Louisville's Bidunga Earns Top Spot on Preseason All-Transfer List

CBS Sports released its preseason all-transfer teams, placing Louisville forward Flory Bidunga at the top of the first team. The ranking marks the latest evaluation of a strategy that Michigan used to win the national championship last year: building a starting lineup with four transfers, including Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson, Aday Mara, and Elliot Cadeau. Following that result, other programs spent heavily on the portal to acquire talent for a run at the April title. Exhibition games have now begun to show how those acquisitions fit with their new teams.

Bunga, a 6-foot-9 forward who transferred from Kansas, anchors the Cardinals defense. In an exhibition win over Kansas, he matched up against Tyran Stokes. Louisville coach Kelsey said Bidunga puts in the work, adding that having the best player be the hardest worker provides a clear advantage. The first team also includes Acaden Lewis of Miami, John Blackwell of Duke, Tounde Yessoufou of St. John's, and Milan Momcilovic of Kentucky. Lewis scored 23 points and handed out 10 assists in an exhibition against Vanderbilt. Blackwell transferred from Wisconsin and serves as Duke's primary three-point option in late-game minutes; coach Jon Scheyer said his attitude helps his younger teammates. Yessoufou plays in the Big East alongside Quinn Ellis. Pope at Kentucky points to Momcilovic's range and the attention he draws from 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 lists Isaiah Johnson of Texas and Kayden Mingo of Baylor.

For this evaluation, CBS Sports left out 5-in-5 seniors such as Keyshawn Hall, Jaxon Kohler, Donovan Dent, and Darrion Williams. These players regained eligibility through court orders, but their availability for the full season has not been confirmed. The rankings also exclude the specific game data or schedules for the 2026 season. The rosters were built to include a balance of guards, wings, forwards, and centers.