Last season, when I wrote about the continuing shift in the balance of power between transfers and freshmen when it came to men's college basketball roster construction, the discrepancy in production was staggering.
Only 17 of the top 100 freshmen were averaging double figures, with 11 of those 17 ranked as top-25 prospects coming out of high school. On the other side, 62 of the top 100 transfers in ESPN's 2022 transfer rankings were averaging double figures.
The numbers tell a similar tale this season. Sixteen top-100 freshmen were averaging double figures when I did my freshman check-in at the midway point of the season; 63 of the top 100 transfers in ESPN's 2023 transfer rankings hit the mark.
To add to that, there are 11 first-year transfers in the starting lineups of the top 10 teams in this week's AP poll. Only Marquette and Duke don't have one. Meanwhile, there are only five freshmen across those 10 lineups -- two of whom come from Duke.
Transfers are making a bigger impact than ever before in college basketball, and at the highest levels of the sport, too.
So let's look at some of this season's notable impact transfers -- as well as some who haven't panned out just yet.
Best of the best
