By Aidan Joly
The SEC is the highlight of the second part of my transfer portal additions pieces for the 2025-26 college basketball season.
Florida, the defending national champions, have made great backcourt additions in recent weeks, while Kentucky has made some adds that’ll put them back towards the top of the league again.
Let’s get into 20 more of these moves.
Henri Veesaar; Old school: Arizona | New school: North Carolina
Veesaar came off the bench the majority of the time for the Wildcats in 2024-25, but there is no doubting that Tommy Lloyd’s teams were better when he was on the floor. In just under 21 minutes per game Veesaar averaged 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest. For a seven-footer he shoots the ball well, just under 60% from the field and a bit over 32% from three. A versatile defensive player, he will have a chance of playing at the next level if he succeeds at UNC.
Morez Johnson; Old school: Illinois | New school: Michigan
Johnson was a top-30 recruit one year ago and did decently well as a freshman in Champaign, to the tune of 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in 17.7 minutes per game before going down with a wrist injury in mid-February that knocked him out for a month before the postseason. Before getting hurt, he had 11+ points in four of the eight previous games. If he can take a step in Ann Arbor, he can have a very nice sophomore season.
Boogie Fland; Old school: Arkansas | New school: Florida
Fland joins the defending national champions, coming back to college basketball after testing the NBA waters. He was only projected to be a mid-second round pick. A five-star recruit a season ago, he had a terrific first season at Arkansas, averaging 13.5 points per game. He is also a very good and mature for his year passer, averaging 5.1 assists per game in his first season in college basketball. Paired up with Xaivian Lee (we’ll get into him a little later), Fland will be the replacement for Walter Clayton Jr. in what will be another elite Gator backcourt.
Jaland Lowe; Old school: Pitt | New school: Kentucky
Lowe had a tremendous freshman season at Pitt in the 2023-24 season that resulted in draft buzz heading into 2024-25, but dips in efficiency led him back to college basketball for 2025-26. He did nearly double his scoring output from 9.6 PPG to 16.8 PPG, but shooting averages went down, especially from three, which went from 35.2% as a freshman to just 26.6% as a sophomore. If he can improve those numbers, he can go back to being a very, very productive player.
Owen Freeman; Old school: Iowa | New school: Creighton
Freeman is a very good post-up player who had a good season as a sophomore under Fran McCaffery, averaging 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game on 63.8% shooting from the field. Those numbers improve on freshman numbers. He has shown a little bit of potential from three-point range as well. He did have 1.8 blocks per game on the defensive end, but will need to be surrounded by good defenders in order to succeed on that end of the floor. We will see if that happens with the Bluejays.
Dailyn Swain; Old school: Xavier | New school: Texas
Swain follows new coach Sean Miller, who went from Xavier to Texas earlier in the off-season. Swain is a legitimate NBA prospect who prospered in his first season of college basketball, averaging 11.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game on 53.2% from the field, helping lead the Musketeers to an NCAA tournament win. He had 27 in a round of 64 loss to Illinois. It was actually something of a surprise that he didn’t declare for the draft this time around, even to test the waters. He needs to improve his shot, but if he does that he could hear his name called by the NBA in 2026.
Xzavier Brown; Old school: St. Joseph’s | New school: Oklahoma
Brown was quietly one of the best mid-major players in the country this past season, averaging 17.6 points per game and shot 35% from three on a team that finished in the top half of the Atlantic 10. He was a very consistent player at that too and got better as the season went along. He’ll find a way to get his points, even though he’s moving up considerably in the level of play.
Rodney Rice; Old school: Maryland | New school: USC
After struggling through injuries for a couple years at Virginia Tech – he played just eight games over two seasons – Rice showed what he is made of for a high major team. He averaged 13.8 points per game for the Terps and was a key piece on a team that went to the Sweet 16. He shot over 37% from three and 43.4% overall, a very capable shot maker when he gets open. He’ll get plenty of chances to do that with Eric Musselman and USC.
Wesley Yates III; Old school: USC | New school: Washington
Yates was a lethal knockdown shooter for the Trojans. As a freshman he made 43.9% of his attempts on the way to averaging 14.1 points per game. He shot over 47% from three in Big Ten play too, an extremely impressive figure. He is also six-foot-four, large for a guard, and plays with good physicality. He returns to Washington after spending a year there in 2023-24, albeit sitting.
