Pounded by the portal: Teams who have lost best transfer players starring for other programs

After clearly winning the title of best “ghost roster” in college basketball last season, Texas Tech faced stiff competition in 2024-25. But after a careful evaluation of more than 30 contenders, the Red Raiders are repeating as ghost national champions, edging North Carolina, Illinois and a handful of other strong ghost squads in this season’s college basketball ghost roster rankings.

What is a “ghost roster” you ask? It’s a program’s collection of former players who are still active in college basketball. For example: Michigan’s ghost roster is headlined by star Kansas center Hunter Dickinson, who spent three seasons with the Wolverines before shocking the college basketball world by transferring to join the Jayhawks.

In fact, some players, such as Michigan guard Nimari Burnett, are part of multiple teams in the ghost roster rankings. Since Burnett previously played for Alabama and Texas Tech, he appears twice in these rankings.

To finish atop the ghost roster roster rankings, you must have more than just a couple of talented former players tearing it up elsewhere (everyone has that in college basketball nowadays). Take Belmont, for example. The Bruins once rostered Will Richard (Florida), Malik Dia (Ole Miss) and Ja’Kobe Gillespie (Maryland), each of whom are now key contributors for quality high-major teams.

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However, the Bruins didn’t make the Ghost Team rankings because their list of noteworthy former players elsewhere in college basketball gets fairly shallow after that. The same logic applies with teams like Creighton (Ryan Nembhard and Arthur Kaluma) and Gonzaga (Hunter Sallis and Oumar Ballo). While they may have a couple of former players starring elsewhere, they can’t quite field a full top-10 ghost roster.

This ranking encapsulates both star power (quality of outbound transfers) and depth (quantity of outbound transfers). I.E. the teams are ranked like they would be if these were really their rosters.

With that, here are the 2024-25 college basketball ghost roster rankings.

Statistics through Tuesday’s games

1. Texas Tech

Texas Tech topped this list last season with a trio of NBA Draft picks in Terrence Shannon, Kevin McCullar and Jaylon Tyson. None of the three are still playing college basketball, but there is still a strong contingent of former Red Raiders sprinkled through the landscape. In particular, Vlad Goldin has been a wrecking ball on the interior in his first season at Michigan, as the Wolverines have made a quick turnaround under coach Dusty May.

Even some Texas Tech fans have probably forgotten by now that he was once a reserve center for the Red Raiders. Pop Isaacs is out for the season due to hip surgery but was playing a starring role for Creighton through his first eight games after leading Texas Tech in scoring last season.

Pop Isaacs | Creighton | 6-2 | G*
16.3 PPG | 3.9 APG | 38.3% 3PT

Nimari Burnett | Michigan | 6-4 | SG
10.7 PPG | 3.4 RPG | 48.1% 3PT

Micah Peavy | Georgetown | 6-7 | SF
13.9 PPG | 5.3 RPG | 45.2% FG

Vladislav Goldin | Michigan | 7-1 | C
16.4 PPG | 6.1 RPG | 1.8 BPG

Daniel Batcho | Louisiana Tech | 6-11 | C
18.7 PPG | 6.9 RPG | 2.2 BPG

Chibuzo Agbo | USC | 6-7 | SF
12.4 PPG | 4.7 RPG | 38.3% 3PT

Mylik Wilson | Houston | 6-3 | SG
5.6 PPG | 3.2 RPG | 49.4% FG

Lamar Washington | Pacific | 6-4 | PG
12.8 PPG | 6.3 APG | 5.0 RPG

D’maurian Williams | High Point | 6-5 | SG
14.2 PPG | 2.6 APG | 38.4% 3PT

Elijah Fisher | Pacific | 6-6 | SG
16.3 PPG | 5.0 RPG | 49.8% FG

Kyeron Lindsay | Murray State | 6-7 | SF
7.4 PPG | 4.5 RPG | 50.9% FG

Robert Jennings | Oklahoma State | 6-7 | SF
6.6 PPG | 3.8 RPG | 44.3% FG

*out for season due to injury

2. Illinois

There is enough here to field a solid team. Coleman Hawkins, Luke Goode and Dain Dainja were each impactful players for an Elite Eight team at Illinois last season. Melendez is playing a vital role for a top-20 Mississippi State team. Epps and Miller are each shooting it well from the outside at their current schools, and Skyy Clark has carved out a significant role at UCLA. Harris and Hansberry are each making significant contributions to an impressive turnaround at West Virginia under first-year coach Darian DeVries.

