly quite high, but his production shows he could be worth it.

4. Malik Reneau (Indiana transfer)

I’ve been a huge fan of Malik Reneau since his high school days with Montverde and he’s continued to be a productive piece throughout his first three seasons of college basketball. Following Mike Woodson’s departure from Indiana, Malik Reneau elected to enter the transfer portal and take his talents to another school. The Florida Gators were one of the main schools involved back in high school and I expect them to be interested again. Miami and Georgia are two other schools to reportedly keep your eyes on. The former five-star recruit is a Miami native and it would not surprise me to see him head back home. He averaged 13.3PPG, 5.5RPG and 2.0APG this season.

5. Bryce Hopkins (Providence transfer)

It was a tough season for Friar fans and a big part of that was due to the absence of their star player: Bryce Hopkins. Hopkins played in only three games this season due to a knee injury he suffered during his junior year. He elected to enter the transfer portal earlier this week with three teams coming to the forefront of his recruitment- St. John’s, Georgetown and Arkansas are the three main schools involved, I was told by a source earlier this week. Hopkins played his freshman season at Kentucky for Arkansas coach John Calipari and played his sophomore season for Georgetown coach Ed Cooley at Providence. It will be interesting to see where the Chicago native lands after only playing in 17 games the last two seasons.

6. Tucker Devries (West Virginia transfer)

After spending the first three seasons of his career at Drake, it was expected that DeVries would be West Virginia’s top player coming into the 24-25 season. But with injuries getting in the way, DeVries only wound up playing eight games this season for the Mountaineers. With his dad, Darian DeVries, accepting the Indiana head coaching job earlier this week, Tucker hit the portal again, leaving little to no doubt on what his final destination would be. In only eight games, DeVries averaged almost 15 points while shooting a blistering 47% from beyond the arc. For Tucker, it’s not a matter of “if,” but a matter of “when” he will commit to his dad and Indiana, becoming what will likely be a busy transfer portal window for the Hoosiers.

7. Nick Davidson (Nevada transfer)

Davidson entered the portal this week after what’s been a strong three seasons at Nevada. The 6-foot-10 forward had a great junior season, putting up some high-level numbers for a Wolfpack team that played at one of the slowest paces in the country. Davidson averaged 15.8PPG 6.5RPG and 2.8APG, proving to be an efficient finisher around the rim while also flashing a reliable jumper. His size, skill, and ability to stretch the floor make him an intriguing target for high-major programs looking for frontcourt depth and scoring versatility. A ton of schools reached out to the talented transfer, per On3’s Joe Tipton, but it’s unclear who has the upper hand thus far. Davidson will be an interesting name to track as we head deeper into portal season.

8. Obi Agbim (Wyoming transfer)

Agbim played just one season at Wyoming before entering the transfer portal earlier this week. As one of the top mid-major prospects in the country, he has already received interest from a bevy of high-major programs. Agbim had an enormous season for Wyoming, showing his ability to score from all over the floor with incredible efficiency, as well. Agbim led the Cowboys in scoring this season with over 17PPG while shooting a scorching 43.7% from the 3-point line. While there has not been a published list of schools that have reached out, Baylor and Texas Tech are the two main schools to keep an eye on in his recruitment, I was told earlier this week. Expect Agbim to have an immediate impact next season at the high-major level.

9. Quimari Peterson (East Tennessee State transfer)

Much like Agbim, Quimari Peterson will be one of the most highly-sought after mid-major players in the country throughout this portal cycle. Peterson won the SoCon Player of the Year Award this season for ETSU, finishing the year averaging nearly 20PPG while shooting 42.2% from beyond the 3-point line. The 6-foot-1 guard out of Gary, Indiana reportedly has a ton of high-major programs involved in his recruitment and I expect to get some clarity on who exactly is involved later this week when the portal officially opens. Will be a major addition for whoever is able to reel him in.

10. Jacari White (North Dakota State transfer)

White officially entered the transfer portal earlier this week after spending the last three seasons playing for North Dakota State. White has upped his scoring average in all three seasons with the Bison, averaging over 17PPG for NDSU this season. White is a confident perimeter shooter, capable of knocking down threes off the catch or creating his own shot off the dribble. He shot nearly 40% from the 3-point line in 24-25. White has received interest from a ton of high-majors and is an appealing target for programs looking to add backcourt scoring and shot creation. Will be another big name to track as the portal opens this coming week.

 

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