SEC Basketball Transfer Portal Rankings

Throughout the college basketball offseason just when it seemed that the transfer portal was slowing down there would be a major splash to get things churning again. Name, Image, and Likeness led to the return of several top players from the NBA Draft process who then entered the portal. Now, everyone is on campus, scrimmages are taking place, and we are one week away from games tipping off. We finally have a fully clear picture of who will be wearing what uniform.

So, with the dust having settled across the NCAA, who were the winners and losers in the Southeastern Conference? Which coaches found the most success in the transfer portal? Let’s put the teams into tiers while breaking down their key additions and departures.

Tier 1- The Gold Standard

Kentucky Wildcats

Transferring Out: Devin Askew (Texas), Cam’Ron Fletcher (Florida State)

Transferring In: Kellan Grady (Davidson), Oscar Tshiebwe (West Virginia), Sahvir Wheeler (Georgia), C.J. Fredrick (Iowa)

Kentucky will always eat first. Coach John Calipari said it years ago and it came to fruition during this offseason. After a historically bad 9-16 season in Lexington, the Wildcats have reloaded with veterans from around college basketball. Under Coach Cal, fans don’t typically see 2000-point scorers and the reigning SEC leader in assists because those players would have bolted to the NBA. Thanks to the transfer portal, those veteran players with proven success will wear blue and white this season.

The ‘Cats needed playmaking and they addressed that need. They needed shooting help and they addressed that need. Lastly, Kentucky needed toughness around the basket and they addressed that need. Pair that veteran talent with the same, typical five-star recruiting class and it is safe to assume this version of the Kentucky Wildcats will be much better than last season.

Tier 2- Successful Reloads

Arkansas Razorbacks

Transferring Out: Desi Sills (Auburn), Ethan Henderson (Texas A&M), Emeka Obukwelu, Vance Jackson Jr., Abayomi Iyiola (Hofstra)

Transferring In: Chris Lykes (Miami), Au’Diese Toney (Pittsburgh), Stanley Umude (South Dakota), Kamani Johnson (Little Rock)

A case could be made for a handful of different teams to leadoff Tier 2 here, but the hull by Eric Musselman is the most impressive across the board. Also, the Razorbacks lost a little less production than some of the other most active teams.

In terms of incoming talent, the Muss Bus loaded up once again. Stanley Umude headlines the group after a stellar career at South Dakota. The 6’6″ wing is coming off of a senior season where he was named First Team All-Summit League after averaging 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Chris Lykes, a 5’7″ point guard for the Miami Hurricanes, had his senior season cut short when he suffered a season-ending ankle injury just two games into the season. He is a score-first point guard that averaged 16.2 and 15.4 points per game respectively in his sophomore and junior seasons. Au’Diese Toney averaged 14.4 points per game last year at Pittsburgh while undersized 4-man Kamani Johnson averaged 11 points and 6.7 rebounds as a sophomore at near by Little Rock.

Auburn Tigers

Transferring Out: Justin Powell (Tennessee), Javon Franklin (South Alabama), Jamal Johnson (UAB), Tyrell Jones (South Alabama)

Transferring In: Walker Kessler (North Carolina), Desi Sills (Arkansas), Wendell Green Jr. (Eastern Kentucky), Zep Jasper (College of Charleston), KD Johnson (Georgia)

Bruce Pearl picked up a couple of perfect fits for his high-tempo offense in guards KD Johnson and Desi Sills. The intraconference pickups love to play fast in the open floor and will bring some instant offense to the Tigers. Johnson averaged 13.5 points per game as a freshman and shot 39% from beyond the arc at Georgia. Sills scored 7.7 points per game in 98 contests in his three-year career at Arkansas.

Auburn also landed up one of the biggest names to hit the portal in 7’1″ North Carolina big man Walker Kessler. The former five-star recruit came on strong towards the end of the season including a 16 points, 12 rebound, 8 blocked shot performance in the ACC Tournament.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Transferring Out: Deivon Smith (Georgia Tech), Reggie Morris, Keondre Montgomery (Alcorn State), Andrew Junkin, Jalen Johnson, Abdul Ado (Cincinnati), Quentin Post (Boston College)

Transferring In: Garrison Brooks (North Carolina), D.J. Jeffries (Memphis), Shakeel Moore (North Carolina State), Rocket Watts (Michigan State)

It was quite the offseason for Coach Ben Howland. The Bulldogs were quietly big winners in the transfer portal landing one of the biggest names in Garrison Brooks, a versatile forward in D.J. Jeffries, and a pair of impact guards in Shakeel Moore and Rocket Watts.

Mississippi State did lose D.J. Stewart to the NBA Draft, but with Iverson Molinar returning, and the incoming talent, it should be a good season down in Starkville. Even with a few other rotation players leaving the program, it was definitely a net positive offseason for Ben Howland and the Bulldogs.

