The Top 20 Newcomers in Men’s College Basketball

Between high school recruits and elite transfers, there will be plenty of new faces at programs across the country this season.

The transfer portal’s growing impact on college basketball recruiting has reshaped the newcomer landscape across the sport. In a world where more than half of all points scored this season are likely to be scored by transfers and experience is valued heavily by college coaches, using the incoming high school player rankings isn’t a good barometer for the best “newcomers” in the sport. That’s why we set out to rank the 20 best men’s players in new homes this season, with both freshmen and transfers included. Consider these the true five-star additions to college hoops rosters this season. 

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1. Hunter Dickinson, Kansas

Dickinson’s transfer portal move was one of the most-followed recruitments ever, a month-long saga that ended in him choosing Bill Self and Kansas. Beyond his off-court villain persona that undoubtedly increased attention to his decision, Dickinson is the rare former All-American to switch teams. He was remarkably productive for three years at Michigan and took the Wolverines to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament twice. He’ll be the centerpiece of the Kansas offense in 2023–24 and profiles as a potential top-10 player in the sport this season. 

2. Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga

After two years as the starting point guard at Creighton, Nembhard is off to Gonzaga, where he’ll play for the same program his brother Andrew used to launch himself onto NBA draft boards. Ryan Nembhard is one of the better returning floor generals in the nation, a mature playmaker who stirred the drink for a top-25 offense that went to the Elite Eight last season. He should be a major upgrade at point guard for the Bulldogs, who struggled at that spot last season with Nolan Hickman. 

3. L.J. Cryer, Houston

Kelvin Sampson made quite the splash in adding Cryer to the Houston roster ahead of the Cougars’ first year in the Big 12. A third-team All-Big-12 selection last season, Cryer is one of just two all-league players returning to college from last season. He goes from one guard-friendly system to another: Expect Cryer to be next in the long line of high-scoring combo guards who have starred at Houston recently, from Marcus Sasser to Quentin Grimes to Corey Davis to Rob Gray. 

4. Isaiah Collier, USC

The first freshman on our list, Collier is the highest-rated college signee in the 2023 HS class and a potential top-10 pick in the NBA draft next June. His poise running the show was evident when evaluating Collier as a high school prospect, and he has the combination of strength, skill level and unselfishness to create for himself and others at the college level. Point guard play is at a premium throughout the country, and Collier should be one of the nation’s best.

Isaiah Collier is the No. 1 ranked recruit in the nation :: Maria Lysaker/USA TODAY Sports

5. Steven Ashworth, Creighton

Losing Nembhard hurt, but the Bluejays stuck the landing by acquiring arguably the best mid-major point guard in the nation in Ashworth. An elite shooter, Ashworth led the charge for an awesome Utah State team that went to the NCAA tournament, averaging better than 16 points and four assists, and shooting a blistering 43% from beyond the arc. He’ll have to deal with more athletic defenses in the Big East but could actually make Creighton’s offense more dynamic than it was a season ago.

6. Jesse Edwards, West Virginia

It’s hard to argue with production, and Edwards is one of the most productive big men in the nation. He averaged a double double for Syracuse last season, a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy final year of Jim Boeheim’s storied career. Edwards’s athleticism makes him a weapon as a rim protector (2.7 blocks per game last season) and as a lob threat, which should produce plenty of highlights with Arizona transfer point guard Kerr Kriisa throwing him the ball.

7. Justin Edwards, Kentucky

At his best, there’s not a better player in the 2023 class (and perhaps in the ’24 NBA draft) than Edwards. The lefty wing is the type of big playmaker NBA teams are itching for, and Edwards’s brightest moments in his high school and AAU career were incredible to watch. John Calipari’s job: getting that level of performance out of him consistently. If he does, Edwards will be one of the best players in the country. 

8. Caleb Love, Arizona

There may not be a more interesting move in the sport’s offseason than this one. On one hand, Love is the three-year starter at a blueblood who went to a Final Four and scored nearly 1,500 career points. On the other, he’s the oft-erratic inefficient jump shooter who had no small part in North Carolina’s disastrous 2022–23. If Tommy Lloyd can get the best out of him, this marriage could help Arizona break through in the Big Dance. 

9. Olivier Nkamhoua, Michigan

After four years at Tennessee, Nkamhoua would likely have been in the mix for a two-way contract had he kept his name in the NBA draft. Instead, he’s off to Michigan, where he’ll play a feature role for Juwan Howard’s team. Nkamhoua looked the part of a college star playing with his native Finland at the FIBA World Cup this summer and seems poised for a huge year thanks to his size and skill level.

