College Basketball "Faces in New Places" -- Best Transfers and Freshman in CBB 25-26

In the transfer portal era, it's incredibly difficult to keep up with the hundreds of moves that happen throughout the offseason. That's why you have me -- a man who's "My Mom took Tylenol" Trait is that I track and follow the College Basketball Transfer portal with an excel sheet and color coordination.

Whether due to coaching changes or unhappiness with their previous situation -- College players are changing schools at a rate we've never seen before. If you're an Indiana/Baylor fan, there are ZERO returning players from the team you watched last year. A completely new roster. If you're a Duke Fan (fuck yourself first off), you saw your starting 5 from last season get drafted -- but there's a new crop of Freshmen coming in and key bench pieces stepping in to new roles.

So today, we're going to go through who I believe are the Top Transfers and Top Freshmen entering College Basketball this season. It is an absolutely LOADED class of Freshman -- one of the best classes we've seen in years -- and there's a plethora of studs that have changed schools. I'm going to rank them -- which may differ from what you'll see elsewhere, but are based on what I've seen from returning players, and my research on Freshman. 10 Frosh, 10 Transfers, Let's Go!

The Freshmen

#1 Darryn Peterson - Kansas

There's a 3-headed monster at the top of the 25-26 Freshman class in CBB, and I think Darryn Peterson is the leader of this group. The 6'5 combo guard is coming in with big hype and looked the part in his one exhibition game against Louisville -- scoring 24 points in THE 1ST HALF, on 6-10 3-pt shooting. Can't put too much stock into an exhibition, but this guy has one of the silkiest jumpers you'll ever seen, is dynamic driving, and has incredible length at 6'5 w/ a 6'10.5 wingspan.

#2 Cameron Boozer - Duke

Boozer's been the consensus #3 of this top grouping of freshman -- but I think he's going to make a push for #1 by season's end. Standing 6'10 with long arms, 250 lbs -- Boozer's got the frame of an NBA forward at 18 years old, and won't turn 19 until after the season ends. In exhibitions vs UCF and Tennessee, he racked up 57 points, 35 rebounds, 10 assists, 5-10 from 3. He's looked so polished and comfortable offensively, and will get all the opportunity he can handle with Duke.

#3 AJ Dybansta - BYU

Probably the most hyped of the 3 studs here, especially in High School, Dybansta decided to go to BYU to play for Kevin Young. This guy is a physical freak -- 6'10, crazy athleticism, skilled offensively as a shooter and ball-handler for his size. He also had a pair of massive exhibition games against Nebraska and UNC, and his BYU team is going to be a popular team to watch with all the talent there. Decision-making and shot-selection will be areas to grow, but has every physical tool.

#4 Mikel Brown Jr. - Louisville

There's a perceived drop-off from the top 3 to the rest of the class (fairly), but if anyone has a shot to skyrocket into that upper tier, it's Mikel Brown Jr. His game is going to fit super well for a Pat Kelsey coached team -- especially with the roster he's put together, with great shooting and athletic big men. Brown is a super skilled passer with an elite jumper -- 8-11 from 3 in his most recent exhibition.

#5 Darius Acuff Jr. - Arkansas

Coach Calipari-coached teams are at their best when he can lean on a dynamic freshman guard (or two -- Fox/Monk year at Kentucky), and that's exactly what Darius Acuff is. 6'2 and slender, doesn't have the greatest size, but is lightning quick off the dribble and very athletic. Looks comfortable playing fast, which is what Arkansas will want to do, and is gifted offensively.

#6 Caleb Wilson - North Carolina

Tried to put my bias aside and didn't put Caleb Wilson any higher -- but as a UNC fan, I'm VERY excited to see what Caleb can do. 6'10 and a fluid athlete -- can jump out of the gym and has great length. Has good shot mechanics and I think will have a very good mid-range game, and his tenacity on the boards is amazing to see. Should help a re-shaped UNC roster get back to their ways of dominating the glass.

#7 Tounde Yessoufou - Baylor

If I had to bet on a Freshman outside of Boozer/Dybansta/Peterson to lead the class in PPG scoring, I might take Yessoufou for Baylor. I think opportunity + physical skills could lead to him being a 16-18 ppg scorer for Scott Drew's squad. He's a physical specimen at 6'5 210 -- is incredibly strong and fast -- and will be a bulldog on both ends of the floor. Could play 30+ min a night.

#8 Nate Ament - Tennessee

Has gone under-the-radar a bit this season as the highest ranked recruit for a Tennessee team many are uncertain about going into the year -- but Nate Ament has the tools to be a Top 5-7 pick in next year's draft. Has the defensive tenacity that Rick Barnes values so highly -- and also has the tools at 6'10 to be a go-to offensive option. Efficiency will be a point of emphasis for him this year.

#9 Jasper Johnson - Kentucky

Something about a pure-scoring guard in a Kentucky uniform just gets me going. Jasper Johnson is a 6'4 southpaw with a long wingspan and great shot-making ability. There's a lot of competition for minutes on the UK roster, but Jasper could become a go-to scoring option for this team playing alongside Otega Oweh.

#10 Chris Cenac Jr. - Houston

This may take a couple months to come true, because Chris Cenac Jr. is a bit of a project on an absolutely loaded Houston team coming off a National Championship appearance, but I love his upside. Big Body, athletic, imposing defensively, really good lob threat. Once he adjusts to the speed of the college game, he'll thrive in Kelvin Sampson's system.