Skyy Clark | UCLA | 6-3 | PG
7.0 PPG | 2.7 APG | 1.4 SPG

Jayden Epps | Georgetown | 6-2 | SG
13.3 PPG | 2.3 APG | 40% 3PT

Adam Miller | Arizona State | 6-3 | SG
9.4 PPG | 2.1 APG | 43.8% 3PT

RJ Melendez | Mississippi State | 6-7 | SF
9.6 PPG | 4.2 RPG | 1.3 SPG

Coleman Hawkins | Kansas State | 6-10 | PF
10.8 PPG | 6.9 RPG | 2.1 SPG

Dain Dainja | Memphis | 6-9 | C
11.7 PPG | 6.3 RPG | 55.2% FG

Luke Goode | Indiana | 6-7 | SF
8.3 PPG | 2.8 RPG | 38.4% 3PT

Amani Hansberry | West Virginia | 6-8 | C
10.0 PPG | 5.6 RPG | 44.5% FG

Sencire Harris | West Virginia | 6-4 | SG
5.6 PPG | 4.4 RPG | 1.6 SPG

Niccolo Moretti | FAU | 6-1 | PG
7.1 PPG | 3.7 APG | 35.1% FG

Andre Curbelo | Southern Mississippi | 6-1 | PG
11.7 PPG | 4.4 APG. | 2.2 SPG

3. North Carolina

Caleb Love was the 2023-24 Pac-12 Player of the Year in his first season at Arizona after a three-year roller-coaster ride at North Carolina. Dawson Garcia ranks fourth in the Big Ten in scoring and is tracking for another all-Big Ten campaign with Minnesota after making a short stop in Chapel Hill during the 2021-22 season. The 2024-25 Tar Heels could sure use him on the interior. Alas, he is only a ghost. While those two are the stars of the group, a handful of other former Tar Heels are also making substantive contributions to power conference programs.

Caleb Love | Arizona | 6-4 | SG
15.6 PPG | 4.4 RPG | 40.2% FG

Dontrez Styles | NC State | 6-6 | SF
8.9 PPG | 4.5 RPG | 42.4% FG

Tyler Nickel | Vanderbilt | 6-7 | SF
10.6 PPG | 2.3 RPG | 38.5% 3PT

Puff Johnson | Penn State | 6-8 | PF
10.2 PPG | 4.4 RPG | 54.3% FG

Dawson Garcia | Minnesota | 6-11 | C
19.1 PPG | 7.5 RPG | 48.4% FG

Kerwin Walton | Texas Tech | 6-5 | SF
4.2 PPG | 1.3 RPG | 38.5% 3PT

D’Marco Dunn | Penn State | 6-4 | SG
5.8 PPG | 1.9 RPG | 38.5% FG

James Okonkwo | Akron | 6-8 | PF
7.6 PPG | 7.9 RPG | 55.4% FG

4. Alabama

A theoretical starting five of Jaden Bradley, Nimari Burnett, Rylan Griffen, Juwan Gary and Nick Pringle would be a solid unit. While Griffen hasn’t popped quite like anticipated at Kansas, he’s still a major contributor to a team with national-title aspirations. Bradley and Burnett will have opportunities to shine on the NCAA Tournament stage as well. The Crimson Tide have a handful of other former players contributing at power conference schools as the excesses of Nate Oats’ success spill out across the landscape.

