Kansas, Kentucky and UNC among teams hit hard by college basketball transfer portal losses

The transfer portal giveth, but it also taketh.

And sometimes, not to an equal extent.

There’s still a week left — until April 21 — for players to officially enter the transfer portal, and there’s no firm deadline for them to commit once they’re in.

But a few schools have clearly been hit hardest early, with several prominent programs experiencing a mass exodus of talent. That doesn’t mean those teams won’t eventually wind up with as much (or more) talent as they’re losing — but their rosters will look dramatically different than they did this season.

Specifically, these seven high-major teams, all of which are undergoing massive roster makeovers:

Georgia

Key lost transfers: G Jeremiah Wilkinson (17.4 points per game, 2 rebounds per game); C Somto Cyril (9.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.2 blocks per game); G Jordan Ross (6.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.3 assists per game); F Jake Wilkins (4.9 ppg); F Dylan James (4.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg)

Transfers added: N/A

Some reward Mike White got for leading Georgia to a second straight NCAA Tournament, huh? The Bulldogs have already seen four of their top seven minutes-getters — including Wilkinson, their leading scorer — enter the portal. Also gone is Wilkins, a top-75 recruit last summer and the son of Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins. Replacing Wilkinson’s scoring ability won’t be easy, but arguably the biggest loss here is actually Cyril, a 6-foot-11 shot-blocking savant who anchored UGA’s defense and has since committed to Miami. White has to find not just a lead guard but a comparable defensive-minded big who can hold up on a nightly basis in the SEC.

Kansas

Key lost transfers: F Flory Bidunga (13.3 ppg, 9 rpg, 2.6 bpg); F Bryson Tiller (7.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg); G Elmarko Jackson (4.8 ppg); G Jamari McDowell (3.3 ppg); G Jayden Dawson (2.1 ppg)

Transfers added: N/A

Louisville already made the No. 1 player in The Athletic’s transfer portal rankings a very rich man. And it’s hard to envision the Jayhawks finding a replacement for Bidunga, given the rate at which centers are flying off the board. But the larger concern for KU goes beyond Bidunga. Amid Darryn Peterson’s imminent departure for the NBA Draft, Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. running out of eligibility and much of the rest of KU’s rotation transferring out, Bill Self is essentially going to be starting from scratch. The only rotational player set to return for the Jayhawks is freshman wing Kohl Rosario, who started the first six games of the season but barely saw the floor once Big 12 play began. Can Kansas lure Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class, to give Self at least one major building block?

Kentucky

Key lost transfers: G Denzel Aberdeen (13.5 ppg, 3.4 apg, 2.5 rpg); G Collin Chandler (9.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg); F Mouhamed Dioubate (8.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg); G Jaland Lowe (8 ppg, 2.4 apg); F Andrija Jelavic (5.5 ppg, 4 rpg); G Jasper Johnson (4.9 ppg); C Brandon Garrison (4.7 ppg,  4.1 rpg)

Transfers added: N/A

Purging arguably the most disappointing roster in the sport this season — one with a $22 million price tag that became an albatross — probably isn’t the worst idea. But will Mark Pope spend more wisely? He’d better, or else there will be serious questions about his future as head coach of his alma mater. Expect Pope to lean more heavily into his typical roster-building model: skilled, versatile players who can run his preferred offense, rather than over-reliance on athleticism.

That said, the Cats — like Kansas — are in the mix for Stokes, and could sorely use a player of his talent (and name-brand value) to build around. Kentucky — unlike its fellow blue blood — is likely to return at least one key contributor from this season: 7-foot center Malachi Moreno, who declared for the NBA Draft while maintaining his eligibility. Moreno was one of the few bright spots for UK this season, and next year’s squad could use his rebounding prowess and propensity for drawing fouls.

NC State

Key lost transfers: G Paul McNeil Jr. (13.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg); G Matt Able (8.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg); G Alyn Breed (4.5 ppg); G Terrance Arceneaux (3.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg); G Cole Cloer (redshirt)

Transfers added: G Christian Hammond (15.6 ppg, 3 rpg, 2.5 apg at Santa Clara)

Coaching changes almost always breed widespread roster turnover, and Will Wade’s messy exit from NC State is no different. In some ways, the Wolfpack were already destined for a reset, with veterans like Tre Holloman, Darrion Williams, Quadir Copeland and Ven-Allen Lubin all exhausting their eligibility. But losing two players with first-round potential in McNeil and Able stings.

