Biggest surprise, head-scratcher and more from the transfer cycle

We've checked disconnected each large milestone of the men's assemblage hoops offseason -- the transportation portal model opened and closed, the NBA draught withdrawal deadline has passed -- and teams are afloat steam up connected preparing for the 2025-26 campaign.

Now that each of ESPN's apical 100 transfers person committed, Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf interruption down the biggest winners and losers of this year's cycle.

From the contenders that improved their rubric hopes the astir to the astir head-scratching misses and beyond, present are their picks for 7 cardinal portal categories.

Single-best subordinate addition

Jeff Borzello: Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan.

PJ Haggerty was No. 1 successful my transportation rankings -- helium was an All-American and won AAC Player of the Year honors implicit Lendeborg -- but it's hard to apical Michigan landing a morganatic first-round prime whom the Wolverines convinced to retreat from the NBA draught to articulation them successful Ann Arbor. The 6-foot-9 guardant has been 1 of the astir productive frontcourt players successful the state the past mates of years, averaging a double-double successful some seasons with UAB.

The lone drawback connected his ledger is his comparatively constricted acquisition against high-caliber competition, but Lendeborg is an immediate-impact subordinate with two-way ability, scope retired to the perimeter, passing and tribunal vision, and relentlessness connected the glass. His summation single-handedly makes Michigan 1 of the nation's apical 10 teams.

Myron Medcalf: Darrion Williams, NC State.

It is casual to hide conscionable however adjacent Florida was to missing its accidental to triumph the nationalist title. The Gators trailed Texas Tech by 10 points precocious successful the Elite Eight earlier mounting a miraculous comeback implicit the last six minutes. Walter Clayton Jr. was the champion subordinate connected the tribunal successful that game, but Williams was a adjacent second. And you could marque a beardown lawsuit that Williams (23 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) was the astir hard idiosyncratic matchup Florida faced successful the NCAA tournament.

The versatile 6-foot-6 Williams is the anchor of Will Wade's awesome recruiting people successful his archetypal play astatine NC State, giving the Wolfpack a morganatic star.

Best wide class

Medcalf: Kentucky.

Jayden Quaintance, F, Arizona State
Jaland Lowe, G, Pitt
Denzel Aberdeen, G, Florida

Kentucky and St. John's are highly adjacent successful this conversation. Both person question marks astir their apical transfers -- Kentucky's Jayden Quaintance is recovering from a torn ACL, portion St. John's is counting connected Bryce Hopkins to beryllium disposable contempt being constricted to conscionable 17 games implicit the past 2 seasons owed to injuries. But the Wildcats person a somewhat higher ceiling.

Quaintance could beryllium steadfast by the commencement of the campaign. And if he's not, Mark Pope volition bash what helium did past season: negociate a short-handed roster until Quaintance is ready. Plus, Jaland Lowe and Denzel Aberdeen should nutrient astatine a higher level. And erstwhile helium is healthy, Quaintance could beryllium an NBA lottery pick.

Borzello: St. John's.

Bryce Hopkins, F, Providence
Ian Jackson, G, North Carolina
Joson Sanon, G, Arizona State
Oziyah Sellers, G, Stanford
Dillon Mitchell, F, Cincinnati
Dylan Darling, G, Idaho State
Handje Tamba, C, Milligan University

St. John's gets the flimsy borderline implicit Kentucky for me. The Red Storm had an unthinkable run successful Year 2 of the Rick Pitino era, winning the Big East regular-season and tourney championships. But determination was a glaring contented that ended up haunting them successful their second-round nonaccomplishment to Arkansas: perimeter shooting. The Johnnies went retired and addressed that successful the portal -- Ian Jackson changeable 39.5% from 3 arsenic a freshman astatine Carolina; Joson Sanon made 36.9% astatine Arizona State; Oziyah Sellers made much than 40% successful each of his past 2 seasons; and Dylan Darling made astir 36% of his five-plus attempts per crippled astatine Idaho State. Both Jackson and Sanon are susceptible of getting their ain changeable consistently, too.

Then there's Bryce Hopkins, a erstwhile first-team All-Big East enactment who should beryllium 1 of the champion players successful the league if he's afloat healthy. And Dillon Mitchell brings antiaircraft versatility, which undoubtedly appeals to Pitino.

National rubric contender that improved its chances the most

Borzello: Florida.

The Gators went from losing the full perimeter rotation from their nationalist title roster to having a morganatic accidental of going back-to-back. All it took was a hint of bully luck toward the extremity of the spring.

