NIL
Top 10 college basketball team winners after 2025 transfer portal deadline
The clock struck midnight on April 22, meaning the transfer portal window is all but officially closed. While commitments are far from over and many rosters across NCAA basketball are still plucking away to fill their holes and needs, it’s not a matter of if or when a player enters the portal, it’s simply a matter of where they will land. A deep breath from […]
The clock struck midnight on April 22, meaning the transfer portal window is all but officially closed. While commitments are far from over and many rosters across NCAA basketball are still plucking away to fill their holes and needs, it’s not a matter of if or when a player enters the portal, it’s simply a matter of where they will land. A deep breath from head coaches from all over the country, right?
With the transfer portal deadline closed, let’s take a look at 10 schools that won the 30-day portal sprint.
HM: Creighton BlueJays
The Iowa factory — Owen Freeman and Josh Dix — will keep the Blue Jays competitive in 2025-26. Point guard Nik Graves (17.3 PPG at Charlotte) will assume lead guard duties. Add in former four-star SG Austin Swartz (Miami) rounds out a quality transfer portal class for Greg McDermott & Co.
HM: Oklahoma Sooners
While losing Duke Miles to inter-conference rival Texas A&M certainly hurt, Porter Moser has quietly assembled a quality transfer portal trio with Xzayvier Brown (St. Joe’s), Nijel Pack (Miami), and Tae Davis (Notre Dame) en route to Norman. There’s some serious scoring pop here to build off last year’s NCAA Tournament apperance.
HM: UNLV Runnin’ Rebels
Josh Pastner is back in college basketball as is making an immediate impact in Las Vegas. The upside for the 2025-26 Runnin’ Rebels is evident: Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (Illinois), Emmanuel Stephen (Arizona), Naas Cunningham (Alabama), Al Green (Louisiana Tech) and Ladji Dembele (Iowa) enter the fold.
10. LSU Tigers
After a disastrous 2024-25 campaign, Matt McMahon and the LSU Tigers are quietly among the biggest winners in the 2025 transfer portal. Last season, LSU was among the lowest NIL spenders in the SEC. A report in February indicated that will no longer be the case — and this year’s transfer portal class proves that.
Bottom line: this group is a whole lot of stat-stuffers. Dedan Thomas (UNLV) averaged 15.6 PPG and nearly five APG last season. Northeastern’s Rashad King averaged 18.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.3 APG. Omaha’s Marquel Sutton — the 2024-25 Summit League POY — averaged 18.9 PPG and 7.9 RPG on a team that won 22 games and went to the NCAA Tournament. And that’s not all: Max Mackinnon shot 41% from three at Portland Michael Nwoko (Mississippi State) brings a big body to the floor after starting in 32 of 34 games for the Bulldogs last season.
Don’t expect another 3-15 finish in the SEC this season for the LSU Tigers.
9. Texas Tech Red Raiders
While Texas Tech’s transfer portal class at the deadline may not scream top-10-worthy, retaining one of the best players in the country, JT Toppin, warrants inclusion on this list.
Toppin, the double-double machine, was projected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. He decided to forgo the Draft entirely, signing a $4 million NIL deal to return to the Red Raiders. Retaining an All-American means one thing for Grant McCasland: That’s one less hole that needed to be filled this offseason.
But the Red Raiders weren’t so quiet in the transfer portal, either. LeJuan Watts (Washington State), ultra-efficient three-point shooter Tyeree Bryan (Santa Clara) and UNC Greensboro’s Donovan Atwell headline this year’s transfer portal class heading to Lubbock, helping raise Texas Tech’s ceiling to a consensus way-too-early preseason top-five team in the country.
8. Auburn Tigers
While Auburn will unquestionably boast a new look next season coming off the heels of their second-ever Final Four appearance, there’s plenty to like with this year’s transfer portal class, making the Tigers among the biggest winners after the transfer portal deadline.
Bruce Pearl will welcome Kevin Overton (7.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG at Texas Tech), ultra-physical KeShawn Murphy (11.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG at Mississippi State), high-flying scorer Keyshawn Hall (18.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG at UCF) and NCAA Division II star Elyjah Freeman (Lincoln Memorial), who averaged 18.9 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 2.3 APG. According to Auburn athletics, Freeman shot 45.6% from three and 58.7% from the field, ranking 25th nationally.