It would behoove new coach Justin Gainey to sell out to retain McNeil, especially, a North Carolina native and one of the sport’s best shooters. Gainey is at least on the board with Hammond, a solid scorer and 3-point shooter off an NCAA Tournament team. The next question is, will he bring any players with him from Tennessee? Possibly, as point guard Bishop Boswell — a fellow North Carolinian and starter for the Vols — has already visited campus.

North Carolina

Key lost transfers: G Luka Bogavac (9.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg); G Derek Dixon (6.5 ppg, 2.7 apg); W Jonathan Powell (4.8 ppg); G Kyan Evans (4 ppg, 2.5 apg); F Zayden High (3.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg)

Transfers added: G/F Neoklis Avdalas (12.1 ppg, 4.6 apg, 3.1 rpg at Virginia Tech)

Another coaching change, another roster turning over. Several players from the Hubert Davis era have already landed elsewhere — Bogavac at Oklahoma State, Dixon at Arizona and Powell at Pitt — while new coach Michael Malone builds out his first team in Chapel Hill. But in addition to losing its entire backcourt from this season, UNC had another portal entry of sorts earlier this week, when five-star point guard and top-10 recruit Dylan Mingo reopened his commitment. (According to a source briefed on negotiations, Malone and his staff preferred to reallocate the money Davis had set aside for Mingo elsewhere.)

Still, the Tar Heels’ rebuilding efforts are off to a strong start with a commitment from Avdalas, who has first-round potential. Can UNC add Wake Forest wing Juke Harris — the No. 2 transfer in America, per The Athletic’s rankings — to that mix? And can Malone retain center Henri Veesaar, who has one of the most intriguing stay-or-go decisions in the country?

Notre Dame

Key lost transfers: G Markus Burton (18.5 ppg, 3.7 apg, 2.8 rpg); F Jalen Haralson (16.2 ppg, 4 rpg, 2.6 apg); G Cole Certa (12.8 ppg); F Sir Mohammed (5.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg); F Garrett Sundra (3.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg); G Ryder Frost (2.7 ppg)

Transfers added: C Logan Duncomb (18.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg at Winthrop)

Notre Dame’s three best players — Burton, Haralson and Certa — all entered the transfer portal, leaving the cupboard almost entirely bare in South Bend. (Burton has since committed to Indiana, Certa has committed to Clemson and Haralson is expected to land at Tennessee.) Micah Shrewsberry has at least landed one impact starter for next season in Duncomb, a breakout big man named Big South Player of the Year, but the scale of outgoing versus incoming talent is imbalanced at present. Shrewsberry’s son, Braeden, returns, as does rising sophomore big Brady Koehler, but entering a season in which Shrewsberry is almost certainly coaching for his job, Notre Dame desperately needs to add no-doubt contributors — and fast.

Tennessee

Key lost transfers: F J.P. Estrella (10 ppg, 5.4 rpg); F Jaylen Carey (7.4 ppg, 6 rpg); G Bishop Boswell (6.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.1 apg); G Amari Evans (4.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg); F Cade Phillips (3.8 ppg, 4 rpg)

Transfers added: G Dai Dai Ames (16.9 ppg at California); G Tyler Lundblade (15.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg at Belmont); F Miles Rubin (11.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.3 bpg at Loyola Chicago)

Rick Barnes depends on multiple bigs as much as any coach in America — but if he’s going to do that next season, it’ll be with almost an entirely new frontcourt. Not only did Estrella, Carey and Phillips hit the portal, but freshman Nate Ament is expected to enter the NBA Draft, and Felix Okpara is out of eligibility. That’s to say nothing of the Vols backcourt, either, which will also look markedly different with Boswell and Evans transferring out, and Ja’Kobi Gillespie out of eligibility.

It’s as much turnover as Barnes has experienced in Knoxville, with Tennessee’s top seven minutes-getters departing. The good news for Tennessee is Barnes always gets talent, too, already landing an impressive transfer trio to help fill the void. Ames is a veteran guard who can put the ball in the hole, while Lundblade should slot nicely into a perimeter shooting role. Rubin will be an integral piece of Tennessee’s eventual frontcourt puzzle, although the Vols still need some bodies to bang down low.