Jaden Bradley | Arizona | 6-3 | PG
11.7 PPG | 3.7 APG | 1.9 SPG

Nimari Burnett | Michigan | 6-4 | SG
10.7 PPG | 3.4 RPG | 48.1% 3PT

Rylan Griffen | Kansas | 6-5 | SG
6.5 PPG | 2.5 RPG | 37.3% 3PT

Juwan Gary | Nebraska | 6-6 | PF
11.7 PPG | 4.6 RPG | 1.3 SPG

Nick Pringle | South Carolina | 6-9 | C
9.9 PPG | 6.3 RPG | 62.1% FG

Sam Walters | Michigan | 6-10 | PF
5.3 PPG | 1.7 RPG | 41.7% FG

Davin Cosby Jr. | Wake Forest | 6-5 | SG
5.6 PPG | 1.3 RPG | 35.6% FG

Keon Ambrose-Hylton | SMU | 6-8 | C
4.2 PPG | 2.3 RPG | 54.1% FG

Mohamed Wague | Oklahoma | 6-10 | C
3.1 PPG | 2.8 RPG | 0.5 BPG

5. Arizona

After two seasons at Arizona, Kylan Boswell has become a rotational mainstay for a top-20 Illinois team. Venerable big man Oumar Ballo has limitations but is averaging a double-double for Indiana after three productive seasons for the Wildcats. After getting lost in the shuffle at Arizona last season, Lithuanian forward Paulius Murauskas is thriving for an excellent Saint Mary’s program. Ballo and Daniel Batcho (also on Texas Tech’s ghost roster) make for a lethal tandem of ghost bigs.

Kylan Boswell | Illinois | 6-2 | PG
11.9 PPG | 5.2 RPG | 4.0 APG

Kerr Kriisa | Kentucky | 6-3 | PG
4.4 PPG | 3.8 APG | 2.4 RPG

Adama Bal | Santa Clara | 6-6 | SG
14.0 PPG | 2.7 RPG | 42% FG

Daniel Batcho | Louisiana Tech | 6-11 | C
18.7 PPG | 6.9 RPG | 2.2 BPG

Oumar Ballo | Indiana | 7-0 | C
14.5 PPG | 10.3 RPG | 1.7 BPG

Shane Nowell | Portland State | 6-6 | SF
8.8 PPG | 4.1 RPG | 1.1 SPG

Paulius Murauskas | Saint Mary’s | 6-8 | PF
12.2 PPG | 8.7 RPG | 1.8 APG

Filip Borvicanin | New Mexico | 6-9 | PF
5.9 PPG | 4.7 RPG | 46.9% FG

Dylan Anderson | Boise State | 6-11 | C
4.4 PPG | 2.1 RPG | 54.7% FG

Tibet Gorener | SMU | 6-9 | PF
1.7 PPG | 0.9 RPG | 37% FG

6. Michigan

Kansas center Hunter Dickinson is the headliner, but Michigan’s group of solid ex-players goes deeper than the former Wolverines star big man. Dug McDaniel and Frankie Collins are each starting point guards in the Big 12, and Zeb Jackson holds down a steady role for a solid VCU program. At UConn, Tarris Reed is helping the two-time reigning national champions replace the production of departed center Donovan Clingan. Terrance Williams and Youssef Khayat were also on track for big roles at their current schools before encountering injury issues.