LSU Tigers

Transferring Out: Aundre Hyatt (Rutgers), Jalen Cook (Tulane), Charles Manning Jr. (South Alabama), Josh Gray, Bryan Penn-Johnson

Transferring In: Xavier Pinson (Missouri), Tari Eason (Cincinnati), Seneca Knight (San Jose State), Adam Miller (Illinois)

Unfortunate news hit the airwaves recently that Illinois transfer Adam Miller, one of the top portal additions of the offseason, will miss the entire season with an ACL tear. However, you still have to give some credit to Will Wade, like him or not, for the haul that he brought in to Baton Rouge. Even without Miller, it is good.

Xavier Pinson brings proven SEC caliber scoring to the Tigers. Both Tari Eason and Seneca Knight are proven collegiate players as well with successful careers already. Even without his star prize in Adam Miller, Will Wade picked up a lot of talent in the portal.

Tier 3- Passing Grades

Florida Gators

Transferring Out: Ques Glover (Samford), Noah Locke (Louisville), Osayi Osifu (Jacksonville), Omar Payne (Illinois)

Transferring In: Brandon McKissic (UMKC), CJ Felder (Boston College), Phlandrous Fleming Jr. (Charleston Southern), Myreon Jones (Penn State)

Myreon Jones, a 6’3″ guard from Penn State, and Phlandrous Fleming Jr., a 6’4″ guard from Charleston Southern, headline the influx of talent for Mike White. Jones averaged 15.3 points per game as a junior and has shot right around 40% from three each of the last two seasons. Fleming Jr. is a two-time winner of the Big South Defensive Player of the Year award and earned First Team honors as a junior and senior. He averaged 20.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game last year.

On the way out of Gainesville is Noah Locke who has been one of the country’s best shooters in each of his three seasons for the Gators. Omar Payne and Ques Glover were solid rotation pieces as well.

Alabama Crimson Tide

Transferring Out: None

Transferring In: Nimari Burnett (Texas Tech), Noah Gurley (Furman)

Despite all of the momentum surrounding Coach Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide program, and past success in the portal with players such as Jahvon Quinerly, Alabama was the quietest team in the conference when it comes to the transfer portal. However, Coach Oats did still put together a top ten recruiting class though headlined by five-star point guard JD Davidson.

The two transfer portal additions should make instant impacts in Tuscaloosa. Nimari Burnett is a former high four-star recruit that was pursued heavily by the Crimson Tide coming out of high school. However, he suffered a right knee injury requiring surgery and will miss the entire season.

That leaves Noah Gurley as the lone transfer portal piece in Tuscaloosa. Not heavily recruited out of high school, Gurley was a key contributor for three seasons at Furman earning All-Southern honors each of the last two years. Gurley is a versatile, athletic forward that averaged 15.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game as a junior. His ability to step out and shoot the three at 6’8″ will fit perfectly into Nate Oats’ offensive system.

Texas A&M Aggies

Transferring Out: Emanuel Miller (TCU), Jay Jay Chandler (South Alabama), Savion Flagg (Sam Houston State), Kevin Marfo (Quinnipiac), Jonathan Aku (Stephen F. Austin), LaDamien Bradford (Louisiana Tech), Cashius McNeilly (TCU), Jaxson Robinson (Arkansas), Jackson Young

Transferring In: Javonte Brown (UConn), Ethan Henderson (Arkansas), Marcus Williams (Wyoming), Henry Coleman III (Duke), Jordan Hall (St. Joseph’s)

Much like Georgia who we will get to later, Texas A&M will feature a nearly entirely new roster next season after losing nine players to the transfer portal. The most notable loss is sophomore Emanuel Miller who burst onto the scene last season by averaging 16.2 points and 8.2 rebounds. His efficiency sky-rocketed along with becoming one of the best offensive rebounders in the country. Savion Flagg and Jay Jay Chandler each averaged over eight points per game as well to round out three of the Aggies five leading scorers exiting via the portal.

However, unlike Georgia, there is a good amount of talent coming in from the portal to offset what left. Buzz Williams will look to replace the mass exodus with a talented group of five newcomers led by Wyoming guard Marcus Williams. Williams had a fantastic freshman season averaging 14.8 points and 4.3 assists on his way to being named Mountain West Rookie of the Year. Additionally, he will be joined in the backcourt by 6’8″ guard Jordan Hall who also had a quietly excellent freshman campaign at Boston College averaging 10.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game.

Tennessee Volunteers

Transferring Out: E.J. Anosike, Davonte Gaines (George Mason), Drew Pember (UNC-Asheville), Corey Walker (South Florida)

Transferring In: Justin Powell (Auburn)

It was a pretty quiet offseason in Knoxville as the biggest news on the “recruiting” front was John Fulkerson announcing he would use his additional eligibility to play a fifth season for the Volunteers. Rick Barnes did make a decent splash in portal though landing Auburn transfer Justin Powell. Before suffering a season-ending concussion, Powell was averaging 11.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while shooting 44.2% from beyond the arc.

