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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 April 7, and included several Big 5 players.

The Big 5 men's basketball coaches, Zach Spiker (Drexel), Steve Donahue (St. Joseph's), Fran McCaffery (Penn), Kevin Willard (Villanova), Darris Nichols (La Salle), and Adam Fisher (Temple), have had major roster turnover.
The Big 5 men's basketball coaches, Zach Spiker (Drexel), Steve Donahue (St. Joseph's), Fran McCaffery (Penn), Kevin Willard (Villanova), Darris Nichols (La Salle), and Adam Fisher (Temple), have had major roster turnover.Read moreAnton Klusener/ Staff illustration; Staff photos; Getty Image

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 April 7. 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 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
Big 5 portal additions
Local portal entries
Where local 2026 recruits are going to college
2026 recruits headed to Big 5 schools

Big 5 portal entries

Here are the players who were at Big 5 schools during the 2025-26 season but have entered the transfer portal.

Villanova

  1. Acaden Lewis (point guard) started for the Wildcats during his freshman year and averaged 12.2 points, 5.3 assists, and 3 rebounds. (Transferring to Miami.)

  2. Bryce Lindsay (guard) was a redshirt sophomore and Villanova’s best scorer during its nonconference schedule. (Transferring to Indiana.)

  3. Malachi Palmer (forward) was a solid contributor off the bench who started down the stretch after Matt Hodge went down. But Villanova recruited multiple forwards out of the portal. (Transferring to Minnesota.)

  4. Chris Jeffrey (guard), a freshman backup point guard who missed time after knee surgery but had promising moments.

  5. 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. (Transferring to College of Charleston.)

  6. Zion Stanford (forward/West Catholic graduate) transferred to Villanova from Temple, left the team in March after playing in 10 games. (Transferring to Towson.)

  7. Tafara Gapare (forward), a senior, left the program at midseason after playing in just nine games.

» READ MORE: Villanova will have two starters back, but other needs have emerged after multiple portal entries

Temple

  1. 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. (Transferring to Syracuse.)

  2. Babatunde Durodola (forward), a sophomore, started as a freshman and was a key rotational player this season. (Transferring to Ball State.)

  3. Jamai Felt (forward) started in 23 games and averaged 4.1 rebounds. (Transferring to Arkansas-Little Rock.)

  4. AJ Smith (guard) averaged 7.8 points in eight games and had his season cut short by a shoulder injury.

  5. Spencer Mahoney (forward) made 13 appearances as a redshirt sophomore. (Transferring to Denver.)

  6. Ayuba Bryant Jr. (forward) appeared in 27 games, averaging 8.1 minutes.

  7. Connor Gal (guard/Great Valley High graduate) played 12 minutes across five games and will have one year of eligibility left.

Dasear Haskins was a key starter for the Hawks this season.
Dasear Haskins was a key starter for the Hawks this season.Read moreElizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

St. Joseph’s

  1. Deuce Jones (guard/La Salle), who led the Hawks in scoring during the first two months of the season, was dismissed from the team in December. (Transferring to Alabama-Birmingham.)

  2. Dasear Haskins (guard/Camden High graduate) averaged 11.1 points and started for the Hawks as a redshirt sophomore. (Transferring to Ole Miss.)

  3. Anthony Finkley (forward/Roman Catholic graduate), a junior, averaged 19 minutes in 35 games. (Transferring to La Salle.)

  4. Kevin Kearney (forward) appeared in 14 games as a redshirt freshman. (Transferring to Manhattan.)

  5. Jaden Smith (center) averaged 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in 9.1 minutes after transferring from Fordham. (Transferring to Ball State.)

  6. Steven Solano (center), a redshirt freshman, played in eight games. (Transferring to Delaware.)

  7. Al Amadou (center/Springside Chestnut Hill Academy graduate) transferred from Marquette and appeared in 11 games. (Transferring to Wisconsin-Milwaukee.)

Penn

  1. Ethan Roberts (forward) has one year of eligibility remaining — the Ivy League prohibits graduate students from playing intercollegiate athletics — and was the Quakers’ leading scorer (16.9 points per game). (Transferring to Notre Dame.)

  2. Cam Thrower (guard), a senior who spent four years at Penn, averaged 17 minutes in 27 games. (Transferring to Elon.)

  3. Dylan Williams (guard) played in seven of Penn’s first 10 games before the senior missed the rest of the season with an injury.

  4. Michelangelo Oberti (center) appeared in 12 games. (Transferring to Boston University)

  5. Alex Massung (guard), who averaged 5.6 minutes in 10 games played.

  6. Bradyn Foster (forward) saw action in Penn’s season opener.

Drexel

  1. Shane Blakeney (guard) was Drexel’s leading scorer, averaging 14.2 points in 33 games as a junior. (Transferring to South Carolina.)