10. Aday Mara, UCLA

Arguably the best young player in Europe, Mara choosing the college route and joining UCLA is a huge boon for Mick Cronin and the college game as a whole. The 7’3” big man is a unique prospect thanks to his ability to protect the rim defensively and impact the game as a passer offensively. He had a standout showing at the FIBA U18 European Championships this summer for his native Spain, and if he acclimates quickly to the college game, he could rapidly become one of the sport’s best players. 

11. Tylor Perry, Kansas State

Don’t discount Perry’s outstanding statistics at North Texas because he was at a mid-major school. The Mean Green were a top-50 team in the country by virtually every measure last year and won the NIT, with Perry leading the charge offensively. He may be undersized, but Perry is one of the best shot-making guards in the sport. He had 23 points against eventual national champion Kansas in one of his first five Division I games early in the 2021–22 season and has been off to the races ever since. Plus, he’ll get tons of opportunities stepping in for Markquis Nowell at point guard for the Wildcats.

Tylor Perry averaged 17.3 points behind 43.7% shooting at North Texas last season :: Jeremy Reper/USA TODAY Sports

12. D.J. Wagner, Kentucky

Wagner’s recruitment was the most followed of the 2023 cycle as rivals Kentucky and Louisville duked it out for his services. The winner: Calipari, who sees Wagner as part of a backcourt play revival that could help the Wildcats break through this March. While not a true point guard, Wagner is capable of leading an offense thanks to his scoring ability, and he’ll be an essential piece in a UK backcourt rotation that also features the likes of Antonio Reeves, Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham.

13. Walter Clayton Jr., Florida

This was an offseason-defining recruiting win for Todd Golden and the Gators, beating Clayton’s former coach Rick Pitino and St. John’s to land the Florida native. Clayton had a huge sophomore season at Iona that piqued the interest of NBA scouts, averaging better than 16 points, four rebounds and three assists. A former high-level football recruit, Clayton’s learning curve on the hardwood has been rapid, and he has a chance to be a premier guard in the SEC from Day 1. 

14. Cam Spencer, UConn

Proven above-average starters at the high-major level aren’t found often in the transfer portal, but Spencer fits that mold and plugs in nicely for the defending national champions. While not quite as dynamic an off-movement shooter as first-rounder Jordan Hawkins was last season, Spencer did knock down an impressive 43% from beyond the arc for a Rutgers team that came up just short of the NCAA tournament a season ago. Plus, he’s a ballhawk defensively who has averaged two or more steals per game in back-to-back years. 

15. Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor

Walter and elite transfer point guard RayJ Dennis make for quite the new backcourt duo for Scott Drew in Waco. Walter is a score-first wing capable of carrying an offense with his shot-making ability. He helped lead a loaded Link Academy to the championship at Geico Nationals. If he can improve his efficiency, he’ll be among the best freshmen in college basketball this season. 

16. Max Abmas, Texas

I’m not quite there on Abmas as a potential All-American, but the former Oral Roberts star and 2021 March Cinderella should have a strong season in Austin. Abmas has put up big numbers even against tough competition (see his games against Ohio State, Florida and Arkansas in the ’21 NCAA tournament) and seems poised to play a central role offensively for a reloaded Texas team under Rodney Terry. 

17. Jordan Dingle, St. John’s

Few guards are more wired to score than Dingle, who averaged more than 23 points per game last season at Penn and was recruited at the highest level after hitting the transfer portal this spring. The winner of the sweepstakes: Pitino and St. John’s, which will undoubtedly rely on him heavily to generate offense this season. His big performances against high-major opponents should give fans confidence that his production can translate to the highest level.

18. Graham Ike, Gonzaga

This one is contingent on health, as Ike has missed the majority of the three of his last four basketball seasons dating back to his senior year of high school. The one healthy year: 2021–22, when he averaged nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds per game to lead Wyoming to a surprise trip to the NCAA tournament. A full-strength Ike would give Gonzaga the type of interior scoring presence it needs to not miss a beat from the Drew Timme era. 

19. Elliot Cadeau, North Carolina

Cadeau is one of the best pure passers to come out of high school basketball in a long time. And while there have been several examples over the years of reclassified point guards struggling to adapt to the college game as freshmen, Cadeau has the tools to beat that trend. Hubert Davis seems intent on putting the ball in his hands and pushing RJ Davis off the ball, surrounding Cadeau with shotmakers like Davis and Cormac Ryan as well as a star big in Armando Bacot.

20. Jared McCain, Duke

One of the things that will make Duke such a dangerous team in 2023–24 is its ability to play smaller with multiple ballhandlers on the floor at any given time. McCain and fellow freshman Caleb Foster can unlock so much for the Blue Devils offensively. Zooming in on McCain, the California native is a lights-out shooter with a game-ready body able to impact winning as a shot maker either as a fifth starter or in a super-sub role.