KJ Lewis; Old school: Arizona | New school: Georgetown
Lewis does leave something to be desired on the offensive side of the floor, but he is one of the best defensive players you’ll see at this level. He started a handful of games at the beginning of the season before lineup change that saw him come off the bench the rest of the season. He thrived in it though, showcasing an ability to play multiple positions. Definitely a glue guy, and one that Georgetown could use in year three under Ed Cooley.
Jaron Pierre, Jr.; Old school: Jacksonville State | New school: SMU
Pierre was the Conference USA player of the year in 2024-25, averaging 21.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while hitting 38.2% of his threes on a team that came within a game of the NCAA tournament and ended up in the second round of the NIT. That was enough to get him a little bit of NBA buzz, too. He needs to work on his efficiency, but if he does that he can be maybe SMU’s best player in 2025-26.
Reed Bailey; Old school: Davidson | New school: Indiana
Bailey was another one of the best players in the Atlantic 10 this past season, averaging 18.8 points per game, admittedly for a Davidson team that struggled and finished just 6-12 in league play. Still he established himself as a solid sharpshooter, hitting 41.5% of his attempts from behind the arc. That’s especially impressive from a guy who stands at 6-foot-10. He is a very skilled big who will make an impact in year one under Darian DeVries.
Malique Ewin; Old school: Florida State | New school: Arkansas
Ewin is a do-it-all center. He averaged 14.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for a Florida State team that did struggle, but he was a bright spot for the Seminoles. He can hit shots at the rim and rebound well. He has good handles and is a good passer. He’s not the best defender in the world, but he plays solid defense. A shot is really the only thing he lacks, but for a player of that type that is OK. He should have an impact for the Razorbacks.
Jason Edwards; Old school: Vanderbilt | New school: Providence
Edwards was a very good player on a Vanderbilt team that was one of the biggest surprises in college basketball in 2024-25. After starting his career at North Texas, Edwards came in and averaged 17 points per game and made 35% of his threes for a Commodores team that made the second round of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2012. He plays better along another guard, but as long as Providence has good guard play, he should be great as a playmaker.
Kam Williams; Old school: Tulane | New school: Kentucky
Williams had a very good freshman season at Tulane in 2024-25, averaging 9.3 points per game while quickly getting a reputation for being a very good three-point shooter; he hit 41.2% of his attempts. Standing at 6-foot-8 he is also an active defender, having averaged more than one steal and block per contest. He still needs a little bit of development, but he is certainly a player who is starting to attract some NBA eyes.
Xaivian Lee; Old school: Princeton | New school: Florida
Lee has been one of the best mid-major players in the country the past two seasons. He could have left Princeton after the 2023-24 season but elected to return to the Tigers for another season. He averaged 16.9 points per game and made 36.8% of his threes. He has also garnered the reputation for being an elite passer, just the epitome of a good ball-handling guard. Coming to play for the defending national champions, he and Fland should create an elite backcourt in Gainesville.
Jacob Cofie; Old school: Virginia | New school: USC
Cofie had a very solid freshman season and at times looked like a one-and-done player, but slowing down as the season went on showed the need for a little bit more development. In just over 20 minutes per game he averaged 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Standing 6-foot-10 he has the ability to play both the four and the five, something that will help his development both in the college game and as he works to the next level.
Aday Mara; Old school: UCLA | New school: Michigan
Mara came into college basketball two seasons ago as a highly touted prospect coming out of Spain, but his college career has left a little bit to be desired so far. He averaged 6.4 points per game for the Bruins in 2024-25 as a sophomore, but really came into his own as the season went on. He is a player who is due for a breakout season, and he very well could have that opportunity at Michigan under Dusty May.
Blake Harper; Old school: Howard | New school: Creighton
Harper had a terrific freshman season for Howard, averaging 19.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game on the way to the MEAC player of the year in his first season of college basketball. He has a great touch and shooting stroke, but there are some levels of concern about his efficiency. He will certainly have time to develop, but he will have to do it eventually as he makes the big jump from the MEAC to the Big East.
Mouhamed Diabate; Old school: Alabama | New school: Kentucky
Diabate is one of the best glue guys in the country. He has shown the ability to do just about everything on and off the ball and has the reputation for being a very, very good playmaker. He averaged 7.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for Alabama in 2024-25 and was one of the better offensive rebounders in the country. He is a player who leans into what he is good at, which makes him efficient. He’ll be a guy who Mark Pope loves and will have a very important role in Lexington.
AJ Hoops 