Who's the next Yaxel Lendeborg? Best mid-major players in the transfer portal
When the maize-and-blue confetti fell on Michigan men’s basketball after its 69-63 win against UConn in the 2026 NCAA Tournament championship game on Monday, one season came to an end.
At midnight, less than an hour after the Wolverines finished off their victory, another began.
The day after the title game, the transfer portal opened, sending the more than 360 Division I teams into a rush to start assembling their rosters for next season — whether it’s trying to hold onto their own players or trying to nab difference-makers from other teams.
For players outside of the sport’s power conferences, the portal is an opportunity to earn a bigger payday from a bigger program while getting to showcase your game on the sport’s biggest stages. This time a year ago, Yaxel Lendeborg was an all-conference standout at UAB before entering the portal, signing with Michigan and becoming the centerpiece of a Wolverines team that won the program’s first national championship in 37 years.
While having that kind of impact isn’t a realistic bar for any mid- or low-major star, there are dozens of players available from the sport’s smaller leagues who can be all-conference performers at the Power conference level and lift their new programs to the NCAA tournament.
Who are some of the players poised to help some of the country’s best teams next season? Here’s a look at the best mid- and low-major players available in the transfer portal:
Best mid-major players in the transfer portal
Note: Players from the Mountain West and Atlantic 10 were not considered for this article
Paulius Murauskas, Saint Mary’s
Murauskas is the No. 7 player available in USA TODAY’s transfer portal rankings for a reason: The 6-foot-8 Lithuanian averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for a 27-win Saint Mary’s team last season. It’s possible the first-team All-West Coast Conference honoree follows former Gaels coach Randy Bennett to Arizona State, where he was hired last month to replace Bobby Hurley, but he’ll be sought after by virtually any deep-pocketed program searching for a skilled big man.
Alex Wilkins, Furman
This time a year ago, Wilkins was a zero-star prospect coming out of high school in Massachusetts. Quite a bit has changed since then. As a freshman, the 6-foot-5 guard averaged a team-high 17.8 points and 4.7 assists per game for a Furman squad that won the Southern Conference. In the NCAA tournament, the No. 24 player in USA TODAY’s portal rankings showed he could compete against elite competition, scoring 21 points and making eight of his 15 shots in a competitive game against eventual national runner-up UConn. He’ll be more than just a quick rental, too, with three years of eligibility remaining.
Christian Hammond, Santa Clara
Another first-team All-WCC selection, Hammond was the leading scorer on a Santa Clara team that was a miracle heave against Kentucky away from advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The 6-foot-4 guard, the No. 34 player in USA TODAY’s portal rankings, averaged 15.6 points per game while shooting an efficient 48.4% from the field and 39.3% from 3. He’s a sophomore, too, giving him two more years of eligibility.
Tyler Lundblade, Belmont
The reigning Missouri Valley Conference player of the year was one of the top shooters available in the portal. The former walk-on made 40.6% of his 3-pointers despite having a high shooting volume, with 8.8 attempts per game from beyond the arc. As a graduate transfer, the 6-foot-5 Texas native didn’t even have to wait for the portal to open before deciding on his next stop, signing with Rick Barnes and Tennessee on April 2.
Jaquan Johnson, Bradley
Johnson took an enormous leap from his freshman to his sophomore season, improving his scoring average from 6.6 to 16.9 points per game to help him earn first-team All-MVC honors. He is only 5-foot-11, which could cause some problems against bigger, more athletic competition in a major conference, but his all-around production is impressive, with 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.6 steals per game. He was named the MVC most improved player and made the league’s all-defensive team.
Drew Scharnowski, Belmont
The 6-foot-9 Scharnowski, the No. 50 player in USA TODAY’s portal rankings, was a first-team all-MVC selection after averaging 10.7 points, six rebounds and 2.6 assists per game as a sophomore for a Bruins team that went 26-6. He was a strong presence down low, too, with 1.3 blocks per game. It’s possible he follows former Belmont coach Casey Alexander to Kansas State, but the Wildcats won’t be alone in vying for his services.
Wes Enis, South Florida
A former standout at Division II powerhouse Lincoln Memorial and the son of former Penn State and NFL running back Curtis Enis, Enis made the most of his first season at the Division I level. He averaged a team-high 16.2 points per game for a South Florida team that made its first NCAA tournament appearance in 14 years.
Though his season ended on a dour note, with him missing 13 of his 15 shots and all 11 of his 3-pointers in an NCAA tournament loss to Louisville, the No. 47 player in USA TODAY’s portal rankings is among the most talented offensive players available. Enis is reportedly entering the portal with a “do not contact” tag, heightening the expectation he’ll join former South Florida coach Bryan Hodgson at Providence.
Larry Johnson, McNeese
Coming out of high school, Johnson was sought after by some of the same kinds of programs who are now chasing after him. He was a top-60 recruit in the 2024 class who signed with Creighton, but did not play for the Bluejays during the 2024-25 season. He ended up at McNeese, where the 6-foot-4 guard averaged 17.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game as a freshman while shooting 49.2% overall and making the All-Southland Conference first team.
Gavin Doty, Siena
Doty did just about everything he could for Siena to try to pull off a stunning 16-over-1 upset over Duke in the NCAA tournament, scoring a team-high 21 points in a 71-65 first-round loss. The 6-foot-5 sophomore led the Saints in scoring at 18 points per game and was an excellent rebounder for someone his size, pulling down a team-high 6.9 boards per game. He didn’t waste much time in the portal, committing to follow former Siena coach Gerry McNamara to Syracuse on April 7, the first day the portal was open.
Leroy Blyden Jr., Toledo
Blyden was a big get for a Mid-American Conference program as a three-star recruit out of Detroit. He more than lived up to that promise as a freshman, averaging 16.4 points, 4.5 assists, four steals and 1.8 steals per game. The 6-foot-1 Blyden very nearly led the Rockets to their first NCAA tournament since 1980, scoring 21 points in the MAC championship game before losing on a buzzer-beater against Akron.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 10 best mid-major basketball players in transfer portal