Dug McDaniel | Kansas State | 5-11 | PG
9.3 PPG | 4.1 APG | 1.7 SPG

Frankie Collins | TCU | 6-1 | PG
11.2 PPG | 4.4 APG | 1.9 SPG

Zeb Jackson | VCU | 6-5 | SG
10.1 PPG | 3.2 RPG | 1.8 APG

Gregg Glenn III | Tulane | 6-7 | PF
9.1 PPG | 5.9 RPG | 3.3 APG

Hunter Dickinson | Kansas | 7-1 | C
15.8 PPG | 10.2 RPG | 1.5 BPG

Tarris Reed | UConn | 6-10 | C
9.7 PPG | 7.3 RPG | 1.7 BPG

Isaiah Barnes | Tulsa | 6-7 | SG
10.0 PPG | 4.3 RPG | 35.3% 3PT

Terrance Williams | USC | 6-7 | SF*
10.6 PPG | 4.6 RPG | 36% 3PT

Youssef Khayat | Bowling Green | 6-9 | SF*
15.8 PPG | 5.9 RPG | 1.2 BPG

*missed extensive time in 2024-25 due to injury

Unsurprisingly, Washington State lost a lot amid the departure of coach Kyle Smith to Stanford and the disintegration of the Pac-12. Myles Rice starts for Indiana, Andrej Jakimovski starts for Colorado and Rueben Chinyelu starts for Florida. Oscar Cluff went to South Dakota State and is balling out there. Bamba has found his way back to the Pacific Northwest after spending last season at Villanova and is starting for No. 15 Oregon. Dishon Jackson has successfully stepped into the rotation for a Big 12 title contender at Iowa State.

Myles Rice | Indiana | 6-2 | PG
11.9 PPG | 3.3 APG | 3.3 RPG

TJ Bamba | Oregon | 6-5 | SG
10.2 PPG | 3.3 RPG | 2.5 APG

Andrej Jakimovski | Colorado | 6-8 | SF
10.2 PPG | 4.4 RPG | 1.1 SPG

Dishon Jackson | Iowa State | 6-10 | C
9.3 PPG | 4.9 RPG | 1.1 BPG

Oscar Cluff | South Dakota State | 6-11 | C
17.4 PPG | 11.9 RPG | 2.8 RPG

Rueben Chinyelu | Florida | 6-11 | C
5.8 PPG | 7.2 RPG | 1.1 BPG

Kymany Houinsou | Loyola (IL) | 6-6 | SF
5.8 PPG | 4.9 RPG | 2.7 APG

Jabe Mullins | Montana State | 6-5 | SG
7.3 PPG | 3.1 APG | 1.3 SPG

Joseph Yesufu | West Virginia | 6-0 | SG
4.5 PPG | 1.6 RPG | 0.6 SPG

Dylan Darling | Idaho State | 6-2 | PG
15.9 PPG | 5.8 APG | 34.5% 3PT

Ryan Rapp | Hawaii | 6-5 | SG
6.9 PPG | 4.0 RPG | 1.7 APG

Brandton Chatfield | Iowa State | 6-10 | C
3.9 PPG | 3.6 RPG | 0.6 BPG

Carlos Rosario | Oral Roberts | 6-7 | SF
4.8 PPG | 2.4 RPG | 43.8% FG

Jefferson Koulibaly | Pacific | 6-3 | SG
7.8 PPG | 1.6 APG | 1.2 SPG

8. Oklahoma State

Former Oklahoma State guard Javon Small is playing like an All-American at West Virginia and has the Mountaineers trending toward an NCAA Tournament bid in Year 1 under Darian DeVries. Eric Dailey Jr. is a former top-50 prospect and is UCLA’s second-leading scorer. Garrison is a former McDonald’s All-American and a key cog in Kentucky’s rotation. Both Garrison and Dailey are just sophomores. From there, a handful of relatively anonymous ex-Cowboys round out the ghost rotation.

