FAU star guard Johnell Davis announced Tuesday night that he is entering the transfer portal and declaring for the 2024
NBA Draft. Davis played four seasons for the Owls and broke out during FAU's run to the 2023 Final Four. The 6-foot-4 guard is now the No. 1 ranked transfer after upping his productivity this past season while earning AAC Player of the Year honors. Davis' decision to enter the portal and the draft comes amid coach Dusty May's departure for the Michigan
Job. Several other FAU players have also entered the portal, including star center Vladislav Goldin, who is also among CBS Sports' top 10 transferring players of the 2024 portal cycle. FAU introduced former Baylor and Gonzaga assistant John Jakus as its new coach last week. "I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to play at FAU and for the incredible people I've met here," Davis wrote in an "These past four years have been full of incredible lessons and memories that I will cherish forever. To the coaching staff, thank your for your support and building this culture that will never be forgotten. To Owl Nation, thank you for always cheering us on and having our back. You guys made the Elly one of the best arenas in the nation. To my teammates, what we built together is something I'll always remember. Lastly, to my family, thank you for the unconditional support. I love you!" The spring portal window opened on March 18 and will remain open until May 1. However, players who have entered the portal by then don't face a firm deadline on when they must commit. Additionally, graduate transfers and players impacted by coaching changes that occur after May 1 will be able to transfer after the deadline. Players who have also entered the NBA Draft will have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern on May 29 to withdraw if they wish to return to college for the 2024-25 season. As players enter the portal, we will rank the best of them here. The rankings will be updated regularly as players either enter the portal or announce their intentions to enter the portal. FAU Davis played a key role in taking FAU to the 2023 Final Four and built on his breakout season by upping his scoring average to 18.2 points in 2023-24. The 6-foot-4 guard hit 41.4% of his 3-pointers, pulled down 6.3 rebounds and averaged 1.4 steals for the Owls in his fourth season of college
basketball. He's only got one season left to play and is also testing the NBA Draft waters. | West
Virginia DeVries won Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year twice during three seasons while playing for his father, Darian DeVries. The 6-foot-7 wing averaged 21.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in 2023-24. He's a career 35.9% 3-point shooter and dynamic offensive threat. DeVries is following his father, who accepted the job. | Kansas Mayo earned Summit League Player of the Year after averaging 18.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists for a South Dakota State team that won the conference. He's a career 38.8% 3-point shooter and scored 19 points on just 11 shots against Iowa State's vicious defense in an NCAA Tournament loss. There is a strong recent track record of Summit League Players of the Year transferring up. Max Abmas was the leading scorer for
Texas this season after winning the award twice in his career at Oral Roberts. has also been a star at the past two seasons after winning Summit League POTY at SDSU in 2022. Wisconsin Storr provided a significant jolt of offense for Wisconsin in the 2023-24 season, averaging 16.8 points. The 6-foot-6 wing is a multi-level scorer with the size needed to finish in the paint and around the rim. If surrounded with other dynamic playmakers who can share the offensive burden, it should allow Storr increase his efficiency after he shot 43.4% from the floor for the Badgers. FAU Goldin averaged 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game on an insanely efficient 67.3%
shooting from the floor for FAU in 2023-24. The 7-foot-1
Russian is a rugged and seasoned veteran who impacts both ends of the floor but is a particularly strong asset on offense, despite the fact that he's never attempted a 3-pointer. Entering the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Omoruyi's 93 blocks ranked fourth nationally. The 6-foot-11 center is an elite rim protector with consecutive Big Ten All-Defense honors. Omoruyi also averaged double figures in each of the last three seasons and posted 29 double-doubles in his four years with Rutgers. He can't do much away from the rim offensively but is excellent defensively. Porter ranked as a top-100 prospect in the Class of 2022 and earned honorable mention All-WCC honors this season while averaging 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and one block per game. The 6-foot-11 younger brother of Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr. is a career 32.5% 3-point shooter and could get high-major interest because of his size, pedigree and flashes of perimeter shooting. Wake Forest Miller averaged 15.6 points, 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals while starting all 35 games for Wake Forest in 2023-24. The 6-foot guard is a career 36.5% 3-point shooter and