While losing the infectious energy piece Chad Baker-Mazara takes a hit on the Tigers’ overall rank, pairing these transfer portal additions alongside the electrifying Tahaad Pettiford immediately injects Auburn into a sure-fire preseason top 25team next season.
7. Iowa Hawkeyes
I went in-depth with Iowa’s transfer portal class last week, detailing every single newcomer as well as touching on Ben McCollum’s unique ball-screen, pick-and-roll heavy offense (Hint: that offense should bode well with this year’s transfer portal class.) You can view the full article here.
It’s a complete overhaul in Iowa City, literally and stylistically. But the Hawkeyes have put together a strong transfer portal class at the deadline, bringing over three-point sharpshooter Brendan Hausen (Kansas State), the highly-coveted Alvaro Folgueiras (Robert Morris) and mid-major sensation Bennett Stirtz (Drake), alongside a plethora of other Drake players.
While Iowa (basically) lost its entire team from last year, it’s not like many of the transfer portal additions have not played together before, which is crucial in year one from Ben McCollum. Fun fact: McCollum has been a head coach for 16 years. He has yet to lose 100 games. The Hawkeyes are not only big-time winners in the transfer portal but also in the coaching carousel, too.
6. Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns are quietly among the biggest winners after the transfer portal deadline.
As Trilly Donovan infamously quotes: sometimes the best gets are the ones you already got. That’s been the case for first-year HC Sean Miller, who retained Chendall Weaver, Tramon Mark, Nic Codie and Jordan Pope off of last year’sLonghorn squad — all of whom will be instrumental in Sean Miller’s year one transition in Austin.
While the returnees speak for themselves, Sean Miller has put together a high-quality transfer portal class. Lassina Traore looks to get healthy after averaging a double-double at Long Beach State in 2023-24. Seven-footer Matas Vokietaitis averaged 10.2 PPG and 5.4 RPG as a freshman at Florida Atlantic last season (The next Vlad Goldin?!). Cam Heide (Purdue) joins the mix in Austin. Dailyn Swain took a impressive sophomore-year jump at Xavier last season. Adding another sophomore-year breakout player Simeon Wilcher (St. John’s) is just the icing on the cake.
5. Kentucky Wildcats
Armed with among the highest NIL budgets in NCAA Basketball, Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats wasted zero time to put together an immensely talented transfer portal class.
Last year, Kentucky’s defense wasn’t its calling card. While it wasn’t bad, it wasn’t cream-of-the-crop, either (mainly due to injuries throughout the season). The Wildcats revamped their frontcourt with defensive versatility, adding Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama) and Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State). While it’s unknown (yet) if Quaintance will be available by November after suffering an ACL injury, the defensive upside is evident — and is precisely what Kentucky needs in year two of the Mark Pope era.
In addition, the Wildcats added Denzel Aberdeen (Florida), pick-and-roll and ball-screen finesser Jaland Lowe (Pitt) and Kam Williams (Tulane) to the roster, making Kentucky’s perimeter among the more polarizing units in NCAA basketball next season.
4. Indiana Hoosiers:
The Indiana Hoosiers are winners after the transfer portal deadline not because of losing the entirety of its roster, but howtheir transfer portal pieces fit positionally.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better portal class that simply “fits” positionally via @IndianaMBB.
– Conwerway: lead PG
– Wilkerson: sharpshooter SG.
– Miles: adds length, rebounding prowess at SG/SF.
– DeVries: lengthy range
– Bailey: Efficient, rim-running stretch big.— Cole Amundson (@playformarch) April 18, 2025
First-year HC Darian DeVries has been nothing short of active in the transfer portal, landing a plethora of highly-coveted, high-scoring pieces. Lamar Wilkerson was a 20 PPG player at Sam Houston. Reed Bailey was among the top players in the A10 last season, averaging 18.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 3.8 APG at Davidson last year. Do-it-all guard Tayton Conerway was a defensive menace, averaging nearly three steals per game last season in addition to 14.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 4.8 APG.