Out the doorway went Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin, Will Richard and Denzel Aberdeen. And though Florida bushed retired St. John's for Princeton transportation Xaivian Lee, a two-time All-Ivy selection, the Gators inactive needed much connected the perimeter successful a marketplace that was rapidly dying up. Enter Boogie Fland, who entered the transportation portal conscionable up of the deadline, past yet withdrew from the NBA draught earlier committing to the Gators.

Lee and Fland should signifier 1 of the country's astir dynamic backcourts, which combined with a loaded returning frontcourt puts Florida backmost successful the speech for preseason No. 1.

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Xaivian Lee's apical plays of the 2024-25 season

Check retired Xaivian Lee's apical plays of the 2024-25 play arsenic the Princeton standout transfers to the University of Florida.

Medcalf: BYU.

For the past 2 months of the 2024-25 season, BYU had the champion discourtesy successful the country, an plus that helped the programme scope the 2nd play of the NCAA tourney for the archetypal clip successful 14 years. The apical scorer from that group, Richie Saunders, returns. And present AJ Dybantsa, the projected No. 1 prime successful the 2026 NBA draft, arrives successful Provo, Utah. But Kevin Young answered the biggest question facing the programme -- who volition tally constituent -- erstwhile helium signed Robert Wright III (Baylor). Kennard Davis, a high-level scorer from Southern Illinois, besides helps.

Young's squad is amended astatine astir each spot a play aft its Sweet 16 run. These additions could crook the Cougars into a Final Four team.

Team that went from beneath to supra .500 with its portal additions

Medcalf: Kansas State.

Jerome Tang's challenges with 1 of America's astir costly rosters highlighted the greater challenges of the transportation portal era: Identifying and recruiting elite players is conscionable the archetypal step, but chemistry is the astir important constituent -- and Kansas State didn't person it past season.

The Wildcats were ne'er successful sync connected the court, but if Tang tin lick that, All-American defender PJ Haggerty should assistance hole what ailed the programme a play ago. Kansas State's lackluster discourtesy failed to consistently get to the escaped propulsion line, link connected shots from the perimeter and play with poise. But Haggerty did each of that and much for Memphis. And mid-major transfers Abdi Bashir Jr. and Nate Johnson are potent scorers, too.

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PJ Haggerty knocks down the 3-pointer

PJ Haggerty knocks down the 3-pointer

Borzello: NC State.

When NC State hired Will Wade to regenerate Kevin Keatts aft a disappointing 12-19 campaign, determination was an anticipation that an influx of endowment would follow. That played retired this spring, with the Wolfpack taking immoderate large swings -- and yet hitting a location tally heavy into the rhythm erstwhile they landed erstwhile Texas Tech guardant Darrion Williams, who was among the champion players available. Williams was the marquee summation to a radical that includes high-major names Tre Holloman (Michigan State), Ven-Allen Lubin (North Carolina), Terrance Arceneaux (Houston) and Jerry Deng (Florida State), arsenic good arsenic Quadir Copeland and Alyn Breed, who suited up for Wade astatine McNeese.

Wade won 58 games successful 2 seasons astatine McNeese with rosters helium mostly built via the transportation portal. He'll look to travel that aforesaid look successful Raleigh.

Team that wounded its outlook by not doing enough

Borzello: Ole Miss.

Given however overmuch occurrence Chris Beard has had with transfers -- his clip successful the juco ranks, overhauling Little Rock, rebuilding Texas Tech and going to the Sweet 16 past play with six transfers successful his apical 7 -- I expected the Rebels to beryllium much progressive successful the heavy extremity of the portal. They instrumentality conscionable 1 of their apical 8 scorers from past season, and High Point's Kezza Giffa is the lone incoming transportation who averaged much than 7.1 points successful 2024-25. There were links to the likes of PJ Haggerty, Desmond Claude, Pop Isaacs, Mackenzie Mgbako and others, but nary came to fruition.

There's inactive a competitory squad here, of course. The Rebels did onshore McDonald's All-American Niko Bundalo and highly touted planetary defender Ilias Kamardine. Plus, the accidental AJ Storr returns to his All-Big Ten signifier of 2 years agone made him worthy signing. But I expected a mates much large swings successful the portal, particularly connected the perimeter.

Medcalf: Kansas.

Last play was a catastrophe for Bill Self, who landed immoderate of the apical transfers successful the portal but couldn't stitch the radical together. He erstwhile again brings successful high-caliber endowment with Darryn Peterson, a five-star enlistee and the imaginable No. 1 prime successful 2026, to spell with Illinois transportation Tre White, who should assistance fortify 1 of the country's apical backcourts. But the deficiency of acquisition successful the overgarment is simply a existent interest for Kansas.

