Winners and Losers Of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Transfer Portal
It is transfer portal season in college hoops, and some programs are ahead, while others fall behind. Well-known programs such as Florida and Duke are ahead with their brand name, helping, whereas lesser-known basketball schools like Notre Dame and Wake Forest struggle to build their squad for next season. The fight for the best players continues with multiple players getting picked up by programs. Some look to build the next National Championship squad, while others hope for improvements from last season.
Florida Gators
Florida is the frontrunner when it comes to talent and experience, with five players on their squad winning the National Championship with the program two years ago and possibly adding a sixth with Denzel Aberdeen. There was only one senior who stayed at one school for all four years in the SEC last season, and this year, Florida will have two. Their team's chemistry and experience are going to be scary this season, making them a top contender for the title. All of this, paired with a coach who has experience winning the title, tells fans they have what it takes to go all the way again.
Duke Blue Devils
Duke is another program that always seems to win the postseason, bringing in the top talents in the nation. The brand name helps, of course, but also the successful seasons they provide. Although falling short in March seems to be a recurring problem for the blue blood, Jon Scheyer brings in top recruits. Duke acquired Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, who is an outstanding shooter, adding to their already elite offense. Additionally, Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski is going to help in the paint as a big man. They also have Patrick Ngongba, who is a stealthy passer for the Blue Devils and could be one of the best players in the conference. They will also keep players such as Cayden Boozer and Caleb Foster, who will help Duke in the transition towards new players. They are always an early favorite to win the title, but seem to come up short in recent years. Maybe this change will see a different Blue Devil program in the postseason.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
On the contrary, some ACC programs have struggled this postseason, including Notre Dame and Wake Forest. For the Fighting Irish, the problem came down to money. Their best three players, Jalen Haralson, Cole Certa, and Markus Burton, all entered the transfer portal after Notre Dame couldn’t reach market value. The program had to look elsewhere, bringing in Gonzaga transfer Braeden Smith, Penn transfer Ethan Roberts, and Winthrop big man Logan Duncomb. They are all expected to start, but the talent has decreased since last season after a disappointing year for the Irish.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
As for the Demon Deacons, money is similarly a problem, especially after their top two players entered the portal. To add to their mess, its best recruit, Quentin Coleman, is now staying close to home after the Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year committed to Illinois. This came right after the Fighting Illini advanced to the Final Four, showing the program has what it takes to succeed. They now look at the transfer portal to rebuild their dwindling roster. They also look at the worst time with the prices for free agents skyrocketing, which only hurts programs like Wake Forest, which aren’t at the top of the list when it comes to resources in college basketball. All programs are striving for successful seasons next year, but the building blocks for that perfect program start now, and some are ahead of the pack while others are slipping away.