And this isn’t even including Tucker DeVries, who showed can be a superb scorer at the high-major level in just eight games last season at West Virginia before an injury in addition to lengthy guard Jasai Miles, who averaged 15.4 PPG and 6.8 RPG last season at North Florida. Rounding out the transfer portal class is Jason Drake (Drexel) as well as facilitating first guard Conor Enright (DePaul).
3. Louisville Cardinals
Pat Kelsey went to work early in the transfer portal cycle, landing a trio of pieces that will make an immediate impact at Louisville next season, making the Cardinals among the biggest winners after the transfer portal deadline.
Entering the fold is Xavier’s Ryan Conwell, who averaged 16.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 2.5 APG last season. Adrian Wooley,as just a freshman last season, put up staggering numbers at Kennesaw State: 18.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.6 APG. The 6-foot-5 guard shot 42% from three. Add in three-point sharpshooter Isaac McKneely (Virginia), who also shot 42% from three and suddenly, the Cardinals are looking like a preseason top-five team in the country with the return of J’Vonne Hadley and the addition of five-star PG Mikel Brown Jr.
2. Michigan Wolverines
Dusty May must have a knack for assembling terrorizing frontcourts because that’s exactly what will transpire next season in Ann Arbor.
After losing its frontcourt duo Danny Wolf (NBA Draft) and Vlad Goldin off a team that won a Big Ten Tournament Championship and reached the Sweet 16 last season, Dusty May wasted no time in assembling its next frontcourt duo.
The Wolverines will welcome 7-foot-3 big Aday Mara (UCLA), Morez Johnson (Illinois) Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB) — among the top players from the transfer portal — to round out its frontcourt. Recently, Jeff Goodman reported that Lendeborg is leaning toward staying in the draft. It’s unknown whether he will dot the blue, yellow and white just yet.
Even without Lendeborg, the Wolverines’ frontcourt remains just as polarizing. As just a freshman last year, Morez Johnson showed his physicality around the rim, positioning him for a monster sophomore year jump. Aday Mara, marred by inconsistent playing time, showed flashes of brilliance at UCLA, including a 22-point outing over Wisconsin in January.
The Wolverines will also welcome Elliot Cadeau in the backcourt, who averaged 9.4 PPG and 6.2 APG for North Carolina last season. If Cadeau can hone in on his consistency from behind the arc and Lendeborg opts to forgo the NBA Draft, perhaps the Wolverines should be even higher on this list (which is No. 1, of course). But time will tell.
1. St. John’s Red Storm
The St. John’s Red Storm crown the top spot as the biggest transfer portal winners after the deadline, welcoming in the top-ranked transfer portal class in the country according to 24/7 Sports. Incoming to Queens include Dillon Mitchell (Cincinnati), Ian Jackson (North Carolina), Oziyah Seller (Stanford), Joson Sanon (Arizona State) and Bryce Hopkins (Providence).
With Zuby Ejiofor anchored in the frontcourt, there are many ways for Pitino to put the pieces of the transfer portal puzzle together. Former five-star recruit Dillon Mitchell is among the more athletic, fluid forwards/bigs in college basketball. IanJackson showed at times he can light up the scoreboard. Will he move over to PG? He likely will. Oziyah Sellers is a true combo guard after taking a big-time junior-year jump at Stanford. Joson Sanon is a name to watch in the 2026 NBA Draft. Bryce Hopkins, despite being riddled with injuries at Providence, looks to get healthy and be a veteran leader on the team. He averaged 17.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG and 3.0 APG in just three games last season.
Losing RJ Luis, Vincent Iwuchukwu and Simeon Wilcher understandably put a dent into St. John’s dazzling offseason but the pieces Rick Pitino has assembled is too hard to ignore. The Red Storm are the biggest winner in the transfer portal so far and look the part to be a preseason top-five team in the country next season.
