Men’s college basketball is in full swing and with the transfer portal, there are some exciting new players to watch. Brian Kalbroski shares his picks for the top players to keep an eye on as they come off the portal this year. While the top of the USA TODAY Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll remains stable, there will likely be some changes in the next poll as holiday tournaments approach, including a particularly impressive one in Hawaii.
Kansas remains No. 1, picking up 25 of 32 first-place votes this week. Purdue remains No. 2 with five top picks, while Arizona and Connecticut join them at No. 3 and No. 5 respectively. Marquette and Gonzaga round out the top five.
The Maui Invitational promises to be a loaded field with half of the top 10 teams participating, including Kansas and Purdue along with Marquette, Tennessee, and Gonzaga. UCLA is also in Honolulu and could make waves. Florida Atlantic falls 10 spots to No. 20 after losing to Bryant but remains in the poll. Colorado joins the rankings at No. 21 alongside Memphis and Mississippi State, making four departures thanks to last week’s tie for 25th between UCLA and Virginia.
Overall, men’s college basketball is shaping up to be an exciting season with many talented players coming off the transfer portal. With so much talent on display at events like the Maui Invitational, it will be interesting to see how these teams fare in upcoming games and tournaments