High school basketball transfer portal: Biggest prospects to switch schools in 2023 offseason
Editor's note: We will update this post throughout the offseason. Names are in alphabetical order. Are we missing a high-impact transfer? Let us know by emailing andy@scorebooklive.com.
The high school basketball offseason is in full swing, grassroots circuits have picked back up and many of the nation's top teams are already expected to look a lot different in 2023-24.
Just like the college ranks, high school players at the highest levels of the stage move across states and time zones to play for new schools.
[Vote now: Which high school basketball transfer will have the biggest impact in 2023-24?]
Some make the jump from one national prep power to another while others jump from local high schools to the national stage.
SBLive is tracking it all throughout the offseason. You can vote for who you think will make the biggest impact here.
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There have already been several transfers that will change the national landscape and, indubitably, the forthcoming way-too-early SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national rankings.
Here are the most impactful high school boys basketball transfers across the country in the 2023 offseason.
Melvin Bell, 6-4, shooting guard, 2025
Nate Latsch photo
New school: La Lumiere (Indiana)
Transferred from: St. Rita (Illinois)
Bell became the second St. Rita player to announce his decision to transfer in early May. The No. 5 combo guard in the class of 2025 could take a big leap nationally next season after putting up 4.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game as a sophomore.
James Brown, 6-10, forward, 2024
Photo by Nate Latsch
New school: Link Academy (Missouri)
Transferred from: St. Rita (Illinois)
The No. 4 center in the class of 2024, Brown announced his move to the national champion Link Academy shortly after the 2022-23 season. The North Carolina commit averaged 10.8 points, 8.9 rebounds as a junior with St. Rita.
Carter Bryant, 6-8, forward, 2024
SBLive file photo
New school: Corona Centennial (California)
Transferred from: Sage Hill (California)
Could Centennial be a national power for the third consecutive season after losing Jared McCain (Duke) and Aaron McBride (Loyola Marymount)? Add Bryant, a versatile multi-year star at Sage Hills who is committed to Arizona, alongside four-star guard Trent Perry and company and the perennial CIF Open Division contender should be back in the mix.
Taj Degourville, 6-4, shooting guard, 2024
New school: Wasatch Academy (Utah)
Transferred from: Durango (Nevada)
Coming off his recent commitment to San Diego State, Degourville will play his final season in the NIBC. He led Las Vegas power Durango to a 21-6 season that ended with a Nevada 5A state championship in February.
Zoom Diallo, 6-5, point guard, 2024
Photo by Vince Miller
New school: Prolific Prep (California)
Transferred from: Curtis (Washington)
Prolific Prep got its big man in Aiden Sherrell. Now they have one of the nation's prized 2024 point guards. The five-star Diallo led Curtis (Washington) to consecutive WIAA Class 4A state championships and was named SBLive's Washington State Player of the Year as a junior in 2022-23. The lead guard boasts elite athleticism. He averaged 20.2 points, 5.5 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.
Winters Grady, 6-7, forward, 2025
Photo by Leon Neuschwander
New school: Tualatin (Oregon)
Transferred from: Lake Oswego (Oregon)
One of the best players in Oregon is joining the two-time defending OSAA 6A champs. The versatile 6-7 wing was a second team SBLive/Oregonian all-state selection as sophomore and averaged 26.7 points per game. Grady has guard skills and a forward's body, and his beyond-his-years dominance has attracted early offers from Portland, Portland State and Weber State — and likely many more on the horizon. The announcement of Grady's departure from Lake Oswego after followed news that L.O. head coach Marshall Cho was leaving his post.
Jeremiah Fears, 6-1, point guard, 2024
New school: Sunrise Christian (Kansas)
Transferred from: Joliet West (Illinois)
The No. 7 point guard in the class of 2025, Fears played last year at Joliet West with his brother Jeremy, a Michigan State signee and McDonald’s All-American in the class of 2023. With his brother moving on to the college ranks, the younger Fears decided to take his game to national powerhouse Sunrise Christian.
Jahseem Felton, 6-5, shooting guard, 2024
New school: Combine Academy (North Carolina)
Transferred from: Southern California Academy (California)
A North Carolina native, Felton attended Gaston Christian before moving to Southern California for his junior year. The No. 7 combo guard in the class of 2024 will return to his home state as a senior to play for Combine Academy.
