College Basketball Portal: The Players That Will Impact the 2023-24 Season

Every year, teams go through a period of rebuilding or maintaining their roster. Coaches and players alike seek to rebuild the team or search for a new home on the court. With over a thousand men’s basketball rookies entering this year’s portal, it’s no wonder this period is classified as a hectic time that will impact the upcoming season.

In many cases, it can be impossible to follow every player – as someone is always leaving or in demand. To make it easier for you, here is a list of the top players that will impact their new team below:

Kel’El Ware

In 2022, Kel’El Ware was a mysterious player on the court. During the recruiting period, Ware only averaged 6.6 points for 15 minutes. Moreover, he had a few low points on his record when he played a mid-February game for 10 minutes without a single point. 

However, this soon started to fade when we joined the Hoosiers. With the Indiana Hoosiers, Ware could go for energy spurts, where he went for 48 points and 25 rebounds in three games. He has the dunks, fadeaway jumpers, post-ups, and defense that screams potential. Moreover, his new year with IU meant a fresh start to capitalize on these aspects and build on his experience. 

The Indiana Hoosiers odds have rocketed as Ware is becoming a legitimate offensive player. Ware showed remarkable wingspan in their game against the Raiders and scored 22 points with 12 rebounds. Here, his presence filled the gaps left by Trayce Jackson-Davis’s departure, and his rebounds and blocks gave an imposing presence that gave the team a remarkable finish. 

Overall, what started as a mysterious player was a wildcard. As Hoosiers navigate the following matches, they will need more of Kel’El Ware and his talent to push through a rough patch.

LJ Cryer

For the Houston Cougars, losing Marcus Sasser and transfer Tramon Mark was a loss – even more so when they needed a player to bring power in the backfield. Although they have the defensive tenacity of Jamal Shead, they will need the command of another player, and what better way than with LJ Cryer.

In the last two seasons, there were over 136 players who made 130 three-pointer shots. However, there was only one who had a higher field goal percentage – that is LJ Cryer’s 43.4%, proving to be an efficient player with high-level skills. 

Last year, he also built a strong record, scoring 20 points in seven games. To top it off, he also had 30 points in a game against the Creighton Bluejays during the NCAA Tournament. Although he was in the presence of top scorers Adam Flagler and Keyontae George, LJ Cryer stayed in the spotlight and scored in his own right.

Tramon Mark

Arkansas Razorbacks got an early Christmas gift by adding Tramon Mark to the roster. This lockdown defender has shown signs of growth. Every year, his three-point percentage rises, with 32.8% last season and 36.5% during the conference games. 

He also has his downhill attack and defense to boast to pair his three-point shooting skills. With a strong frame, he is disruptive in the passing lanes. Moreover, since the Razorbacks have always been efficient in offense, Mark’s addition will push the team further in the upcoming campaign.

Max Abmas

Texas Longhorns Max Abmas is on a roll. Recently, he set a season-high record of 26 points, leaving the Texas State Bobcats in the dust. During this game, Abmas made quite the impact with three-pointer shots and multiple assists – averaging 20.8 points and securing himself as one of the best rookies this year. 

It’s not just his shooting power. Abmas is appealing in the portal, especially with his transition possession. Last season, he garnered 189 points in transition alone, becoming the fifth in Division I.

Moreover, who could forget when he entered the 2021 NCAA Tournament and led with three-point explosions? With this, you won’t need much statistical data to tell you that Max Abmas does the job. 

Hunter Dickinson

Although you can’t consider Hunter Dickinson the perfect rookie, you can be sure he will give you definite results. Although he is still trying to make it into the big leagues, Dickinson has already made a name for himself by averaging 18 points paired with nine rebounds. 

Additionally, he also made over 20 three-pointer shots in one season. With this, he set himself as one of the four Big Ten players, alongside 2009-2010 Evan Turner, 2016-2017 Caleb Swanigan, and 2019-2020 Luka Garza. 

In a post-up offensive position alone, Hunter has scored 286 points – that’s all during last season. Moreover, there are only two players who he has yet to beat in this record – which means that his post-up points say a lot about his potential. 

Moreover, his addition to the Kansas Jayhawks will make the team more attractive. As a team, Kansas holds a record of 108 post-ups, so it’s safe to say that Jayhawks’ offensive power will look quite different from before.

Final Thoughts

If there’s one constant thing about the portal, you can always expect wildcards to show up. This year, you’d have the addition of the five-star players mentioned above. Nonetheless, keep your eyes peeled on other transfers, as you never know which talent will come up next.