The NCAA’s deadline for college basketball players to enter the transfer portal closed on Tuesday, April 21. While not every transfer has selected their school for the 2026-27 season, many of the top players have committed to their new team.
Decisions are made by weighing roster and scheme fit, NIL considerations, relationships, location preference, and many more factors.Â
Here are the best landing spots for the top transfers.Â
Player movement: Thomas transferred from LSU to Houston
Fit with Houston: Thomas will be a part of the reload for the Cougars, who lost all three of their starting backcourt members in Kingston Fleming, Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp. He’s capable of filling those shoes as he averaged 15.3 points and 6.5 assists per game during his junior season at LSU. Offense shouldn’t be an issue for Thomas, but it will be interesting to see what an offseason with head coach Kelvin Sampson does for his defense and toughness.
Player movement: Hines transferred from Seton Hall to UConn
Fit with UConn: Hines has the potential to take one of the biggest leaps of any player in the transfer portal from his freshman to sophomore year, and he landed in a place with a coach who can unlock that ceiling. In just 18 minutes per game, Hines averaged 2.2 blocks and 5.5 rebounds with Seton Hall. So, defense isn’t a question, and will only improve in an offseason with Dan Hurley, where Hines will be expected to improve his conditioning. The one question is what Hurley can bring out of Hines, offensively.Â
Player movement: Diallo transferred from Washington to Kentucky
Fit with Kentucky: Diallo wanted to be the lead guard at his new school and found a spot that needed him to do that. He has a very similar game to that of former Kentucky guard Otega Oweh, as he attacks downhill and creates in the paint with herky jerky movements. Diallo averaged a career-high 4.5 assists per game during his sophomore season with Washington, and could certainly increase that number while powering Kentucky’s offense.
[College Basketball Transfer Portal: Ranking the Top 20 Players in the Men’s Portal]
Player movement: Estrella transferred from Tennessee to Michigan
Fit with Michigan: If you can’t beat em, join em â Estrella committed to Michigan after the Wolverines beat the Volunteers in the Elite Eight. Estrella could follow in the footsteps of elite Michigan big men. While he averaged just 10 points while starting 13 games during his junior season at Tennessee, he’s an elite offensive rebounder and a quality decision-maker in the short roll. Michigan’s Dusty May has shown he can take that baseline of skills and run with it. If anyone can develop Estrella into an elite big man, it’s the Wolverines head coach.Â
Player movement: Cyril transferred from Georgia to Miami (Fla.)
Fit with Miami (Fla.): Hurricanes coach Jai Lucas got the best out of center Malik Raneau offensively and will do the same with Somto Cyril. Cyril doesn’t have the ball-handling ability that Raneau does, but he can be a great pick-and-roll partner for Villanova transfer Acaden Lewis. He will also provide an interior defensive presence that the Hurricanes didn’t have last season.Â
Player movement: Evans transferred from Oregon to Villanova
Fit with Villanova: Evans will be an upgrade at center from Duke Brennan for the Wildcats. Brennan was solid, so that’s saying a lot about Evans. He’s versatile. He can protect the rim and guard on the perimeter on defense, and score off the dribble and in the pa