hit 84.5% of his free throws for the Demon Deacons. He's been prone to turnovers but is an offensive spark plug with a proven body of work in a major conference. Perkins averaged 14 points, 4.6 assists and 1.6 steals while starting all 34 games for Iowa as a senior. Following 126 career appearances for the Hawkeyes, he should make a significant impact at his next destination. Though just a career 31.7% 3-point shooter, Perkins is a physical guard at 6-foot-4 who can attack the basket. He also rated as Iowa's top defender in the 2023-24 season, per . | Ohio State Johnson wasn't necessarily South Carolina's best all-around player. But the 6-foot-2 guard did lead the Gamecocks in scoring at 14.1 points per game in 2023-24 during his second season in the program. Johnson began his career at and will have one season of eligibility remaining as he returns to his home state to finish out his career with the Buckeyes. Dubar is a 6-foot-6 wing who averaged 17.8 points and 6.8 rebounds on 39.9% 3-point shooting for a 20-win Hofstra team. He began his career at , starting seven games for the Cyclones in 2020-21. As a fifth-year player with a proven shot and good size, he'll have opportunities to return to a major conference. guard is a recent example of a quality high-major player to come through Hofstra. Stanford Raynaud was named the Pac-12's most improved player after nearly doubling his scoring average to 15.5 points per game as a junior. The seven-footer collected 9.6 rebounds per game and hit 36.1% of his 3-pointers on 61 attempts. The drawback is how limited he is defensively for a player of his size (0.8 blocks per game in 29.1 minutes). Freeman was a busy man the past two years at Milwaukee, leading a pair of 20-win teams in scoring. In 2023-24, he also led the Panthers in rebounds (6.6), assists (4.1) and steals (1.1). At 6-foot-6, he's both a good solo shot creator and can facilitate for others His results against high-major opposition were mixed in a limited sample size over the past two years, but Freeman is definitely someone who can help a good team. Johnson stood out as an elite defender for USC, collecting 2.2 steals per game and rating as one of the top players on that side of the ball in the Pac-12. The 6-foot-5 wing also scored 10.9 points per game in 2023-24. Though just a career 32.9% 3-point shooter, Johnson has some chops as a distributor and will be a plug-and-play veteran at his next stop. Belmont Tyson is a career 44.6% 3-point shooter on 287 attempts over two seasons with Belmont. At 6-foot-7 with a demonstrated outside stroke, he could be an impact player for a high-major program. How Tyson will translate defensively to a higher level is likely the biggest question mark here. Garrison showed glimpses of why he was a top-50 prospect and McDonald's All-American in the Class of 2023 during his freshman season at Oklahoma State. There are offensive strides to be made, but Garrison blocked 1.5 shots per game in just 22.7 minutes and has three seasons of eligibility remaining to continue realizing his potential. Vanderbilt Lawrence is a 6-foot-4 guard with 105 career appearances for an SEC program under his belt. Though just a career 28.7% 3-point shooter, he's a good defender and averaged better than 13 points per game the past two seasons. He is the type of seasoned veteran with a track record of production who could provide reliable minutes for a good high-major program. Blackmon turned heads nationally with his 43-point outburst in the ASUN Tournament title game. The 6-foot-3 guard hit 38.1% of his 3-pointers on 8.3 attempts per game in the 2023-24 season and is a career 90.6% free-throw shooter. The Indiana native has only one season of eligibility remaining but has proven himself worthy of a shot to shine on the sport's big stage. Saint Louis Shooters like Jimerson don't come around often. The 6-foot-5 wing hit 39.5% of his 789 long-range attempts over five seasons for Saint Louis. He's got one season left to play and should be heavily pursued after demonstrating one of college basketball's most consistent outside strokes in an unparalleled sample size. | Crews shot 41.4% from 3-point range on 6.7 attempts per game as a junior for a UT Martin team that won a share of the OVC regular-season title. He also yanked down 8.2 rebounds per game for the Skyhawks. There are questions about his defense, but at 6-7 and with a good shooting stroke, he is big pickup for Missouri. The Tigers are coming off a winless SEC campaign and need help. McDaniel averaged 16.3 points and 4.7 assists while shooting 36.8% from 3-point range on 5.8 attempts for a bad Michigan team. The 5-11 guard also rated as the Wolverines' top defender, per evanmiya.com. Although his offensive numbers dipped against Big Ten foes, the former four-star prospect will help a team needing to upgrade its guard play. Mack's efficiency dipped down the stretch, but it was still a phenomenal freshman season for the 6-foot-1 guard, who averaged 17.2 points and 4.8 assists per game. The Ivy League Rookie of the Year finished with 18 points and six assists at and scored 27 at during the first month of his college career. It was an impressive peek at what he's capable of against high-major opposition.