NIL
Trump and Coach Saban have the right game plan to save college sports » Coach Tommy Tuberville
“Regardless of which path Trump chooses to address the current state of college sports, I’m confident that his administration — which has already proven to be both effective and unafraid to shake up the status quo — can make meaningful reforms to make sure college sports remain intact.” WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) penned an op-ed […]
“Regardless of which path Trump chooses to address the current state of college sports, I’m confident that his administration — which has already proven to be both effective and unafraid to shake up the status quo — can make meaningful reforms to make sure college sports remain intact.”
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) penned an op-ed in Fox about the current state of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) and college sports amidst the everchanging NIL landscape. In the piece, Sen. Tuberville addresses the growing problems college athletes are facing with the pay-for-play environment making it nearly impossible for Olympic sports and female athletics to survive. The current “patchwork” of laws has created an uneven playing field that President Trump and Congress are well-positioned to address in the near future. Sen. Tuberville currently serves as the Chairman of the HELP Subcommittee on Education and the American Family.
Read excerpts from Sen. Tuberville’s op-ed below or the full piece here.
“As a former college football coach for 40 years, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of college sports in shaping young lives. From the locker room to the classroom, athletics instill discipline, teamwork and resilience — values that extend far beyond the field. But ever since the Supreme Court ruled that college athletes can be compensated for the use of their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), college sports have been in a tailspin.
While I’m all for players making money, we need to create national standards to protect the integrity of college sports. Because there are no national rules for NIL contracts, every state has passed its own laws. This patchwork of laws has created an uneven playing field and given some universities advantages over their competitors.
We now have pay-to-play as bidding wars for recruits are starting in middle and high school. This is not to mention the transfer portal, which has become a revolving door with student-athletes jumping from school to school in pursuit of more money.
[…]
Regardless of which path Trump chooses to address the current state of college sports, I’m confident that his administration — which has already proven to be both effective and unafraid to shake up the status quo — can make meaningful reforms to make sure college sports remain intact.
Meanwhile, I’ll continue to work with my colleagues to hopefully draft legislation that could pass both chambers. The challenges facing college sports today are formidable, but not insurmountable. With President Trump’s leadership and a unified approach, we can navigate this new era while preserving the integrity and spirit of collegiate athletics.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.
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NIL
OSU announces coaching change – Oklahoma State University Athletics
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State University Director of Athletics Chad Weiberg has announced that Cowgirl golf coach Greg Robertson will not return next season. “We appreciate Greg’s service over the past six years and wish him well in the future,” Weiberg said. Annie Young will serve as interim head coach. A national search for […]
“We appreciate Greg’s service over the past six years and wish him well in the future,” Weiberg said.
Annie Young will serve as interim head coach. A national search for the next head coach will begin immediately.
NIL
Will the series with Notre Dame continue for the Trojans?
Introducing… Aubrey O’Day Diddy’s former protege, television personality, platinum selling music artist, Danity Kane alum Aubrey O’Day joins veteran journalists Amy Robach and TJ Holmes to provide a unique perspective on the trial that has captivated the attention of the nation. Join them throughout the trial as they discuss, debate, and dissect every detail, every […]
Introducing… Aubrey O’Day
Diddy’s former protege, television personality, platinum selling music artist, Danity Kane alum Aubrey O’Day joins veteran journalists Amy Robach and TJ Holmes to provide a unique perspective on the trial that has captivated the attention of the nation.
Join them throughout the trial as they discuss, debate, and dissect every detail, every aspect of the proceedings.
Aubrey will offer her opinions and expertise, as only she is qualified to do given her first-hand knowledge.
From her days on Making the Band, as she emerged as the breakout star, the truth of the situation would be the opposite of the glitz and glamour.
Listen throughout every minute of the trial, for this exclusive coverage.
Amy Robach and TJ Holmes present Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial, an iHeartRadio podcast.
NIL
Geno Auriemma, UConn Land Elite Transfer Portal Guard From Rival USC Trojans
The USC Trojans women’s basketball team lost a couple of players through the NCAA Transfer Portal including guard Kayleigh Heckel. Heckel spent one season with the Women of Troy before announcing her intentions to enter the portal on April 3. Heckel was one of the top available guards in the transfer portal after earning extended […]
The USC Trojans women’s basketball team lost a couple of players through the NCAA Transfer Portal including guard Kayleigh Heckel. Heckel spent one season with the Women of Troy before announcing her intentions to enter the portal on April 3.
