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Sports Illustrated

Sport

Tim Capurso

The 10 Biggest Names in College Basketball Receiving Fifth Year of Eligibility After Court Injunctions

UNC Basketball Donovan Dent Jalen Washington Moe Odum Xaivian Lee Gonzaga (Organization) Imagn NCAA Arizona (Organization)

Let the chaos commence! Although many rosters around college basketball are set and many budgets have been spent, an influx of talent is headed to the transfer portal, thanks to a series of court injunctions granted to a bevy of players to retain their eligibility in light of the NCAA’s recently-approved age-based eligibility model.

The rule, which was approved in June, guarantees all athletes a five-year window to complete five seasons based on their age. Only, the NCAA opted to implement the new model beginning Saturday, which effectively made the Class of 2022, whose eligibility had expired under old rules, ineligible.

In response, droves of scorned college basketball players took to the courts—legal that is—across the country, with injunctions granted in California, Colorado, Nashville and Ohio. With fifth years of eligibility granted, these players are headed to the transfer portal. The NCAA has stated its intent to appeal the legal proceedings, but given its track record, don’t hold your breath on this decision getting reversed.

So, while many teams have their ducks in a row, some teams, such as Gonzaga and Arizona and LSU, still have needs to fill. And for some of these players who found the picking slim in the NBA, it’s an opportunity to return to college basketball and make some big bucks in the process.

Here are 10 of the biggest names who will be in high demand.

F Mark Mitchell Jr.

A proven starter at both Duke and as a two-time All SEC selection at Missouri, Mitchell is on the heels of a career-best season in which he averaged 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 38.8 percent from three-point range.

Missouri’s leading scorer, rebounder and passer in 2025, the slashing Mitchell figures to draw plenty of interest, provided that teams can afford his services.

G Donovan Dent

While not the most efficient shooter (40.8% from the field and 25.4% from three-point range), Dent sure knows how to run an offense, as he boasted a 4.2 assist-to-turnover ratio in 2025-26.

Dent entered the transfer portal with a “Do Not Contact” tag, strongly indicating that the rumors of his interest in Gonzaga could be coming to fruition. Dent would fill a big need for the Bulldogs, who lost leading passer and starting point guard Mario Saint-Supary to Valencia in Spain’s La Liga ACB in mid-July.

G Oziyah Sellers

Sellers agreed to a Summer League contract with the Knicks, but did not sign an NBA contract, paving the way for him to return to college basketball.

Sellers saw a dip in efficiency this past season with St. John’s, but will be an intriguing pickup for programs, particularly if he can return to shooting the three-ball like he did in the previous two seasons (40.9%).

G Xaivian Lee

Lee is a streaky shooter, but knows how to run an offense, as he was the leading passer for the Florida Gators this past season while boasting a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio. He also helped form one of the better defensive backcourts in the country alongside Boogie Fland.

Like Donovan Dent, Lee makes a ton of sense for Gonzaga, given the Saint-Supery-sized hole in their backcourt.

G AJ Storr

Storr has had a rocky collegiate journey, playing for four different programs in four years, headlined by a hefty NIL offer from Kansas, and subsequent flameout in Lawrence in 2024-25.

Storr bounced back this past season as a key member of Ole Miss’s rotation, leading the Rebels in points while draining the third-most triples on the team.

G Moe Odum

Odum, Arizona State’s leading scorer and most consistent three-point threat, was one of the few bright spots on a bad Sun Devils team last year.

An erratic decision-maker at times, Odum is still a capable passer, having averaged 6.6 assists per game in the last two seasons. He’ll certainly have his suitors, having proven himself as a starter at the Power 4 level in 2025-26.

F Darrion Williams

Williams starred at Texas Tech during his junior year, then transferred to NC State this past season, where he was one of the better three-point shooters in the land (2.4 triples per game at a 40.4% clip).

Williams’s efficiency can come and go but he’s a clutch player—see his game-tying three and eventual game-winner in a double overtime win two years ago in the Sweet 16 vs. Arkansas or his clutch three in the First Four loss vs. Texas last year. A potential return to the Red Raiders looms for Williams.

F Jalen Washington

For his physicals alone, Washington, who stands 6’ 10” with a 7’ 4” wingspan, will attract plenty of attention from frontcourt-needy teams. He averaged 8.9 points on 56.3% shooting from the field last year, recorded 1.3 blocks in just 20.6 minutes and ranked 84th in the country in block percentage.

Washington makes perfect sense as an option for Tennessee to fill out the Volunteers’ thin frontcourt and cap off an aggressive offseason for coach Rick Barnes.

F RJ Godfrey

Godfrey was a key piece in the Clemson frontcourt this past season, as well as an efficient source of offense for the Tigers. He averaged 12.0 points per game on 61.1% shooting from the field.

Godfrey on Sunday signed with Arizona, where he’ll help coach Tommy Lloyd replace star forward Koa Peat in the frontcourt.

F Cade Tyson

After his struggles at UNC following his transfer from Belmont two seasons ago, there were question marks as to if Tyson could excel in the Power 4. He answered those questions with a resounding yes this past season, averaging a career-best 19.6 points while shooting 41.3% from beyond the arc.

As such, Tyson will draw plenty of interest from Power 4 conference teams, though a return to Minnesota is still also a possibility.