Washington State defeated
cancer and helped lead Washington State to its first NCAA Tournament since 2008. With coach Kyle Smith off to Stanford, it was no surprise to see Rice hit the portal. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 14.8 points, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals for the Cougars and should have three seasons of eligibility remaining. He needs to improve his 3-point shot (27.5% on 3.7 attempts per game) and bulk up. But there is a lot to like about his trajectory. Carlyle averaged 11.5 points and 2.7 assists per game in his freshman season at Stanford after ranking as a four-star prospect in the Class of 2023. His best games came against and , which were both NCAA Tournament teams. With three seasons of eligibility remaining and a proven body of work at the high-major level, there is some upside here. Oweh's production and efficiency dropped dramatically during the grind of Big 12 play after his sophomore season began with tantalizing glimpses of offensive promise. But while his game remains a work in progress, the 6-foot-5 wing is already a great defender. With two years left to play, Oweh is worth a swing for a team in need of perimeter defense. Though only a role player on a team oozing talent, the 6-foot-6 wing did a lot for the Buffaloes, averaging 11.6 points, six rebounds and 2.4 assists. He attempted just 1.3 shots from 3-point range but hit 41.7% of them, and he was efficient inside the arc (56.5%). How he might translate into a larger role is tough to project, but the combination of size and skill make him intriguing. Johnson earned Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year honors while averaging 11.1 points, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals for Washington. The 6-foot-2 guard is a career 35.1% 3-point shooter over his two seasons and also rates as a good defender for his size. Dia shined as a dynamic frontcourt player in his sophomore season at Belmont after playing sparingly during his freshman season at . He averaged 16.9 points and 5.8 boards for the Bruins while shooting 34.1% from 3-point range. He's 6-9 and has surprising athleticism for a player with such a big frame. His game needs refining, but Dia's upside is clear. Edwards was the leading scorer at 17.2 points per game for a James Madison team that finished 32-4 with a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-6 guard also dished out 3.4 assists for the Dukes after making significant productivity strides in all four years he was at JMU. Belmont |
Maryland Belmont was at its best with Gillespie on the floor; he averaged 17.2 points, 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals for the Bruins. The 6-foot guard is on the smaller side but shot a ridiculous 66% inside the arc and a solid 38.7% beyond it. With two seasons of eligibility remaining, he's a good addition for a Maryland team that needs help in the backcourt. Oregon State Pope averaged 17.6 points and 3.4 assists while shooting 37.1% from beyond the arc for Oregon State as a sophomore in 2023-24. The 6-foot-2 guard needs to improve defensively but is a proven high-major scorer with two years of eligibility remaining. After spending one season at , Clark transferred to Louisville and led the moribund Cardinals in scoring during the 2023-24 season at 13.2 points per game. His career 1:1 assist-turnover ratio is unappealing, but if the former top-40 prospect can find the right fit, he could still shine. Pepperdine |
Alabama Mallette is a career 37.5% 3-point shooter on 512 attempts over three seasons at Pepperdine. The 6-foot-5 guard upped his mark to a career-best 41.5% in 2023-24 and had big games against quality foes like and . Alabama wasted little time snatching up Mallette. His combination of size and shooting ability should make him a natural fit with the Crimson Tide. Northern
Colorado produced a gem last cycle in . Can it come through again? Thomas is a vastly different player but nonetheless intriguing. At 6-foot-7, he averaged 19.7 points, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals while making 57.2% of his 2-pointers and 33% of his 3s in 2023-24. The dynamic forward began his career at and has just one season left to play. Yale Wolf averaged 14.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks for a Yale team that reached the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. He is more fluid, nimble and versatile than a typical seven-footer. Wolf can attack defenders off the dribble, hit 3-pointers or post up. He has two seasons left, and his rare combination of size and tools make him one of this offseason's most interesting transfer prospects. Joseph played a key role on Miami's Final Four team in 2023 and upped his contributions to 9.6 points and 3.4 assists per game as a starter in 2023-24. The 6-foot-1 guard is a career 37.9% 3-point shooter and has one season left to play. Pepperdine | Ajayi is 6-foot-7 and hit 47% of his 3-pointers on 2.5 attempts per game while averaging 17.2 points in his lone season at Pepperdine. While Ajayi was a rebounding force for the Waves with 9.9 per game, his defense is a question mark. He should be a natural fit at Gonzaga as the Bulldogs seek to build a deeper roster after struggling with depth in 2023-24. Collins is only a career 30.8% 3-point shooter, but he is an excellent perimeter defender. The 6-foot-1 guard led the Pac-12 in steals at 2.6 per game during his second season at
