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Dick Vitale
Sit down, strap in and grab the summer lemonade, because the 2025 men’s college hoops transfer carousel has been spinning faster than a disco ball at Studio 54. Nearly 2,700 players jumped into the portal this year — roughly 2,300 of them from D-I men’s basketball alone. That’s more movement than a pep band’s trombone section, and it’s turned today’s head coach into a part-strategist, part-general manager.
So, who hit the jackpot? Here are my Top 5 PTPers (Prime-Time Players), and the five teams I think turned the portal into a recruiting buffet.
PTPers: Transfers edition
The nation’s No. 3 scorer, who averaged 21.7 points last year, left Memphis, and Manhattan, Kansas, is saying “Welcome to the Little Apple.” With his length and scoring ability, he can light it up, create turnovers and disrupt passing lanes. Look out Big 12. The Kansas State Wildcats are on the rise.
Bruins coach Mick Cronin found his floor general. Dent’s downhill dashes will have Pauley Pavilion rockin’ like the ’70s. An elite point guard, Dent was in the top 15 in both scoring and assists last year while at New Mexico. He’s got energy, handles like a magician, and he can make things happen off the dribble.
In a portal loaded with guards, Lendeborg stands out. Michigan coach Dusty May needed a glue guy and got a super-glue guy! Double-double machine, rim-runner, energy giver — Maize & Blue fans will be saying “Lende-WOW!” He’s a do-it-all player with a high motor, and he’ll battle night after night in the Big Ten.
New Wolfpack coach Will Wade crushed it on the recruiting trail with the addition of this sharpshooter. Three-ball, toughness, versatility — he’s a statsheet-stuffer, baby! Williams is a top-tier impact player, improving his three-point shot every season. He’ll be the star for this top-25 contender.
Stirtz is a skilled combo guard with a silky arc shot and a knack for scoring around the rim. The Big Ten’s a step up, but this kid’s got the talent to adapt and excel in his first year with the Hawkeyes. In that motion offense, Stirtz will slice and dice Big Ten defenses like a Ginsu knife!
Five programs that owned the portal
Rick Pitino is still a magician. He brought in Bryce Hopkins and New York City’s own Ian Jackson, giving him a top-ranked transfer class and Madison Square Garden an electricity we haven’t seen since Chris Mullin’s mullet.
Mark Pope reeled in five top-100 transfers, headlined by big Jayden Quaintance, who’s already back in practice gear after a March ACL surgery. If Big Blue get healthy, they’ll be prime-time viewing in Rupp Arena.
Four top-50 gets for Coach May: Lendeborg, plus Tar Heel table-setter Elliot Cadeau at the point. Ann Arbor’s rebuilding faster than you can say “Fab Five redux.”
Reigning champs didn’t need quantity, just quality. Enter Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee, a backcourt quicker than an airline Wi-Fi drop. Todd Golden’s chomp stays ferocious.
Danny Sprinkle sprinkled stardust with USC imports Wesley Yates III and Desmond Claude, plus SoCon Player of the Year sharpshooter Quimari Peterson. That roster just got a whole lot more exciting.
The transfer portal has reshaped the title chase overnight. Strap in for a season of instant-impact stars, late-shot-clock drama and plenty of diaper dandies mixing with veteran PTPers. I can’t wait to call it. See you courtside, and remember: It’s Awesome, baby, with a capital A!
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