Ranking the Big Ten's Top Incoming Transfers: Is Illinois' Stefan Vaaks No. 1?

The league is bringing in a handful of stars, but which are the best – and does Vaaks pace the crew?

Jan 7, 2026; Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Providence Friars guard Stefan Vaaks (7) reacts to game action during the first half against the UConn Huskies at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Big Ten may be in the midst of cementing itself as college hoops’ premier conference – it already has earned that title on the gridiron – but, in all honesty, the league’s body of work wasn’t exactly exceptional in the transfer portal this offseason.

Sure, Indiana put together a loaded transfer class (two incoming Hoosiers made the cut here), and Michigan reloaded in the frontcourt via the portal, but the majority of the top squads in the conference did their best offseason work via retention. And after the Wolverines won the 2026 national title with a transfer-heavy rotation, it’ll be interesting to see which route prevails in the near future.

For now, though, we’ll take a look at things through the transfer-portal lens, which brings us to our question: Who are the best incoming transfers in the Big Ten? We rank the top five below:

Top 2026 Big Ten basketball transfers

Feb 21, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Georgetown Hoyas guard KJ Lewis (5) drives to the basket against Seton Hall Pirates guard Adam Clark (0) during the first half at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

No. 5: KJ Lewis, USC

After spending two seasons at Arizona, KJ Lewis went to Georgetown and averaged a career-best 14.9 points per game. A 6-foot-4 guard, he chipped in an impressive 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists, and tacked on 2.1 steals on the other end.

Lewis is a capable long-distance shooter (1.1 threes per game, at a 30.5 percent clip this past season) but is most comfortable utilizing his strong frame and explosiveness attacking the rack or pulling up in the midrange.

Let it fly, KJ 🫡#HoyaSaxa #HoyaBold pic.twitter.com/AP0LupQ0oG

— Georgetown Hoops (@GeorgetownHoops) February 15, 2026

Defensively, he may have a similar impact. Few players create as many deflections and turnovers while consistently keeping the ball in front and playing mostly mistake-free off-ball defense.

He’ll bring his two-way ability to USC, giving the Trojans perhaps the most elite perimeter trio in college hoops (also including Alijah Arenas and Rodney Rice).

No. 4: Aiden Sherrell, Indiana

Mar 27, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Aiden Sherrell (22) looks on in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Midwest Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The lone player on this list who participated in the NCAA Tournament this past year (for Alabama), Aiden Sherrell will be a proven contributor on a winning squad in 2026-27.

He is a glass-cleaning machine (11.1 rebounds per 40 minutes over his two-year career), is exceptionally efficient inside the arc (64.0 percent on two-pointers in 2025-26) and also has notable upside as a long-distance shooter after canning 27 threes on 33.8 percent shooting this past season.

Big Man is a 🪣

Career-high 22 points for Aiden Sherrell at State. #RTR pic.twitter.com/d1ivTKr1Ry

— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) January 14, 2026

He also swallows up shots around the basket as a defender, pairing his length with his ability to quickly get off the floor (he led the SEC with 76 blocks in 2025-26 despite playing only 23.9 minutes per game).

Sherrell takes his talents to Indiana, where he’ll be paired with another standout frontcourt presence in Samet Yigitoglu (an SMU transfer), plus another star on this list. 

No. 3: Moustapha Thiam, Michigan

Feb 24, 2026; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats center Moustapha Thiam (52) shoots against Texas Tech Red Raiders forward Luke Bamgboye (9) in the first half at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Moustapha Thiam has it all for a big man: tremendous size and length (he's listed at 7-foot-2), mobility, a good motor, soft touch with both hands and, not for nothing, a developing jumper.

A former Cincinnati center (he also spent a year at UCF), Thiam can have offense run through him in the post, serve as a rim runner in transition or flourish in ball-screen action. Defensively, he’s a top-notch shot eraser who has averaged 2.1 blocks per game over his two-year career.

Now, for the scary part (as far as the Big Ten is concerned): Thiam will be mentored by the premier big-man whisperer for a full season (if not two) in Michigan head man Dusty May. Also, he’ll play alongside lead guard Elliot Cadeau, who has already shown his ability to elevate the games of his teammates.

No. 2: Markus Burton, Indiana

Notre Dame guard Markus Burton celebrates during a NCAA men's basketball game against Missouri at Purcell Pavilion on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In terms of production at the high-major level, it doesn’t get any better than Markus Burton, who averaged 19.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists over his three seasons at Notre Dame.

Aside from being a touch undersized at 5-foot-11, Burton is the quintessential modern-day lead guard. He can really score it – and at all three levels. Over his career, he has averaged 1.5 triples at a clip of 33.2 percent – a figure that may not do his shooting ability justice considering how many of his attempts were contested, off-the-dribble pulls.

In 2025-26 (albeit on a small sample size), he shot 55.7 percent inside the arc – an unheard of number for a guard who stands under 6 feet. As a facilitator, he’s also quite gifted, taking advantage of his knack for collapsing defenses while also being a savvy ball-screen operator.

The question is whether Burton, who has yet to play on a college team that finished above .500, can parlay his dynamic skill set into winning at the highest level. But with the transfer-portal haul Hoosiers coach Darian DeVries put together and the talent that will surround Burton in Bloomington, the knee-jerk reaction feels like a hard yes.

No. 1: Stefan Vaaks, Illinois

Mar 12, 2026; New York, NY, USA; Providence Friars guard Stefan Vaaks (7) controls the ball against St. John's Red Storm guard Dylan Darling (0) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Imagine the highest volume shooter in a power conference who also happens to be its most efficient. So, in every sense of the word, we're talking about the very best shooter in one of the premier conferences in college hoops. Now, think of a pick-and-roll maestro who led his squad in assists per game – same high-major level. Blend those two players together, and you would have the archetype perimeter player, right?

That would be Illinois’ incoming transfer Stefan Vaaks, who led the Big East in three-pointers made, attempted and percentage while pacing his squad with 3.2 assists per game.

To make non-Illini Big Ten fans even more anxious, consider this: Vaaks isn’t just a sharpshooter. A 6-foot-7 guard, he is a true three-level scorer – and an efficient one (shot 51.7 percent on two-pointers). Oh, and did we mention that he did all of that as a freshman?

There are areas for improvement in Vaaks’ game – namely his rebounding (2.5 boards per game isn’t cutting it) and his defense. But Illinois head man Brad Underwood has already proven capable of extracting every ounce of ability from most every player who comes through Champaign.