Villanova made a vital transfer addition on Friday when TJ Bama announced his commitment to the Wildcats after three seasons at Washington State. The 6-foot-5 guard is No. 20 in the CBS Sports transfer rankings and should make an immediate impact at his new school as Villanova seeks to gain traction following a 17-17 debut campaign for coach Kyle Neptune.
Bamba earned honorable mention All Pac-12 honors for the 2022-23 season after averaging 15.8 points for the Cougars while shooting 37.2% from 3-point range. The former three-star prospect contributed incrementally more during each of his three seasons at WSU and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining to use with the Wildcats.
His arrival comes as Caleb Daniels and Brandon Slater — two starters on last year’s team — are out of eligibility. The Wildcats are also losing freshman phenom Cam Whitmore to the NBA Draft. But if veterans Justin Moore and Eric Dixon return, the addition of Bamba would give Neptune three seasoned and productive players to build around for the 2023-24 season.
Well over 1,000 Division I players have entered the portal and there are still weeks of player movement ahead before 2023-24 rosters will be even close to settled. Here at CBS Sports, we have distilled the massive number of transfers to a handful of names to know. For starters, here are the top transferring players. This list will grow and player rankings will change as the May 11 deadline for players to enter the portal approaches.
1. Hunter Dickinson
Old school: Michigan
Dickinson is one of the best big men in college basketball. At 7-1 and with a well-built frame, he can outmuscle most opponents on the block, protect the rim and rebound. He also continued demonstrating the ability to hit 3-pointers during the 2022-23 season while earning All-Big Ten honors for a third straight year. The Maryland native is a fiery competitor and proven veteran who has the ability to change the trajectory of whatever program he chooses to play for during the 2023-24 season.
2. Max Abmas
Old school: Oral Roberts
Abmas ranks No. 16 all-time for made 3-pointers and is a career 38.8% shooter on 8.8 attempts per game. The 6-1 guard won Summit League Player of the Year twice and also has experience playing beyond the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Even amid an uptick in competition in a tougher conference, it would still be easy to envision Abmas raining…
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