Heckel was one of the top available guards in the transfer portal after earning extended minutes in the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament. Heckel posted on her Instagram on May 20 that she will be transferring to the UConn Huskies.
“K9 by name, husky by nature. see you in storrs! Go huskiesss,” Heckel wrote.
The UConn Huskies knocked out the USC Trojans in the Elite 8 of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, 78-64. It was the second year in a row the Huskies knocked the Trojans out of the tournament in the same round. UConn went on to win the tournament.
The UConn Huskies lost star guard Paige Bueckers, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft. Forward Sarah Strong just completed her freshman season, already on a path to being a top college basketball player. UConn is looking to win back-to-back championships, and Heckel is set to be a part of that team.
Coming out of high school, Heckel was a five-star recruit who committed to the USC Trojans. Throughout her freshman season, Heckel continued to develop as a player, averaging 16.9 minutes with 6.1 points. She also averaged 1.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.3 steals.
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With USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins set to miss time, though it is still unknown exact timetable, Heckel could have competed for a starting role with the Women of Troy but ultimately chose to enter the portal. Heckel chose the UConn Huskies over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
While Heckel may begin as a depth piece for the UConn Huskies, she will be led by coach Geno Auriemma, a 12-time national champion-winning head coach. Heckel will be on a squad looking to compete for another national title.
The USC women’s basketball team is heading into a season with a new starting five. With Watkins recovering from her ACL tear, center Rayah Marshall and forward Kiki Iriafen in the WNBA, USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb and the staff have their work cut out for them.
Guard Kennedy Smith will be returning which is a positive for the Trojans. Smith finished the season averaging 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.2 steals. The USC guard is entering just her sophomore season. Guard Malia Samuels only had one start in the 2024-2025 season but earned more minutes as the season progressed.
Through the Transfer Portal, the Women of Troy acquired guard Kara Dunn, from the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Dunn led Georgia Tech in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per game, and averaged 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.1 blocks. The Trojans also acquired former Washington State forward Dayana Mendes. The forward averaged 8.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game last season.
USC will have a standout incoming freshman next season, with five-star recruit Jazzy Davidson joining the team. While the USC team may look different next season, the Women of Troy will be just as competitive, and look to take the next step in the NCAA Tournament.
NIL
Vols' Zakai Zeigler sues for fifth year of eligibility, citing NIL pay
Field Level Media May 21, 2025 at 2:42 PM Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler (5) during Senior Day presentations after a men’s college basketball game between Tennessee and South Carolina at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler is suing […]
Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler is suing the NCAA for another year of eligibility, claiming he could lose up to $4 million in NIL money if he isn’t allowed to play in 2025-26.
Zeigler’s lawsuit requests a preliminary injunction allowing him to play a fifth season and arguing he will suffer irreparable harm without immediate relief, with schools currently finalizing rosters and settling NIL deals.
According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Zeigler’s lawsuit challenges the NCAA’s redshirt rule in which players are allowed to play a fifth year if they sit out a year of competition.
Zeigler played four consecutive seasons for the Volunteers from 2021-22 through 2024-25. He argues that he should get be allowed a fifth year of eligibility and its earning potential instead of being punished for not taking a redshirt year, per the News Sentinel.
“All NCAA athletes should be eligible to compete and earn NIL compensation during each year of the five-year window — not just those selected to redshirt,” the court filings state.
Zeigler filed his suit in the Eastern District of Tennessee. In it, he claims he could make between $2 million and $4 million in name, image and likeness money in 2025-26 after making $500,000 in 2024-25.
The lawsuit calls a fifth year “the most lucrative year of the eligibility window for the vast majority of athletes.”
Zeigler set the Tennessee career records for assists (747) and steals (251). The three-time All-SEC pick and two-time league defensive player of the year averaged 11.3 points, 5.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 138 career games (83 starts).
He graduated this month from Tenneseee and plans to pursue a graduate degree.
–Field Level Media
(via @joshua_iyalla/IG)
