College Basketball: Week 11 Transfer Portal Power Rankings
We are already halfway through January of the college basketball season. We plan for this to be an ongoing piece, updated throughout the season by Jamie Shaw who is on the Naismith Men’s College Basketball Board of Selectors. This list looks at the transfers who are having the biggest effect on the sport through their in-season play.
Let’s discuss the top ten transfers in college basketball, so far in the 2023-24 season.
1. C Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
The Buzz: One thing you can count on with Hunter Dickinson is that he is going to put up numbers. This year has been no different as he is averaging 19.2 points and 12.0 rebounds per game with 1.4 blocks and 60.5 percent shooting from the field. The 7-foot-1 center has had ten double-doubles on the season, and Dickinson’s No. 3 ranked Kansas is on the short list of teams being talked about as legit National Championship contenders. Dickinson is also shooting a career high 46.9 percent from three on 2.1 attempts per game.
2. F David Jones, Memphis
The Buzz: It has clicked for David Jones this season. Prior to coming to Memphis, Jones had been a top two scorer on both DePaul and St. John’s. So this year’s outburst should come as no surprise, however, the way he is scoring it tells a lot of the story. The 6-foot-6 forward’s 20.9 points per game are a career-high, but so are his 44.7 percent shooting from the field, 36.3 percent shooting from three, and 81.0 percent shooting from the free-throw line. He is also getting to the line a career-high 7.1 times per game while adding 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals. Memphis has now won ten in a row.
3. G Cam Spencer, UConn
The Buzz: When UConn is clicking on all cylindars, they are on the short list for best team in the country. And with that, the Huskies are now No. 1 in the A.P. Poll. Rutgers transfer Cam Spencer has been a steady force for UConn all season. His three-point shooting has created spacing and his passing ability has kept the ball moving. Spencer is a career 41.7 percent three-point shooter with 230 makes. This season he is averaging 15.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.5 steals with 51.4/46.8/87.5 shooting splits.
4. F Great Osobor, Utah State
The Buzz: Utah State has been one of the surprise teams of the season, maintaining at No. 20 in the latest A.P. top 25 poll. A large reason for that is Montana State transfer Great Osobor. The 6-foot-8, 245-pound forward has averaged 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks per contest this season. Those numbers have only risen in Moutain West Conference play, where he is averaging 24.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 steals and blocks per game for the 16-1 Aggies.
5. G Caleb Love, Arizona
The Buzz: Love or hate him, people who follow college basketball pay attention to Caleb Love. And the Arizona guard has given onlookers a show to watch over the last few weeks. In December and January, Love is averaging 21.4 points and 5.7 rebounds for the A.P.’s No. 12 ranked program. Love is also playing more efficiently during that time frame, shooting almost 46 percent from the field and over 36 percent from three.
6. F Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
The Buzz: Dalton Knecht has been a central cog for this Tennessee team, with his scoring coming at a high-priced premium for the Volunteers. In SEC play the 6-foot-6 wing is averaging 24.0 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 50.0 percent, on 6.7 attempts per game, from three. After starting the season off hot, Knecht hit a slight dip in his production, only to come back with 36 and 28 points in his last two.
7. F Harrison Ingram, UNC
The Buzz: Harrison Ingram has taken off this season, as he has settled into his role as a connecting forward. The 6-foot-8 junior has been filling in the gaps of whatever the Tar Heels need on that night. On the season, Ingram is averaging 12.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest. He has four double-doubles on the season and eight games of three or more assists. North Carolina has jumped to No. 4 in the A.P. Top 25 polls.
8. G Javian McCollum, Oklahoma
The Buzz: Oklahoma now sits at No. 15 in the A.P. and that is in large part to the stellar play of Siena transfer Javian McCollum. In each month of the season, the 6-foot-1 guard’s points and rebounds have increased as the Sooners are no. 13-3. On the year, McCollum is averaging 15.0 points and 3.9 assists while shooting 38.8 percent from three.
9. F Tre Mitchell, Kentucky
The Buzz: Sure the freshmen get all the accolades for Kentucky, and rightfully so. However, the steadying factor for the Wildcats all season has been Tre Mitchell. The fifth-year senior from UMass/West Virginia/Texas, has averaged a steady 13.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists during SEC play. His 34.8 minutes per game leads the team on the season.
10. F Marcus Domask, Illinois
The Buzz: Illinois was on a roll when it suspended its leading scorer, Terrence Shannon. There were questions about who could step up in his role. Those questions quickly subsided as in the five games since the suspension, the 6-foot-6 Marcus Domask is averaging 22.0 points and 5.6 assists per outing. He is shooting 35.3 percent from three in those games for the A.P.’s No. 14 ranked Fighting Illini.