  2. Kevon Vanderhorst (guard) averaged 9.3 points and 2.9 assists while starting all 33 games for the Dragons.

  3. Villiam Garcia Adsten (guard), a junior, averaged 17.5 minutes in 32 games. (Transferring to Maine.)

  4. Horace Simmons Jr. (forward/La Salle College High School graduate) appeared in 13 games.

La Salle

  1. Ashton Walker (guard) started 21 games and averaged 8.2 points as a freshman. (Transferring to Monmouth.)

  2. Eric Acker (guard), a junior, appeared in 26 games, starting 10, and averaged 18.9 minutes. (Transferring to Northern Kentucky.)

  3. Nas Hart (forward) played in 20 games as a freshman. (Transferring to Quinnipiac.)

  4. Edwin Daniel (forward) played 31 games (14.5 minutes) and averaged nearly four points and 3.5 rebounds. (Transferring to Stephen F. Austin.)

Villanova coach Kevin Willard directs his team against Butler on Feb. 25.
Villanova coach Kevin Willard directs his team against Butler on Feb. 25. Read moreElizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

Big 5 portal additions

These are the players who are transferring to Big 5 schools.

Temple

  1. Dez White (guard/Oregon State)

  2. Dallis Dillard (guard/Indiana University of Pennsylvania)

  3. Baboucarr Njie (forward/UTSA)

  4. Cam Scott (guard/South Carolina)

  5. Jason Drake (guard/Indiana)

  6. Jordan Marsh (guard/USC)

  7. Sir Isaac Herron (forward/Louisiana Tech)

Villanova

  1. Kwame Evans Jr. (forward/Oregon)

  2. Devin Royal (forward/Ohio State)

  3. Jake Fiegen (guard/Cornell)

  4. Elijah Crawford (guard/Illinois-Chicago)

  5. Darryl Simmons II (guard/St. Bonaventure)

La Salle

  1. Trey Moss (guard/George Washington)

  2. Vice Zanki (forward/Niagara)

  3. Anthony Finkley (forward/St. Joe’s)

  4. Jamison Lynam (guard/Arcadia)

  5. Kam Burton (guard/Stephen F. Austin)

  6. Devin Booker (guard/George Mason/Cristo Rey HS)

  7. Eunique Rink (forward/Hampton)

St. Joe’s

  1. Gavin Marrs (center/Oregon State)

  2. Logan Carey (guard/Maine)

  3. Don Flamer (forward/Elizabeth City State - Division II)

  4. Sean Logan (center/Davidson)

Penn

  1. Sir Mohammed (guard/Notre Dame)

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:

  1. Kevair Kennedy, Merrimack to Wake Forest (guard/Father Judge)

  2. Jalil Bethea, Alabama to Pittsburgh (guard/Archbishop Wood)

  3. DJ Wagner, Arkansas to Maryland (guard/Camden)

  4. Justin Moore, Loyola-Chicago to Hofstra (guard/Drexel, Archbishop Wood)

  5. Budd Clark, Seton Hall to Ole Miss (guard/West Catholic)

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.

  1. Sammy Jackson, Virginia Commonwealth (small forward/Roman Catholic)

  2. Ethan Johnston, Marquette (shooting guard/Hill School)

  3. Xavier Blake, Hofstra (shooting guard/Phelps School)

  4. Derrick Morton-Rivera, Temple (shooting guard/Father Judge)

  5. Mani Sajid, Towson (shooting guard/Plymouth Whitemarsh)

  6. Darnell Lloyd, Boston University (center/Perkiomen School)

  7. RJ Smith, La Salle (guard/Roman Catholic)

  8. Michael Pereira, Penn (center/Plymouth Whitemarsh)

2026 recruits headed to Big 5 schools

Villanova

  1. Adam Oumiddoch (shooting guard/Overtime Elite league)

Penn

  1. Isaiah Carroll (small forward/Blair Academy of Warren County)

  2. Ethan Lin (point guard/Montgomery High of Somerset County)

  3. Michael Pereira (center/Plymouth Whitemarsh)

  4. Chase Geremia (guard/Newman School)

  5. Finley Billy (forward/Bullis School)

  6. Johnny Keenan (guard/St. Thomas More)

Temple

  1. Derrick Morton-Rivera (shooting guard/Father Judge)

La Salle

  1. RJ Smith (guard/Roman Catholic)

  2. Breylon Webb (guard/Western Reserve Academy)

Drexel

  1. BJ Brown (guard/Sumter)

  2. Tre Paulding (forward/Lee’s Summit North)

St. Joe’s

  1. BJ Ranson (guard/Mount St. Joseph)

  2. Keoni Sacco (forward/Fork Union Military Academy)

    Jeff Neiburg
    Bluesky
    I cover the Eagles and also contribute to The Inquirer's coverage of college basketball, particularly the Villanova Wildcats.
    Isabella DiAmore
    I write and edit content across all sports, focusing primarily on high school and college.
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