What’s next for Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, UNC: Recruits, transfer portal, more

The opening weekend of the 2026 men’s NCAA Tournament had its fair share. heartbreaking loss.

among them? Reigning national champion and No. 1 seed Florida lost to 9-seed Iowa in a close game. Kansas was shut out by St. John’s on a buzzer-beating layup. Kentucky faced this Worst NCAA Tournament loss Since 1972. And North Carolina blew a 19-point lead, losing to VCU in overtime.

With some storied college basketball programs’ seasons ending earlier than expected, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf detail what’s next for each. Here’s your guide to his expected departures, returnees, top incoming recruits and his personnel priorities for when he leaves Transfer portal opens 7 April.

thomas hoff (17.0 ppg)
xavien lee (11.4 ppg)
Micah Handlogten (4.2 ppg)

players remaining eligible

alex condon (14.9 ppg)
Boogie Land (11.7 ppg)
Reuben Chinyelu (11.2 ppg)
urban clawzar (9.7 ppg)
Isaiah Brown (5.6 ppg)
CJ Ingram (2.2 ppg)
viktor mikic (1.3 ppg)
alex lloyd (1.2 ppg)
Alex Kovachev (0.5 ppg)
aj brown (red shirt)

Top Upcoming Recruitment: jones le (three star)

Florida has essentially given up on immediate-impact freshmen under Todd Golden, with only two top-100 recruits in the last four recruiting classes combined. The upcoming class is no different, only the unreserved category is included in it. It is very likely that he will be an intensive player at the beginning of his career, then his future will depend on development. The Gators made some changes in recruiting top-50 prospects, but will instead look to the portal or overseas for the rest of their newcomers.

Portal Preferences: Before Florida fully enters the portal, the Gators need to figure out which of their starters are returning to Gainesville. Hoff has pegged himself as a potential NBA draft lottery pick, so we can project him to head to the NBA. But Condon and Chinyelu were both projected to be selected in the second round ESPN’s most recent mock draftDue to which their short-term future has become more uncertain. Condon was a borderline first-round pick in 2025 and opted to return to school. It will likely cost at least $3 million to retain each, but they have been the anchors to back-to-back No. 1 seeds, and Golden could see value in building around them again. Fland is scheduled to return to school after opting out of the NBA draft last spring.

If Condon, Chinyelu and Fland all return, Golden will need halfback replacements and additional shooting on the perimeter. Klavzar could have broken into the starting lineup following Lee’s departure, but he proved to be incredibly useful as a sixth man. Can one of the rarely used roster players make a big leap and move into a consistent rotation role from 2024-25 to 2025-26 like Isaiah Brown? It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Florida go into the portal or look for international players to bring in at least two or three more perimeter players. — Borzello

record: 24-11 (12-6 in the Big 12)
How did their season end?: Lost to St. John’s in second round

game

St. John’s stuns Kansas at buzzer to reach Sweet 16

Dylan Darling’s first basket of the game is a layup as time runs out for St. John’s to win it in dramatic fashion.

expected departure

darrin peterson (20.1 ppg)
tray white (13.8 ppg)
melvin council jr. (12.6 ppg)
jaden dawson (2.1 ppg)

players remaining eligible

flory bidunga (13.3 ppg)
bryson tiller (8.1 ppg)
almarco jackson (4.8 ppg)
Jamari McDowell (3.4 ppg)
Kohl Rosario (3.3 ppg)
Paul Mbia (1.1 ppg)
Samis Calderon (0.4 ppg)

Top Upcoming Recruitment: tylane kinney (number 19)

Kinney is one of the best point guards in the 2026 class, and with Peterson gone he will immediately step in as the playmaking focal point of the offense. He is better as a scorer at this point in his development, especially when attacking the rim by shedding his defender off the dribble. Kinney has improved as a passer and creator over the past year, so the next step on offense is becoming more consistent from the perimeter. His length should help him early on as a defender.

Portal Preferences: The frontcourt should be in good shape if Bidunga and Tiller both return; It would be appropriate for both to have retention priorities. Bidunga became one of the best defensive players in the country this season, while also proving to be a capable scorer in the post. And Tiller displayed a very impressive display of brilliance as he battled through the stretch.

With Kinney coming in to run the show at point guard, there have been areas for improvement for Kansas. It’s worth keeping in mind that the Jayhawks are considered the frontrunners to sign sc next 100Top recruit overall tyrann stokes. If they grab him, it could change the calculus of their offseason roster construction. But with or without Stokes, they’ll need a player with immediate impact on the perimeter — Rosario showed promise early in the season, and though he could take a step forward, Kansas would benefit from more proven production.

