Good luck figuring out who is and isn’t eligible to play college basketball these days.
Especially after Friday, when a U.S. District Court judge in Colorado granted a preliminary injunction to all college athletes from the high school class of 2022, giving them a fifth season of eligibility.
At first, that ruling seemed to open the eligibility floodgates, paving the way for scores of recently graduated players to return to school. But on Sunday, the judge clarified her ruling, noting that it did not enjoin transfer portal rules, roster limits or revenue-sharing caps.
Basically, that means that players who hadn’t previously entered the transfer portal can’t do so now, and schools without open scholarships can’t just create more to accommodate this newly available pool of players.
For the time being, a number of the highest-profile players exploring an extra season of college hoops seem to have only their most recent schools as options — players such as former UCLA guard Donovan Dent, former Missouri forward Mark Mitchell and former Michigan State forward Jaxon Kohler.
Now, that won’t prevent schools from contacting them, especially because their ability to transfer could change due to other court rulings and challenges, wth separate eligibility suits already filed in several states around the country.
Really, it all comes down to one question: Which players are actually available right now?
There are a handful of true difference-makers available for teams with open spots (and money to spend). All of Dent, Mitchell and Kohler would belong on this list if they were truly available on the open market. But for now, here are the 10 best available transfers (in alphabetical order) who appear to have another season of eligibility:
G Skyy Clark
2025-26 stats (at UCLA): 11.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, while shooting 42.7 percent from 3 and 82.1 percent from the free-throw line.
The 6-foot-3 guard entered the transfer portal in April. Clark has already played for three programs in his four seasons, but is one of the rare available point guards with NCAA Tournament experience. Clark has developed into a solid ballhandler and 3-point shooter, even if he’s not necessarily someone who dramatically elevates a team’s ceiling. Still, expect programs in need of backcourt help — like LSU — to be in touch.
G B.J. Edwards
2025-26 stats (at SMU): 12.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.3 steals per game, while shooting 37.2 percent from 3 and 77.1 percent from the free-throw line.
Edwards was one of the plaintiffs in a recent Tennessee suit in which 19 players were granted a temporary injunction for a fifth season and the ability to transfer — even though the NCAA’s portal window has been closed for months. As such, one of the more underrated two-way guards in the sport last season is back on the market and should be heavily pursued. Edwards is a pickpocket defensively who rarely fouls and can do a little bit of everything offensively.
G Jason Edwards
2025-26 stats (at Providence): 16.5 points, 3.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 34.3 percent from 3 and 79 percent from the free-throw line.
Another beneficiary of the Tennessee ruling, this 6-foot-1 lead guard is a pure bucket-getter and volume scorer, whose efficiency doesn’t always match his counting stats. Edwards has some play-making tendencies, with at least four assists in nine of his 23 games last season, but he also averaged more than 12 shots per game the past two seasons at the high-major level — meaning any team bringing him in must somewhat orient its offense around his shot-taking. That might be a tough situation to find this late in the calendar.
F RJ Godfrey
2025-26 stats (at Clemson): 12.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
He entered the transfer portal in April and has already committed to Arizona. At 6-7 and 225 pounds, Godfrey should immediately add much-needed bulk to an Arizona frontcourt that lost Koa Peat to the NBA. Godfrey was the Tigers’ best player by the end of last season, and although he won’t be a primary option for Tommy Lloyd’s team, he solidifies what should be among the bigger, defensive-minded frontcourts in the country. He’s a terrific late addition who slots well between 7-2 center Motiejus Krivas and 6-7 wing Ivan Kharchenkov.
F Keyshawn Hall
2025-26 stats (at Auburn): 19.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, while shooting 37.9 percent from 3 and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line.
Arguably the most productive player available, Hall’s decision to portal in April might pay dividends. At 6-7 and 250 pounds, Hall is a legitimate stretch-four option at the high-major level, as capable of dominating the glass inside as draining 3s from the perimeter. Hall has never made the NCAA Tournament, but as one of only a handful of remaining bigs with high-major experience, he’ll be heavily in demand. LSU, Kentucky, St. John’s and Indiana are among the teams vying for his services.