Matthew Gilhool, 6-11, power forward, 2024
New school: Long Island Lutheran (New York)
Transferred from: Westtown School (Pennsylvania)
A 6-foot-11 forward with offers from the likes of Miami, Rutgers and Penn State, Gilhool will join a Long Island Lutheran squad which finished the 2022-23 season ranked in the top five nationally.
Miles Goodman, 6-10, forward/center, 2024
Photo by Vince Miller
New school: Southern California Academy (California)
Transferred from: O’Dea (Washington)
Goodman helped O’Dea reach the state championship game as a sophomore, and now he’ll look to help Southern California Academy win on the national stage. Georgetown recently jumped into the recruitment for the 6-foot-11 center, joining San Diego State, Washington and others.
Bryce James, 6-6, small forward, 2025
Photo by Soobom Im
New school: Campbell Hall (California)
Transferred from: Sierra Canyon (California)
The second oldest son of LeBron James will reportedly play for newly hired coach David Grace at the alma mater of the Holiday brothers — Jru, Justin and Aaron. James, whose length and frame are much bigger than his point guard brother Bronny, was a fan favorite as a sophomore in a reserve roll off the bench for Sierra Canyon and is starting to show an expanded repertoire with more touches on the Nike EYBL circuit this spring.
Del Jones, 6-2, point guard, 2024
New school: AZ Compass Prep (Arizona)
Transferred from: Huntington Prep (West Virginia)
On May 10, Jones became the second top 100 prospect in the class of 2024 to announce he’d be joining AZ Compass Prep for the upcoming season. The 6-foot-2 point guard, ranked No. 77 nationally in his class, holds offers from Rutgers, Oregon, West Virginia and more.
John Mobley Jr., 6-3, point guard, 2024
New school: Wasatch Academy (Utah)
Transferred from: Bishop Gorman (Nevada)
The Ohio State commit is among the nation's best high school floor generals and distributors who can also take over a game at a moment's notice. Mobley Jr. grabbed the keys to Bishop Gorman's offense as a sophomore and is coming off of a tremendous junior campaign.
Chris Nwuli, 6-7, forward, 2024
New school: Wasatch Academy (Utah)
Transferred from: Bishop Gorman (Nevada)
The versatile forward has eye-popping athleticism that impressed coaches from the first time he checked in as a freshman. He transferred to Wasatch Academy and will play in the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference — and his Ohio State committed former teammate John Mobley Jr. announced he's joining shortly thereafter. Arizona State, Louisville, UCLA and Washington State among others have offered.
Aiden Sherrell, 6-11, forward, 2024
New school: Prolific Prep (California)
Transferred from: Hillcrest Prep (Arizona)
A four-star prospect with more than 20 high major Division I offers — most recently Kansas and Cal — Sherrell bolsters the front court of the 2022-23 GEICO Nationals runners-up. A member of the elusive (and fictitious) four high schools club, Sherrell started at Georgia high school powerhouse Norcross before transferring to Wasatch Academy (Utah) then Hillcrest Prep (Arizona).
AJ Swinton, 6-5, forward, 2024
New school: Bishop O’Connell (Virginia)
Transferred from: Sierra Canyon (California)
A four-star small forward, Swinton is moving back to the DMV area for his senior year after playing at DeMatha Catholic (Maryland) as a sophomore. The 6-foot-5 small forward began his junior year with Oak Hill Academy (Va.) but finished the season with Sierra Canyon.
Robert Wright III, 6-0, point guard, 2024
Photo by Michael Longo, BCT, USA TODAY NETWORK
New school: Montverde Academy (Florida)
Transferred from: Neumann-Goretti (Pennsylvania)
A top 40 prospect nationally in the class of 2024, Wright was the first high-profile addition for Montverde Academy but likely won’t be the last. The Baylor point guard commit recorded 23.1 points, 4.9 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game as a junior while leading Neumann-Goretti to the state championship game.
Sammie Yeanay, 6-9, forward, 2024
New school: AZ Compass Prep (Arizona)
Transferred from: North Marion (Florida)
Ranked in the top 100 nationally in the class of 2024, Yeanay started the reload for AZ Compass Prep when he announced his move in April. The 6-foot-9 forward finished the 2022-23 season with North Marion after beginning the year at The Rock School (Fla.).
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Other notable moves:
Daniel Freitag - Southern California Academy from Bloomington Jefferson (Minnesota)
