Bidunga named top transfer as college basketball preseason rankings release

Flory Bidunga heads a new preseason list of the top college basketball transfers, according to CBS Sports. The 6-foot-9 forward, who arrived in Louisville from Kansas, leads a five-player first team selected for the 2026-27 season. The ranking prioritizes players who are expected to play a full season, leaving out the 5-in-5 seniors whose eligibility has been restored by court orders.

The list reflects a shift in the sport’s roster construction. Michigan won the national title last year with four starting transfers, including Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson, Aday Mara, and Elliot Cadeau. That success pushed other programs to spend heavily in the transfer portal. Coaches now view high-profile free agency as a primary method for building competitive rosters, a strategy that has changed the landscape of early-season basketball.

Bidunga is described as a defensive anchor for the Cardinals. His physicality was on display during an exhibition game against Kansas, where he guarded Tyran Stokes effectively. Louisville coach Kelsey called him the hardest worker on the team, a trait that coaches view as a key advantage in integrating new players. The Cardinals’ early exhibition results suggest Bidunga is already influencing the pace of the team’s defense.

Acaden Lewis of Miami and John Blackwell of Duke round out the top tier of guards. Lewis, a left-handed point guard from Villanova, scored 23 points and dished out 10 assists in a game against Vanderbilt. Blackwell, who came from Wisconsin, has become Duke’s best three-point shooter. Coach Jon Scheyer noted that Blackwell’s fearless attitude has lifted the performance of Duke’s younger players in clutch moments.

Tounde Yessoufou of St. John’s and Milan Momcilovic of Kentucky complete the first team. Yessoufou is expected to score more in the Big East, aided by Quinn Ellis’s playmaking. Momcilovic is cited as the league’s best shooter, with Kentucky coach Mark Pope praising his ability to drain difficult shots and stretch opposing defenses. The second team includes Dedan Thomas of Houston, PJ Haggerty of Texas A&M, Paulius Murauskas of Arizona State, David Punch of Texas, and Moustapha Thiam of Michigan.

The third team features Isaiah Johnson of Texas and Kayden Mingo of Baylor. Johnson, a guard from Colorado, is valued for his finishing and ball security. Mingo, a transfer from Penn State, is expected to turn Baylor’s point guard position into a strength. The rankings provide a baseline for how teams will approach the upcoming regular season, with the top five players serving as the benchmark for impact and consistency.