Each transfer portal season, aggressive teams land top talent while passive teams falter.
Every March, and increasingly so, that failure to gather talent in the portal shows for squads that fall, while success shines a light on the coaches who recruited the portal effectively.
So, here is an updated look at the winners and losers thus far in the 2025 transfer portal cycle.
WINNERS
Mississippi
Senior guard Sean Pedulla dropped more than 20 points in each of the Rebels’ NCAA Tournament games this season. The former Virginia Tech Hokie started alongside two fellow transfers for head coach Chris Beard. After a Sweet Sixteen loss to Michigan State, Beard has attacked the portal with urgency, hoping to replicate last offseason’s success.
Beard is leaving no stones unturned in an attempt to fill the void left by his top scorer from a year ago, starting with 6-foot-2 junior guard Pop Isaacs from Creighton. Isaacs lit up the college hoops world immediately as a freshman at Texas Tech, averaging double figures in points during his first season in Lubbock. Isaacs, who suffered an injury eight games into his time at Creighton, visited Oxford Monday, according to Tobias Bass at The Athletic.
Junior forward Tae Davis has also received interest from Mississippi, per reports. Davis, who spent the 2022-23 season at Seton Hall, averaged 15.1 points for the Fighting Irish in 2024-25. Look for Dre, Davis’s older brother and a starter for the Rebs this season to assist in the pursuit, despite his lack of remaining eligibility.
In addition, Mississippi reportedly reached out to 6-foot-7 junior wing Keyshawn Hall of UCF and 6-foot-3 senior guard Jacari White, who’s transferring from North Dakota State. Hall, who possesses incredible length and athleticism, led a struggling Knights team in points (18.8) and rebounds (7.1). White has interest from a variety of high-majors, including Kansas, Houston, Alabama and Tennessee.
Baylor
The Bears finished the season with an underwhelming .500 record in the Big 12 and a 23-point defeat at the hands of No. 1 seed Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Looking to reload in the portal, coach Scott Drew has cast a wide net. He caught a big one early in the transfer window with the signing of 6-foot-9 junior forward Michael Rataj from Oregon State.
A native of Germany, Rataj showed flashes of greatness in his first two seasons with the Beavers. This year, he showcased his full potential, averaging 16.9 points and 7.2 rebounds. Rataj surpassed the 20-point mark 11 times in 2024-25, most notably in a tightly contested battle with in-state rival Oregon.
Aside from Rataj, Baylor has shown reported interest in 6-foot-9 senior forward Marquel Sutton and Hall. Sutton, a transfer out of Omaha, averaged just under 18 points for the Mavericks this season on his way to a Summit League Player of the Year award.
The two will look to fill the void in experience and scoring left by former transfers Norchad Omier and Jermey Roach, each of whom saw their eligibility expire at the conclusion of the season.
UCLA
Donovan Dent, a 6-foot-2 junior guard, attended Centennial High School, just over an hour away from UCLA’s campus in Westwood. After receiving offers from California Baptist, Long Beach State, Montana State and UC Santa Barbara, Dent opted to begin his collegiate career at New Mexico and this season he was named Mountain West Player of the Year. On Friday, following the departure of New Mexico’s head coach Richard Pitino for Xavier, Dent announced his move to UCLA.
Dent more than doubled his scoring output from his freshman to sophomore seasons. This year, he uncorked for over 20 points and 6 assists per game, helping lead the Lobos to a 27-8 record. Dent’s steady production continued in an opening round win over No. 7 seed Marquette in the NCAA Tournament with 21 points and six assists.
Although Bruins’ head coach Mick Cronin landed Dent, expect him to remain active in the portal, particularly with the departures of key contributors Sebastian Mack and Dylan Andrews. Reportedly, UCLA expressed interest in 6-foot-7 sophomore wing Abdi Bashir Jr. from Monmouth and 6-foot-6 freshman guard Tyrone Riley IV of San Francisco.
PORTAL MADNESS
Latest News From the Transfer Portal: Commitments, Visits and More
While you were watching the NCAA Tournament, we were watching the portal. Here, a roundup of the biggest news.
The Top 10 Players in the Women’s NCAA Basketball Portal
Though the women’s Tournament is in full swing, the transfer portal opened this past Tuesday morning. Just under 1,000 players have entered.
LOSERS
Maryland
Former Terrapins head man Kevin Willard took a direct shot at Maryland’s athletic department before accepting the head coaching position at Villanova. Willard expressed frustrations over a lack of control of his team and questioned the efforts of the athletic department.
To make matters worse for Terrapin fans, Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Rodney Rice will don different jerseys next season, the two having announced their entry into the portal following Willard’s departure. Gillespie and Rice, the starting backcourt for the ‘Crab Five,’ poured in 28.5 of Maryland’s 81.7 points per game.
An incredible challenge awaits the next coach to fill the vacancy left by Willard. Of course, a lack of a coaching staff will inhibit Maryland’s current ability to reconstruct a roster via the portal. However, look for the new hire to steady a sinking ship after two NCAA Tournament appearances in three seasons under Willard.
Wake Forest
When Selection Sunday rolled around, the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest once again found themselves on the outside looking in. After struggling to perform consistently in the ACC, a subpar conference this season at best, the Deacs and coach Steve Forbes have lost key talent to the portal.
The man in the middle in 7-foot senior forward Efton Reid III, a former five-star recruit, entered the portal Monday afternoon. Reid III played the best ball of his college career during his first season in Winston-Salem, averaging 9.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. In addition to Reid III, 6-foot sophomore guard Ty-Laur Johnson and 6-foot-4 sophomore guard Parker Friedrichsen announced their intentions to transfer.
Forbes has been active in the portal however, reportedly expressing interest in guards Kezza Giffa (High Point) and Malachi Smith (Dayton), but the pressure is on in Deactown after an eighth consecutive absence from the Big Dance.
Drake
6-foot-4 junior guard Bennett Stirtz committed to Iowa and former head coach Ben McCollum just one day removed from McCollum’s hiring, as has become the norm in today’s college basketball landscape. Stirtz, who began his career at Division II Northwest Missouri State under McCollum, earned Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year honors in his first season with the Bulldogs.
Along with Stirtz, forwards Cam Manyawu and Isaia Howard entered the portal. Manyawu started all 35 games for Drake this season, averaging 7.1 points per game.
New head coach Eric Henderson will undoubtedly have his hands full rebuilding a Bulldogs’ squad coming off three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Henderson and Drake expressed interest in Wes Enis, a 6-foot-2 guard from DII Lincoln Memorial that averaged more than 20 points this year.