If Powell can be the type of player that he was at Auburn prior to his injury then it will be a nice offseason pickup for the Vols. However, if he either isn’t healthy or just isn’t the same player they would move down a tier.

Ole Miss Rebels

Transferring Out: KJ Buffen (UAB), Antavion Collum (Cal-State Bakersfield), Dimencio Vaughn (Rider), Khadim Sy, Shon Robinson (San Jose State)

Transferring In: Jaemyn Brakefield (Duke), Nysier Brooks (Miami), Tye Fagan (Georgia)

Brakefield will likely be the Rebels starting 4-man this season. He brings positional versatility and some scoring upside to Kermit Davis’ offense. However, this is at best a lateral move from KJ Buffen. Nysier Brooks will add even more size around the rim as a 7’0″ center. Additionally, Tye Fagan is a proven SEC guard that can really attack the basket.

Ole Miss comes in at the bottom of Tier 3 because nothing here really moves the needle. All three incoming transfers will contribute, but to what degree is yet to be seen. However, with the potential exception of Brakefield, the offseason moves won’t help the Rebels move up the SEC ladder.

Tier 4- Net Losers

South Carolina Gamecocks

Transferring Out: Trey Anderson (San Jose State), Justin Minaya (Providence), Trae Hannibal (Murray State), T.J. Moss (McNeese State), Jalyn McCreary (South Florida), Patrick Iriel, Seventh Woods

Transferring In: Chico Carter Jr. (Murray State), James Reese (North Texas), Erik Stevenson (Washington), A.J. Wilson (George Mason)

South Carolina comes in as the “best” of the net losers mostly because they lost the least production. Their incoming talent isn’t great, but the outgoing isn’t really either. Replacing leading rebounder Justin Minaya will be the primary concern. Otherwise, the Gamecocks lost rotation pieces that weren’t getting the job done anyway.

Of the four portal additions, only Erik Stevenson has high-major experience. He averaged 9.3 points as a starting guard for the Washington Huskies. It will likely be another long season in Columbia for Coach Frank Martin.

Missouri Tigers

Transferring Out: Xavier Pinson (LSU), Mark Smith (Kansas State), Torrence Watson (Elon), Parker Braun (Santa Clara), Drew Buggs (Winthrop), Ed Chang

Transferring In: Amari Davis (Green Bay), Jarron Coleman (Ball State), DaJuan Gordon (Kansas State), Ronnie DeGray (UMass)

It was hard to figure out where to put the Missouri Tigers. On one hand, the bring in a couple of legitimate quality pieces. Amari Davis was two-time All-Horizon League selection and Jarron Coleman is an elite shooter with size that averaged 13.8 points per game last year. However, Coach Cuonzo Martin also had a couple of massive losses in the portal.

Losing explosive scoring guard Xavier Pinson and sharp-shooter Mark Smith is not a good start for a team that was only .500 in the SEC. Parker Braun and Drew Buggs were also consistent rotation contributors as well. It is hard to argue that Missouri was anything but a net loser in the transfer portal.

Vanderbilt Commodores

Transferring Out: Dylan Disu (Texas), Clevon Brown (Florida International), Maxwell Evans (TCU), D.J. Harvey (Detroit), Ejike Obinna (St. Joseph’s), Issac McBride (Oral Roberts), Akeem Odusipe

Transferring In: Liam Robbins (Minnesota), Terren Frank (TCU), Rodney Chatman (Dayton)

When looking at the aggregate, you have to weigh what goes out with what comes in. The addition of Liam Robbins gives Coach Jerry Stackhouse elite rim protection and an interior scoring punch. Rodney Chatman is a proven veteran guard who will be good in their offensive scheme.

However, the loss of Dylan Disu is a crushing blow for a program stuck at the bottom of the Southeastern Conference. Along with losing multiple other rotation pieces, the loss of All-SEC performer Dylan Disu is enough to place the Commodores at the bottom of the net losers category.

Tier 5- Couldn’t Have Gone Worse

Georgia Bulldogs

Transferring Out: Sahvir Wheeler (Kentucky), KD Johnson (Auburn), Toumani Camara (Dayton), Tye Fagan (Ole Miss), Christian Brown (Tennessee State), Mikal Starks, Jaykwon Walton (Shelton State Community College), Justin Keir (Arizona), Andrew Garcia

Transferring In: Jabri Abdur-Rahim (Virginia), Noah Baumann (USC), Braelen Bridges (Illinois-Chicago), Jailyn Ingram (Florida Atlantic), Aaron Cook (Gonzaga)

Things are not going well for Coach Tom Crean. The Bulldogs six top scorers, and seven of their top eight, left the program this offseason. Georgia finished 10th in the SEC in 2021 and the roster got decidedly worse. Needless to say, Coach Crean’s seat is getting pretty hot in Athens.

There are a few additions from the portal that could potentially help. Braelen Bridges, Jailyn Ingram, and Aaron Cook are solid players with real college experience. However, they don’t make up for the mass exodus that took place.