Arizona State. The former Michigan guard has one season of eligibility remaining. Illinois As a burly big man, Dainja wasn't a great fit in Illinois' five-out offensive system. He played just 10.8 minutes per game during the 2023-24 season but was productive when on the floor. The 6-foot-9 bruiser is an effective scorer in the paint, and he's a good rebounder and rim protector. He will be a difference-maker in the right scheme. Omaha Fidler finished second in the Summit League in scoring at 20.1 points per game. The 6-foot-7 forward hit 35.6% of his 3-point attempts in 2023-24 and was effective against Big 12 foes and . ( to ) and ( to Alabama) are recent examples of players from this league transferring up and playing big roles for good teams. | Kansas Kugel is an interesting prospect with good tools and upside; however, the 6-foot-5 wing regressed as a sophomore while shooting just 31.2% from 3-point range. If he can push that closer to 40% and cut back on his turnovers, then Kugel could blossom into an impact 3-and-D player. West Virgina Kriisa averaged 11 points per game on 42.4% 3-point shooting in his lone season with West Virginia. The former Arizona point guard is a veteran distributor with a proven outside shot and enough veteran savvy to be a difference-maker. He's not a plus defender but has plenty of offensive flair. Stanford Stojakovic averaged 7.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per game as a freshman at Stanford after ranking as a top-25 prospect in the Class of 2023, per 247Sports. He hit just 32.7% of his 3-pointers and was not an impact defender. But with three seasons left to play, he'll have time to realize the potential that made him a McDonald's All-American. TCU Peavy rated as TCU's top defender each of the past three seasons, per . The 6-foot-7 wing is just a career 26.7% 3-point shooter. But for a team in need of a versatile, veteran defensive presence, he will make a significant impact. Pedulla was a mainstay in the Virginia Tech rotation for the past three seasons and led the Hokies in scoring during the 2023-24 campaign at 16.4 points per game. He is a career 35.5% 3-point shooter and dished out 4.6 assists per game during his junior year. The 6-foot-1 guard struggled with turnovers in 2023-24 (3.3 per game) but has enough offensive game to garner significant interest. Kentucky's most effective defensive lineups often featured Thiero. The tenacious 6-foot-6 wing guards and rebounds with a voracious appetite and can score attacking the rim. He's just a career 32.3% 3-point shooter and doesn't have a refined offensive game. Still, his 80% free-throw shooting mark in 2023-24 portends promise, and he could shine if given a greater and more consistent role. Tulsa Haggerty averaged 21.2 points on 54% shooting inside the arc for Tulsa in 2023-24. What separates the 6-foot-3 guard from some of the other volume scorers in the portal is that he has three seasons left to play. Instead of merely serving as a one-year rental, he could potentially develop into a three-year rotational mainstay. And if he develops his 3-point shot, he could be a high-level college star. Slajchert shot 42.2% from 3-point range on 6.1 attempts per game in 2023-24 while averaging 18 points per game. At 6-foot-1, adapting to the defensive demands of the high-major level could be a challenge. But his offensive game will be attractive to major programs in need of perimeter firepower. Parker is the definition of instant offense. The 6-3 guard averaged 15.9 points per game in just 20.7 minutes per contest off the bench for Saint Louis while shooting 42.6% from 3-point range. He went for 30 or more three games in a row during one February stretch of A-10 play. That should make him interesting to high-major programs. Oklahoma State Dailey was a bright spot for Oklahoma State during a down season, averaging 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 49.6% from the floor. The 6-foot-8 forward has three seasons left to play with promise as a versatile forward and the potential to impact both ends of the floor over a three-year period.