The Transfers

#1 Yaxel Lendeborg -- Michigan (from USF)

After testing the NBA Draft waters this past Spring, Yaxel Lendeborg decided to commit to Dusty May and the Michigan Wolverines after a standout season at South Florida. He's a true stat-sheet stuffer -- averaged 17.7 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 4.2 APG, nearly 2 blocks and 2 steals a game, with 52/36/76 splits. Super talented, super productive, 6'9 with a strong, athletic frame and ball skills.

#2 PJ Haggerty -- Kansas State (from Memphis)

Haggerty was 3rd in the nation scoring last season, averaging nearly 22 PPG to go with just under 6 RPG and 4 APG. He's a lead guard that improved his 3 pt efficiency last season by over 7% points and gets to the FT line at a high rate. K-State's roster is pretty underwhelming coming into this season, so if they're going to exceed expectations, it'll be because Haggerty had a monster year.

#3 Donovan Dent -- UCLA (from New Mexico)

Dent led the New Mexico Lobos to a 17-3 conference record, 27-8 overall, the 2nd Round of the NCAAT last season, and averaged 20 points and 6 assists shooting 41% from 3 along the way. He was one of the most coveted portal entries of the offseason, and at UCLA he'll join a roster that may end up being a Top 4-5 team in the Big 10. Strong-bodied guard with an improving jumper.

#4 Darrion Williams -- NC State (from Texas Tech)

I'll preface by saying I hate this guy. Left Texas Tech after they made the Elite 8 to move laterally (and that's incredibly generous -- downward really) to NC State, taking shots at Hubert Davis and UNC trying to stoke a rivalry that only exists to State, abandoned the coach that took a chance on him and his teammates for more NIL money.

That being said, he's a good player. Under-sized 4-man that gets to the line a ton and plays bigger than his height. Had 3 20+ point games in the NCAAT.

#5 Tucker DeVries -- Indiana (from West VA)

A year after following his Dad Darrian DeVries to West Virginia when he was hired as their Head Coach, Darrian left yet again for Indiana, bringing Tucker with him as the cornerstone for an all new roster. Tucker DeVries missed much of last season with injury, but he is a true 3-level scorer and can take over a game with that scoring ability. Averaged 15/5/3 in 8 games and shot 47% from 3, but was nearly 22 PPG, 7 RPG, 4 APG his last year at Drake.

#6 Ja'Kobi Gillespie -- Tennessee (from Maryland)

After two years at Belmont, Ja'Kobi Gillespie broke out at Maryland, leading the Terps to the Sweet 16 where they suffered a 3-point loss to eventual Champions Florida. Gillespie averaged 15 PPG (2nd on team) and 5 APG (led team) for a team that finished 2nd in the Big 10. The Greeneville native returns home to Tennessee to be Rick Barnes' lead guard as a sharp-shooting playmaker.

#7 Bennett Stirtz -- Iowa (from Drake)

Bennett Stirtz and the Drake Bulldogs took the College Basketball world by storm last year, as 1st year D1 coach Ben McCollum and his star Stirtz led them to a 31-4 record and an upset of Mizzou in Round 1 of the NCAAT. McCollum left for the Iowa Job and brought Bennett with him, who comes in with high expectations after a season averaging 19 points, 6 assists, 4 boards. A tall guard with a strong handle and excellent decision-making.

#8 Boogie Fland -- Florida (from Arkansas)

A 6'3 Sophomore who spent his Freshman season playing for Coach Cal at Arkansas, Boogie Fland stayed in the SEC and transferred to the defending Champions and Coach Todd Golden. He'll fill the hole in the backcourt left by Walter Clayton and Will Richard alongside Princeton Transfer Xaivian Lee -- and could flourish in this system as a dynamic guard with great speed and vision.

#9 Owen Freeman, Josh Dix -- Creighton (from Iowa)

There's guys in the HM's below who are ranked higher on most lists -- but I've watched a lot of these two the past 2 seasons for Iowa, and I think they'll be great players for Greg McDermott. Freeman, a 6'10 Center with good hands and touch, got hurt after 19 games in 24-25, but was making a leap as a Soph averaging 17 PPG, 7 RPG, and nearly 2 blocks.

Dix, a silky smooth 6'6 guard who looks more like an accountant than hooper -- but has shot 40%+ from 3 in 3 straight years (doubling attempts each year) and averaged 14.4 PPG last season.

#10 Ryan Conwell -- Louisville (from Xavier)

Rounding things out with a transfer that I think has gone super under-the-radar. I watched Conwell at Indiana State average 16.6 ppg on 41% 3-pt shooting (wanted him to follow Coach Schertz to Saint Louis U so bad) -- then transfer to Xavier and do the same exact thing. 208 made threes in his last 2 seasons, a capable defender at 6'4, playing in an offense where he'll excel.

Honorable Mentions

Xaivian Lee -- Florida (from Princeton)

Jayden Quaintance -- Kentucky (from ASU)

Ian Jackson -- St. John's (from UNC)

Bryce Hopkins -- St. John's (from Providence)

Dillon Mitchell -- St. John's (from Cincy)

Jaland Lowe -- Kentucky (from Pittsburgh)

Rob Wright III -- BYU (from Baylor)

Andrej Stojakovic -- Illinois (from Cal)

Josh Dix -- Creighton (from Iowa)

Silas Demary Jr. -- UConn (from Georgia)

Henri Veesar -- UNC (from Arizona)

Rodney Rice -- USC (from Maryland)

Malik Reneau -- Miami (from Indiana)

Oscar Cluff -- Purdue (from SDSU)

Morez Johnson Jr. -- Michigan (from Illinois)

Comment below or on the Instagram page who you think is the Best Transfer Portal player entering the 2025-2026 season -- and Let me know which of the Freshman you think will have the best season!