2026 men’s college basketball transfer portal tracker: Latest Big 5 moves, where Philly-area recruits are heading
More than 1,500 men's college basketball players entered the transfer portal, which officially opened on Tuesday, and included several Big 5 players.
The college basketball season is officially over, which means it’s time for the transactional period to begin. Welcome to the 2026 transfer portal.
More than 1,500 men’s basketball players were in the portal in the first 24 hours after it officially opened on Tuesday . The portal is open for two weeks, but players do not need to make their commitment to a new school during that window. The next few weeks will be filled with salary negotiations during the yearly NCAA free agency process.
We’ll be tracking it all here, from players moving in and out of — or around — the Big 5 to keeping tabs on former Philly-area players at other schools. We’ll also take a look at where some of the top local high school recruits from the Class of 2026 will be playing in the fall.
Big 5 portal entries
Here are the players that were at Big 5 schools during the 2025-26 season but have entered the transfer portal.
Villanova
Acaden Lewis (point guard) started for the Wildcats during his freshman year and averaged 12.2 points, 5.3 assists, and 3 rebounds.
Bryce Lindsay (guard) was a redshirt sophomore and Villanova’s best scorer during its nonconference schedule.
Braden Pierce (center), a redshirt freshman reserve who followed coach Kevin Willard from Maryland, played 6.5 minutes per game and averaged 1.2 points.
Tafara Gapare (forward), a senior, left the program midseason after playing in just nine games.
Nico Onyekwere (center) didn’t play for Villanova this season after the freshman redshirted during his first year on campus.
» READ MORE: Villanova will have two starters back, but other needs have emerged after multiple portal entries
Temple
Aiden Tobiason (guard) averaged 15.3 points, second on the team, and led the Owls with 39 steals. He’ll have two years of eligibility left.
Babatunde Durodola (forward), a sophomore, started as a freshman and was a key rotational player this season.
Spencer Mahoney (forward) made 13 appearances as a redshirt sophomore.
Connor Gal (guard/Great Valley High graduate) played 12 minutes across five games and will have one year of eligibility left.
St. Joseph’s
Dasear Haskins (guard/Camden High graduate) averaged 11.1 points and started for the Hawks as a redshirt sophomore.
Anthony Finkley (forward/Roman Catholic graduate), a junior, averaged 19 minutes in 35 games.
Kevin Kearney (forward) appeared in 14 games as a redshirt freshman.
Jaden Smith (center) averaged 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in 9.1 minutes after transferring from Fordham.
Steven Solano (center), a redshirt freshman, played in eight games.
Al Amadou (center/Springside Chestnut Hill Academy graduate) transferred from Marquette and appeared in 11 games.
Penn
Ethan Roberts (forward) has one year of eligibility remaining and was the Quakers’ leading scorer (16.9 points per game).
Cam Thrower (guard), a senior who spent four years at Penn, averaged 17 minutes in 27 games.
Dylan Williams (guard) played in seven of Penn’s first 10 games before the senior missed the rest of the season with an injury.
Michelangelo Oberti (center) appeared in 12 games.
Bradyn Foster (forward) saw action in Penn’s season opener.
Drexel
Shane Blakeney (guard) was Drexel’s leading scorer, averaging 14.2 points in 33 games as a junior.
Kevon Vanderhorst (guard) averaged 9.3 points and 2.9 assists while starting all 33 games for the Dragons.
Villiam Garcia Adsten (guard), a junior, averaged 17.5 minutes in 32 games.
Horace Simmons Jr. (forward/La Salle College High School graduate) appeared in 13 games.
La Salle
Ashton Walker (guard) started 21 games and averaged 8.2 points as a freshman.
Eric Acker (guard), a junior, appeared in 26 games, starting 10, and averaged 18.9 minutes.
Nas Hart (forward) played in 20 games as a freshman.
Big 5 additions
These are the players who are transferring to Big 5 schools. (This list will be updated as commitments roll in.)
La Salle
Trey Moss (guard, from George Washington)
Local portal entries
In addition to the local players in the Big 5 mentioned above, here are some notable players from the Philly area who are on the move:
Rob Wright, BYU (guard/Neumann Goretti)
Kevair Kennedy, Merrimack (guard/Father Judge)
Jalil Bethea, Alabama (guard/Archbishop Wood)
DJ Wagner, Arkansas (guard/Camden)
Justin Moore, Loyola-Chicago (guard/Drexel, Archbishop Wood)
Where local 2026 recruits are going to college
Here’s a look at where some of the area’s top boys’ basketball players are heading off to play in the fall.
Sammy Jackson, Virginia Commonwealth (small forward/Roman Catholic)
Ethan Johnston, Marquette (shooting guard/Hill School)
Xavier Blake, Hofstra (shooting guard/Phelps School)
Derrick Morton-Rivera, Temple (shooting guard/Father Judge)
Mani Sajid, Towson (shooting guard/Plymouth Whitemarsh)
Darnell Lloyd, Boston College, (center/Perkiomen School)
2026 recruits headed to Big 5 schools
Villanova
Adam Oumiddoch (shooting guard/Overtime Elite league)
Penn
Isaiah Carroll (small forward/Blair Academy of Warren County)
Ethan Lin (point guard/Montgomery High of Somerset County)
Temple
Derrick Morton-Rivera (shooting guard/Father Judge)