Javon Small | West Virginia | 6-2 | PG
19.5 PPG | 5.1 APG | 1.8 SPG

Quion Williams | Abilene Christian | 6-4 | SG
14.1 PPG | 5.8 RPG | 2.9 APG

Eric Dailey | UCLA | 6-8 | PF
11.8 PPG | 4.2 RPG | 52.3% FG

Justin McBride | Nevada | 6-8 | PF
7.3 PPG | 4.6 RPG | 50.5% FG

Brandon Garrison | Kentucky | 6-11 | C
5.8 PPG | 4.6 RPG | 2.5 APG

Moussa Cisse | Memphis | 6-10 | C
5.7 PPG | 5.9 RPG | 1.4 BPG

Matthew Alexander-Moncrieffe | Seattle | 6-7 | PF
15.5 PPG | 10.8 RPG | 1.1 SPG

Woody Newton | George Mason | 6-8 | PF
7.4 PPG | 4.5 RPG | 0.9 APG

Naz Brown | Coastal Carolina | 6-0 | PG
3.9 PPG | 1.8 RPG | 1.3 APG

Rondel Walker | North Texas | 6-4 | SG
4.8 PPG | 5.2 RPG | 1.3 SPG

Donovan Williams | Western Michigan | 6-5 | SF
8.4 PPG | 5.0 RPG | 0.9 APG

While the contingent of outbound Arkansas transfers is lean on the interior, the backcourt is superb. Jaxson Robinson has developed into a potent microwave scorer since his forgettable one-year stop in Fayetteville, Khalif Battle is a veteran scorer now playing a pivotal role at Gonzaga and Tramon Mark is shooting a career-best 40.4% from 3-point range. Denijay Harris and Baye Fall would have to punch above their weight down low. But the perimeter firepower of this ghost team is potent.

Jaxson Robinson | Kentucky | 6-7 | SG
13.0 PPG | 3.7 RPG | 1.7 APG

Tramon Mark | Texas | 6-5 | SG
9.1 PPG | 3.5 RPG | 38% 3PT

Khalif Battle | Gonzaga | 6-5 | SF
12.8 PPG | 3.6 RPG | 43.1% FG

Chance Moore | St. Bonaventure | 6-5 | SF
14.1 PPG | 7.3 RPG | 1.3 SPG

Davonte Davis | Oklahoma State | 6-3 | SG
2.2 PPG | 1.8 RPG | 0.9 APG

Layden Blocker | DePaul | 6-2 | PG
7.7 PPG | 2.7 APG | 1.2 SPG

Joseph Pinion | Arkansas State | 6-5 | SG
11.1 PPG | 4.3 RPG | 37.1% 3PT

Denijay Harris | Southern Miss | 6-7 | PF
16.4 PPG | 11.3 RPG | 50.5% FG

Barry Dunning Jr. | South Alabama | 6-6 | SF
12.8 PPG | 6.1 RPG | 2.0 APG

Baye Fall | Kansas State | 6-10 | C
2.5 PPG | 1.5 RPG | 0.8 BPG

Derrian Ford | Arkansas State | 6-3 | SG
7.4 PPG | 3.1 RPG | 0.4 APG

10. Kentucky

The only former Kentucky player truly starring at the power conference level is Adou Thiero, who is leading Arkansas in scoring after he was just a role player during his time at Kentucky. Bryce Hopkins was great at Providence in 2022-23, but his career has been plagued by knee issues since. Others, such as Devin Askew and Lance Ware, have found productive niches in mid-major programs. Overall, the UK ghost roster has some potential but is lacking in pop considering how highly touted many of its players were as prospects.

D.J. Wagner | Arkansas | 6-3 | PG
10.1 PPG | 2.7 APG | 43% FG

Devin Askew | Long Beach State | 6-3 | SG
17.8 PPG | 4.4 APG | 1.7 SPG

Adou Thiero | Arkansas | 6-6 | SF
16.4 PPG | 6.0 RPG | 1.9 SPG

Bryce Hopkins | Providence | 6-6 | PF*
17.0 PPG | 7.7 RPG | 40% FG

Zvonimir Ivisic | Arkanas | 7-2 | C
7.3 PPG | 3.6 RPG | 1.8 BPG

Lance Ware | UT Arlington | 6-9 | PF
14.2 PPG | 8.5 RPG | 56.3% FG

Daimion Collins | LSU | 6-9 | PF
8.0 PPG | 4.6 RPG | 63.9% FG

Aaron Bradshaw | Ohio State | 7-0 | C
7.1 PPG | 3.1 RPG | 0.8 BPG

Ugonna Onyenso | Kansas State | 6-11 | C
4.2 PPG | 2.5 RPG | 0.5 BPG

Dontaie Allen | Wyoming | 6-6 | SF
6.8 PPG | 2.5 RPG | 33.8% 3PT

Cam’Ron Fletcher | Xavier | 6-6 | PF
1.8 PPG | 1.5 RPG | 83.3% FG

CJ Fredrick | Cincinnati | 6-3 | SG
2.0 PPG | 0.5 APG | 40% 3PT