Across the last couple of months, there are numerous SEC basketball teams who have continued to make impact additions to their respective roster through the transfer portal. Here is a look at five of the conference’s biggest transfer portal winners so far this offseason.
5 biggest SEC Basketball transfer portal winners of 2023 offseason
5. Florida Gators
We begin here at No. 5 with the Florida Gators, who have added a total of six commitments from the transfer portal so far this offseason. Of those six, arguably the biggest is that of guard Walter Clayton Jr., an Iona transfer coming off a season in which he averaged 16.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.2 APG, and 1.8 SPG on 45.5%/43.1%/95.3% shooting to be named the 2022-23 MAAC Player of the Year.
In addition to Clayton, the Gators also added a few other noteworthy names such as Zyon Pullin, a guard who transfers to Florida after four seasons at UC Riverside. Pullin is also coming off what is arguably the greatest season of the four, a year in which he averaged 18.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 4.2 APG to earn First Team All-Big West honors.
Also included in those additions was Marshall center Micah Handlogten, who averaged 7.6 PPG and 9.8 RPG to be named 2022-23 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, as well as First Team All-Ivy selection in Yale forward EJ Jarvis. Rounding out the Gators transfer class so far is yet another likely impact player in Seton Hall forward Tyrese Samuel, along with San Francisco guard Julian Rishwain.
4. LSU Tigers
Moving on to No. 4, the LSU Tigers and head coach Matt McMahon have had success through the transfer portal so far this offseason, landing six total commitments. Of those six names, arguably the biggest comes via an in-conference transfer in Jordan Wright, who comes to LSU after four seasons at Vanderbilt in which he averaged a combined 9.5 PPG and 4.8 RPG across 124 career games, 74 of which he started.
Alongside the Vanderbilt transfer, LSU has also added three others to the frontcourt, with arguably the most notable name being that of Kentucky’s Daimion Collins, who is a former five-star recruit. In addition to Collins, the Tigers also added experienced George Washington transfer Hunter Dean, as well as Nevada center Will Baker, who averaged 13.6 PPG and 5.2 RPG this past season to earn Third Team All-MWC honors.
As for the Tigers two backcourt additions, arguably the biggest of those names is Jalen Cook, who transfers back to LSU after a pair of stellar seasons at Tulane in which he averaged a combined 19 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 4.2 APG, and 1.7 SPG to earn two First Team All-AAC selections. The Tigers other addition came from Santa Clara guard Carlos Stewart, who averaged 15.2 PPG a year ago to earn First Team All-WCC honors.
3. Ole Miss Rebels
We begin the top three at No. 3 with Ole Miss and new head coach Chris Beard, as the Rebels have landed one of the SEC’s top transfer classes so far this offseason, adding six commitments. Of the six, arguably the biggest is that of Georgetown guard Brandon Murray, a former 2021-22 SEC All-Freshman selection at LSU who averaged 13.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.2 APG, and 1.4 SPG in 27 games a year ago with the Hoyas.
In addition to Murray, Ole Miss has added three additional transfers to their backcourt, with one coming from within the SEC in Auburn’s Allen Flanigan, who averaged a combined 8.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 1.5 APG across the last four seasons with the Tigers. The Rebels other two backcourt additions came from Saint Peter’s guard Jaylen Murray, as well as Arizona State’s Austin Nunez.
As for Ole Miss’ two frontcourt additions, you could certainly make the argument that the Rebels landed two of SEC basketball’s most impactful defensive additions at the position in Moussa Cisse and Jamarion Sharp. Cisse, the 2021-22 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, averaged a combined 7 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 1.9 BPG across the last two seasons at Oklahoma State, while Sharp, who is the two-time defending CUSA Defensive Player of the Year, has averaged a combined 7.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 4.4 BPG the last two years at Western Kentucky.
2. Arkansas Razorbacks
Having landed yet another impressive class through the transfer portal this offseason, head coach Eric Musselman and the Arkansas Razorbacks sit at No. 2, with an argument certainly able to be made for No. 1 as well. As to what that transfer class includes, the Razorbacks have added six names via the portal, with arguably the biggest being that of either Tramon Mark or Khalif Battle.
Mark is coming off a season in which he started all 37 games at Houston, averaging 10.1 PPG as one of the Cougars top two-way guards. As for Battle, the Temple transfer is also an experienced guard, coming to Arkansas after three seasons at Temple in which he averaged a combined 17.8 PPG across 45 games, a span in which he also shot 36% from three and 85.6% from the free throw line.
Alongside those two, Arkansas has landed a few other backcourt additions through the transfer portal such as Washington’s Keyon Menifield, Cincinnati’s Jeremiah Davenport, and Louisville’s El Ellis, with the trio having averaged a combined 36.8 PPG a year ago. The Razorbacks lone addition in the frontcourt came from Memphis forward Chandler Lawson, who averaged 5 PPG and 4.5 RPG last season.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
As for No. 1, you could also make an argument for the Arkansas Razorbacks at the top spot as mentioned previously, but Alabama however claims the label as SEC basketball’s biggest winner through the transfer portal this offseason. The defending SEC basketball champions have simply hit a home run through the portal after losing a significant amount of production from last season by landing four commitments at the moment, headlined by what is arguably the conference’s top transfer addition in forward Grant Nelson.
Nelson is one of two Alabama frontcourt transfers during the offseason, and joins the Crimson Tide after three seasons at North Dakota State in which he averaged a combined 12.1 PPG, 6 RPG, 1.3 APG, and 1.3 BPG on 50.8% shooting from the field. Joining Nelson in the frontcourt is also a recent addition in West Virginia’s Mohamed Wague, who averaged 4.1 PPG and 3.1 RPG off the Mountaineers bench a year ago.
Alabama’s two backcourt additions come from Hofstra’s Aaron Estrada and Cal State Fullerton’s Latrell Wrightsell Jr., with Estrada coming off back-to-back seasons in which he was named the CAA Player of the Year, averaging 19.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 4.6 APG, and 1.5 SPG combined between the two. Wrightsell averaged a combined 11.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2 APG, and 1.2 SPG across the last three seasons, and is coming off a year in which he earned First Team All-Big West honors.