Biggest Transfer Portal Additions Shaping the 2025 College Basketball Landscape

The transfer portal is in full swing with many highly-touted players announcing their intentions as to where they’ll be playing next year.

As of April 3rd, arguably the most noteworthy commit has come in the form of Donovan Dent. The reigning Mountain West Player of the Year decided to leave New Mexico and head back home to play in Southern California for the UCLA Bruins.

Having said that, there have also been a handful of pledges recently made that likely will help shape next year’s National Title picture.

Here are some of them:

Keyshawn Hall: Auburn (formerly of UCF)

Hall completely fits the archetype of what Bruce Pearl looks for in a basketball player. Long, rangy, athletic and aggressive, Hall had a brilliant year for UCF this past season. He averaged 18.8 PPG to go along with 7.1 RPG. Hall is well traveled having started his career at UNLV, followed by stints at George Mason and most recently UCF. Now jumping up a level to play for one of the better programs within the SEC, Hall figures to be an integral core piece of next year’s team with multiple starters set to graduate once the Final Four ends. He led the Big 12 in scoring this past season, and Hall is excellent at drawing contact and getting to the line.

Bennett Stirtz: Iowa (formerly of Drake)

Stirtz is the straw that stirred the drink this past year for Drake. The leader of the Bulldogs, he averaged 19.2 PPG, 5.7 APG, 2.1 SPG, and 4.3 RPG on .498 from the field and .395 from three. Without question, Stirtz is one of the best guards to enter the portal. He always plays under control, and is masterful at picking his spots whether it be as a scorer or a facilitator. It only made sense he’d follow head coach Ben McCollum over to Iowa City. Stirtz should be one of the better guards in the Big Ten next year, and it won’t be a surprise to see him develop into a legitimate NBA prospect.

Ryan Conwell: Louisville (formerly of Xavier)

There’s a rich history of Indianapolis players plying their trade at Louisville. In this case, Conwell is the latest to follow suit. With Sean Miller leaving to take the job at Texas, Conwell entered the portal with a host of schools hotly pursuing his services. Ultimately, Louisville won out with a real need for a lead guard to take the reins of the offense next season. Conwell is a big, physical guard, and he should have little issue acclimating to ACC play.

Morez Johnson: Michigan (formerly of Illinois)

Johnson surprised many when entering the portal. He flashed some huge ability in his only year with the Fighting Illini — averaging nearly seven rebounds a game in only 17 minutes. He’s an aggressive, athletic force with a big wingspan. A terror in transition, Johnson plays larger than his 6’9″ frame would indicate. With Vlad Goldin exhausting his eligibility, and Danny Wolf likely heading to the NBA, Dusty May needed to retool his frontcourt on the fly. Having some obvious familiarity with him through Big Ten play, Johnson seems like a very nice fit up front for the Wolverines whether it’s at the four spot or as a small-ball five.