Portal Time Has Arrived

The 2026 Men’s Basketball Transfer Portal

Photo by Ben Hershey on Unsplash

As the college basketball season has officially come to a close, it marks a new beginning for every head coach in college basketball. This is because the transfer portal has officially opened, and almost every program will lose or add a player during this process. 

As of April 16, there are five players who are considered to be five-star transfers. These players are Flory Bidunga from Kansas, Milan Momlicovic from Iowa State, John Blackwell from Wisconsin, Allen Graves from Santa Clara and Massamba Diop from Arizona State. Of these players, only one has committed to a school: Bidunga, who announced that he is transferring from Kansas to Louisville.

Though Louisville has the commitment of the top player available in Bidunga, head coach Pat Kelsey has also curated the current No. 1 class in the transfer portal. This is because of the commitments from Karter Knox and Jackson Shelstad, who are both top-60 players in the portal. 

Lastly, some players, such as Momlicovic and Juke Harris from Wake Forest, have entered the portal while also pursuing the NBA draft. Utilizing this option allows them to go to the NBA combine and receive feedback from scouts. If the players like what they hear, they fully declare for the NBA draft and forgo the rest of their eligibility. On the other hand, if they do not like what they hear, they can come back to college and try again the next year.