While Flory Bidunga is acceptable for a starring relation aft playing down Hunter Dickinson past season, different experienced large oregon 2 would person improved the Jayhawks' outlook. Bidunga volition person to grip his caller relation for them to scope their goals.

Biggest surprise

Medcalf: NC State.

Will Wade hasn't had a sub-.500 play since becoming a caput manager successful 2013. And helium won 28 games past play and led McNeese State to the 2nd circular of the NCAA tournament, truthful it's not astonishing that helium made an contiguous splash astatine NC State. But it is astonishing that helium corralled a people that should vie for a spot successful the preseason apical 25 aft winning lone 12 games past season.

Darrion Williams was a prima successful the NCAA tourney and is present the gem of Wade's archetypal transportation people successful Raleigh. Every apical squad successful America coveted Williams, who astir led Texas Tech to an Elite Eight triumph implicit eventual champion Florida. But Wade got Williams, Tre Holloman (Michigan State) and Ven-Allen Lubin (North Carolina) arsenic helium aims to accelerate his rebuilding effort with the Wolfpack.

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Will Wade: NC State volition get 'best mentation of me'

Will Wade makes his introductory code arsenic NC State's caller hoops manager and says he'll crook the Wolfpack into a accordant winner.

Borzello: Oklahoma.

I was going to prime Iowa, but it shouldn't beryllium a astonishment erstwhile a caller manager has to spell portal-heavy successful his archetypal twelvemonth with a programme -- particularly erstwhile 1 of Ben McCollum's signees played nether him astatine his past 2 stops. So I'll spell with the Sooners successful what should beryllium a pivotal play for Porter Moser.

Moser intelligibly recruited with the stakes successful mind, getting 4 ready-made interaction transfers who shouldn't request immoderate clip adapting to high-level assemblage basketball. Nijel Pack has started 121 powerfulness league games astatine Kansas State and Miami, Tae Davis took a immense measurement guardant astatine Notre Dame past season, Alabama transportation Derrion Reid was a five-star enlistee conscionable 12 months ago, and Saint Joseph's transportation Xzayvier Brown was a first-team All-Atlantic 10 enactment with a slew of big-time scoring performances connected his résumé.

Perhaps Oklahoma should person besides procured a halfway to circular retired the starting five, but this quartet should beryllium acceptable to play close away.

Biggest head-scratcher

Borzello: Missouri's perimeter group.

Missouri had 1 of the champion offenses successful the state past season, ranking successful the apical 10 nationally successful violative ratio astatine KenPom. At the bosom of it was an ultra-aggressive squad that excelled astatine getting to the escaped propulsion enactment and balanced it retired arsenic 1 of the champion 3-point shooting teams successful the SEC.

The Tigers bring backmost their 2 highest-volume escaped propulsion shooters but suffer 3 40% 3-point shooters successful Caleb Grill, Tamar Bates and Marques Warrick. Dennis Gates' biggest summation was UCLA transportation Sebastian Mack, who gets to the escaped propulsion enactment often but has conscionable 48 made 3-pointers successful 66 games. Given its roster construction, Missouri is apt going to trot retired ultra-big lineups, but its deficiency of shooting is simply a interest that efficaciously went unaddressed successful the portal.

There's endowment connected this roster, but I question however each the players fit. In fairness, determination were questions past play and the Tigers went from 0-18 successful the SEC to a 6-seed successful the NCAA tournament, truthful determination should beryllium immoderate level of spot successful Gates to fig it out.

Medcalf: Memphis' frontcourt.

The portal presented a fig of shocking decisions, nary greater than PJ Haggerty's determination to Kansas State. Penny Hardaway can't regenerate an All-American with Wooden Award aspirations successful 2025-26, though helium did adhd Dug McDaniel and different beardown guards to solidify his backcourt.

Hardaway is an adept astatine molding guards to acceptable his system, but his strategy besides demands the beingness of active, bouncy and explosive large men. This roster does not look to person that.

Even though Memphis has ever been molded successful the representation of its apical guards nether Hardaway, helium has relied connected his frontcourt to springiness those perimeter players a accidental to shine. His teams person finished successful the apical 50 successful violative rebounding complaint successful 5 of his 7 seasons astatine Memphis. Those players were besides the astir important components of the Tigers' antiaircraft presence. Memphis plays accelerated and lets its guards instrumentality power -- but that works lone with elite frontcourt talent. The Tigers volition request their caller additions to marque speedy strides.