There’s also the elephant in the room: Bill Self’s situation. After the loss to St. John’s, Self said he Have not decided On whether he will return next season. If he doesn’t return, it’s completely unclear what the Kansas roster will look like. — Borzello

record: 22-14 (10-8 in SEC)
How did their season end?: Lost to Iowa State in the second round.

expected departure

denzel aberdeen (13.5 ppg)
Otega Oweh (18.6 ppg)
jayden quantance (5.0 ppg)

players remaining eligible

jaland lowe (8.0 ppg)
Colin Chandler (9.7 ppg)
mohammed diaubet (8.8 ppg)
Brandon Garrison (4.7 ppg)
kam williams (6.0 ppg)
Malachi Moreno (7.8 ppg)
jasper johnson (4.9 ppg)
Andrija Jelavic (5.5 ppg)
trent noah (3.0 ppg)

Top Upcoming Recruitment: nobody

You’re reading that right: Kentucky doesn’t have a single commitment from the 2026 class as of Tuesday. Wildcats chase tyrann stokesBut as Jeff detailed above, it looks like the No. 1 recruit is leaning toward Kansas. It appears coach Mark Pope will again build a roster that will include returns and transfers — but as he’s learned this season, it’s a risk. The Wildcats reportedly spent more than $20 million on their 2025–26 roster, yet finished just two games above .500 in SEC play and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament by just one. wondrous buzzer-beater.

Portal Preferences: This season’s roster never synced up the way Pope expected, meaning he may have to build another roster from the beginning depending on who stays or goes.

The backcourt should be their top priority. Aberdeen and Oweh are out of eligibility, meaning Pope will not only need elite guards who are capable playmakers and scorers, but he will also need depth – particularly at point guard. The latter has been a problem throughout his tenure. Even if Lowe returns, Pope will need several players at both guard positions to handle next season’s roster.

Next priority: a bigger man. Although Moreno can take the next step as a sophomore, and Dioubet has been solid for stretches, the Wildcats have not had any major offense due to Quaintance battling knee injuries. The teams still competing for this year’s national championship – Michigan, UConn, St. John’s and Duke – have impressive guys. Kentucky cannot enter another season without a strong inside presence.

Finally, with Chandler being the only reliable 3-point shooter on the team this season, Kentucky also needs more support on the perimeter. — medcalf

record: 24-9 (12-6 in ACC)
How did their season end?: Lost to VCU in first round.

expected departure

Caleb Wilson (19.8 ppg)
Seth Trimble (14.0 ppg)

players remaining eligible

henry vissar (17.0 ppg)
luka bogavac (9.8 ppg)
jaryn stevenson (8.1 ppg)
derek dixon (6.5 ppg)
jonathan powell (4.8 ppg)
kyan evans (4.0 ppg)
zaiden high (3.4 ppg)
isaiah dennis (1.9 ppg)
jaden young (1.8 ppg)

Top Upcoming Recruitment: dylan mingo (number nine)

Despite being hampered by injuries for most of his high school season, Mingo is one of the elite guards in the class of 2026. He has great positional size and length, and has the ability to make an impact on both ends of the court. With Evans potentially headed to the portal after struggling this season, Dixon and Mingo could share playmaking duties in the backcourt – if Mingo chooses to maintain his commitment. Should Hubert Davis depart?. Mingo did not choose Carolina until mid-February.

Portal Preferences: With Wilson potentially headed to the NBA and Trimble out of eligibility, Davis or his potential replacement would have to prioritize Vissar. He was given a second-round pick in ESPN’s most recent mock draft, but he could opt to return to Chapel Hill for substantial money. If Vissar returns to UNC, he and Stevenson should form one of the better frontcourt duos in the ACC. If Vissar leaves, the Tar Heels will need to target a high-end big man in the portal.

In addition to the potential Weiser replacement, the Tar Heels will also likely need an upgrade when it comes to perimeter shotmaking and explosiveness. Neither of Bogavac, Powell or Young were highly consistent as scorers. And although Mingo is a fantastic addition — as is the four-star forward maximo adams – Neither is a knockdown shooter. If the roster breaks down following the potential departure of Davis, retaining Weiser, Stevenson and Dixon should be a priority for the new coach. — Borzello