G Dug McDaniel
2025-26 stats (at Memphis): 13.9 points, 4.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 84.9 percent from the free-throw line.
McDaniel is the third of four players listed here to benefit from the Tennessee ruling, and though he’s been productive at Michigan, Kansas State and Memphis, his stats haven’t always translated to team success. McDaniel is also on the smaller side, at just 5-11, so he won’t be a natural fit for every program. But as a productive table-setting guard who has also evolved into a defensive pest, McDaniel will have a market nonetheless.
F Jamichael Stillwell
2025-26 stats (at UCF): 11.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
At 6-8 and 225 pounds, Stillwell was one of the bigger forwards still on the market — which explains why Texas Tech was so quick to scoop him up. Stillwell was a dominant rebounding force for a UCF team that made the NCAA Tournament last season and will help ease the Red Raiders’ frontcourt burden as JT Toppin returns from his torn ACL. Stillwell is limited offensively, especially as a floor-spacer, and struggles to defend without fouling, but for a TTU program that desperately needed big bodies, he’s a welcome addition and possible starter.
G/F Cade Tyson
2025-26 stats (at Minnesota): 19.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, while shooting 41.3 percent from 3 and 82.2 percent from the free-throw line.
Tyson is one of the plaintiffs — and the best player — listed in the Colorado suit, and he entered the transfer portal in April. Tyson is unequivocally the best shooter still available; per CBB Analytics, he was one of just 28 high-major players last year to shoot 40 percent or better from 3 on at least five attempts per game. However, Tyson also did that as the focal point of a lackluster Minnesota offense, and it’s fair to wonder how effective he can be if he’s not one of a team’s top offensive options. Still, there aren’t many players with Tyson’s blend of size and shooting still on the market. Kentucky, which is involved, would be a fascinating fit.
Could Cade Tyson end up as a late add at Kentucky? (David Berding / Getty Images)
F/C Jalen Washington
2025-26 stats (at Vanderbilt): 8.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.
One more plaintiff from the Tennessee suit, Washington is reportedly headed to Tennessee. Washington was a key frontcourt piece for Vanderbilt last season, despite his limited minutes and fouling tendencies defensively. Washington is what he is at this juncture: a rotational big (who has never played more than 21 minutes per game) with good offensive skill and who also offers rim protection. The 6-10, 225-pound big man provides Rick Barnes with frontcourt help after an offseason of loading up on the perimeter.
F Darrion Williams
2025-26 stats (at NC State): 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, while shooting 40.4 percent from 3 and 77.3 percent from the free-throw line.
Williams was one of the more sought-after transfers last offseason after leading Texas Tech to the 2025 Elite Eight, but he never fully settled in at NC State — and, in many ways, became the face of the Wolfpack’s underwhelming season under Will Wade. But at 6-6 and 210 pounds, with the ability to knock down 3s and play bully ball inside, Williams is one of the more versatile offensive forwards still unsigned. According to social media, Williams is already back on campus at Texas Tech, where he’s in line to return to Grant McCasland’s starting lineup.
Honorable mentions/Uncertain eligibility
G Javon Bennett: 15.8 points, 2.9 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game at Dayton — awaiting final judgment in ongoing Ohio lawsuit
G Donovan Dent: 13.3 points, 7.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game at UCLA — awaiting ruling in previously filed California lawsuit
F Jaxon Kohler: 12.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game at Michigan State — awaiting ruling in previously filed California lawsuit
G Xaivian Lee: 11.6 points, 4.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game at Florida — seeking additional year after Colorado injunction
F Mark Mitchell: 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game at Missouri — seeking additional year after Colorado injunction
G Jordan Pope: 13.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game at Texas — awaiting ruling in previously filed California lawsuit
F Malik Reneau: 18.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game at Miami — signed Exhibit-10 NBA contract with Orlando Magic in June
