Transfer up? Nah.

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Correction: Yesterday we incorrectly identified Tidmark as one of the transfer portal paper authors. It’s Timark. We regret the error.

1. Mid-major studs who stayed put for next season

Not all the standout mid-major players hit the portal. Some stayed put. Keep an eye on these names next season as players who’ll have great seasons.

Dominique Daniels Jr., Cal Baptist

The Big West lost some of its best players via graduation or the portal. That makes California Baptist guard Dominique Daniels Jr. the league’s best returning player. The 5-10 guard averaged 19 ppg in the last two seasons with the Lancers. He’ll need to be more efficient this year, though. He shot just 25% from deep, down from 36% in 2024-24. 

Will Sydnor, Manhattan

Manhattan found a gem in Will Sydnor. As a freshman, the 6-8 forward averaged 13.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, shot 34% from beyond the arc and earned MAAC freshman of the year honors. He’ll be a contender for MAAC POY. 

Tavari Johnson, Akron

Akron won 28 games and cruised through the MAC en route to an NCAA Tournament bid. Tavari Johnson was a big reason why. He hit the portal but opted to return to Akron for his senior season. Johnson was the Zips’ second-leading scorer with 13 ppg and shot 39% from 3. Johnson should be among the best mid-major guards in 2025-26. 

Jackson Paveletzke, Ohio

Ohio landed Jackson Paveletzke from the portal last summer from Iowa State and he became an instant star in Athens. An All-MAC honoree, the forward averaged 13.8 ppg, grabbed 4.1 rebounds and dished 4.8 assists per game. Instead of looking for a high-major school for one final year, he’ll be the go-to option in Jeff Boals’ offense.

Money Williams, Montana

I'm expecting Money Williams to be an absolute star during his junior season. The 6-3 guard played a full 35-game season, and made 20 starts. He averaged 13.2 ppg, but shot just 39% from the field and 34% from deep. Williams led the Grizzlies in points and assists, and is just scratching the surface of what he could become.

Amarri Monroe, Quinnipiac

When Amarri Monroe hit the portal and dropped a list with Kansas, UConn, Pitt, and others, a return to Quinnipiac felt unlikely. Instead, the reigning MAAC POY headed back to Hamden. The 6-7, 220-pound forward tallied a career-best 18.1 ppg and 9.1 rpg, and should make the Bobcats should be the preseason MAAC favorites.

Tyler Tejada and Dylan Williamson, Towson

A lot of successful mid-major squads were able to retain one player, but two? That's a different story for Towson. After winning the CAA regular-season crown, the Tigers return Tejada, who averaged 16.7 ppg, and Williamson, who averaged 14.6 ppg. Williamson is one of the country’s best shooters, connecting on 88-of-204 (43%) from deep.

Davion Bailey, Incarnate Word

Pencil Davion Bailey in as one of the nation's top scorers in 2025-26, who’ll get another season thanks to the JUCO ruling. He averaged a 16.7 ppg and connected on 126-of-325 (38.8%) from deep last year. He should get even more shots and will average close to 20 ppg.

Caden Pierce, Princeton

It was an odd season for Caden Pierce. Instead of capturing back-to-back Ivy League POY awards, he regressed in every category. Part of the problem was a more limited workload, but he shot eight percent worse from the field and 10% worse from the foul line. He should be the focal point of Princeton's offense with Xaivian Lee transferring to Florida. Pierce took just 9.3 field goals per game, down from 11.3 in his Ivy League POY-winning campaign. Expect a major bounce-back.

TJ Hurley, Vermont

TJ Hurley is an outlier. Few players stay four years at one school. The 6-4 senior went from a strong contributing role in his sophomore year to doubling his scoring average to 15.4 ppg as a junior. He's an explosive scorer and should give Vermont a great chance to win the America East again after finishing second in 2025.

2. Seton Hall’s much-needed talent addition + more portal moves

It was another relatively quiet day in the portal, but Seton Hall made a strong move. 

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