The Big East Notebook: Who Were the Top Scorers, Rebounders, and Assist Men in the 2026 Portal Class?

St. John’s guard Tounde Yessoufou broke Baylor’s freshman scoring mark (Baylor Athletics)

While rosters are still somehow evolving in August, we have a pretty good idea of what the Big East’s portal additions will be asked to do this season. But before we get too deep into projecting roles, rotations, and breakout candidates, it’s worth taking a quick look at what these players actually did at their previous stops.

Who were the biggest scorers? Who piled up assists? Which newcomers were the most productive rebounders?

The numbers come with a needed caveat. A player averaging 19 points at a low or mid-major wasn’t necessarily a better offensive player than someone averaging 10-12 at a high-major. Usage, teammates, scheme, and level of competition all matter, and those numbers certainly don’t guarantee that the same production will carry over to the Big East.

For instance, St. John’s newcomer Tounde Yessoufou has the sixth highest scoring average of any incoming transfer to the Big East, while a few of the players with better PPG averages may not even start at their new schools. Yessoufou is a Big East Player of the Year candidate.

The numbers provide an interesting starting point, however, and perhaps a few clues about which transfers could have the biggest impact in their new homes.

Here’s a look at the top scorers, rebounders, and assist men coming to the Big East.

Kahmare Holmes averaged 19.5 points and 5.7 rebounds as a sophomore at Wofford (DePaul Athletics)

Scoring:

1. Kahmare Holmes (Wofford to DePaul): 19.8 PPG

2. Nolan Minessale (St. Thomas to Marquette): 19.7 PPG

3. Ryan Sabol (Buffalo to Providence): 18.9 PPG

4. Del Jones (Radford to Seton Hall): 17.9 PPG

5. Nils Machowski (Wofford to UConn): 17.8 PPG

6. Tounde Yessoufou (Baylor to St. John’s): 17.5 PPG

7. Jake Fiegan (Cornell to Villanova): 17.4 PPG

8. Wes Enis (South Florida to Creighton): 16.4 PPG

9. Buddy Simmons (St. Bonaventure to Villanova): 16.3 PPG

10. Kareem Thomas (Dartmouth to Seton Hall): 15.9 PPG

Rebounding:

1. Wilson Jacques (Fresno State to DePaul): 8.8 RPG

2. Oswin Erhunmwunse (Providence to Creighton): 9.3 RPG

3. Nikolaos Chitikoudis (Robert Morris to Xavier): 7.7 RPG

4. Rolyns Aligbe (Southern Illinois to Xavier): 7.6 RPG

5. Kwame Evans Jr. (Oregon to Villanova): 7.4 RPG

6. Josiah Parker (FAU to Georgetown): 6.1 RPG

7. Sananda Fru (Louisville to Marquette): 6.1 RPG

8. Devin Vanterpool (FAU to Providence): 6.0 RPG

9. Michael Nwoko (LSU to Xavier): 5.9 RPG

10. Nils Machowski (Wofford to UConn): 5.9 RPG

Assists:

1. Chance Westry (UAB to Xavier): 5.6 APG

2. Elijah Crawford (UIC to Villanova): 4.9 APG

3. Nolan Minnesale (St. Thomas to Marquette): 4.2 APG

4. Malik Mack (Georgetown to Providence): 4.1 APG

5. Jaye Nash (Jacksonville St. to UConn): 4.1 APG

6. Del Jones (Radford to Seton Hall): 3.3 APG

7. Ryan Sabol (Buffalo to Providence): 3.3 APG

8. Buddy Simmons (St. Bonaventure to Villanova): 2.8 APG

9. Kahmare Holmes (Wofford to DePaul): 2.7 APG

10. Miles Byrd (San Diego State to Providence): 2.7 APG

This list did not include the numbers of St. John’s forward Donnie Freeman, who is out for the year.

Marlon Martinez, a Promising 2027 Shooter, is Headed to Marquette

There’s a lot to like about the potential of recent Marquette commit Marlon Martinez, a pure shooter ranked #119 in the class of 2027 by 247 Sports.

• He’s played very well against top competition, leading the FIBA U18 AmeriCup in scoring while playing for the Dominican Republic. Martinez averaged over 19 points, six rebounds, and four assists for the tournament, while hitting at 48% beyond the arc and 89% from the free throw line.

• At 6’5 with a 6’10 wingspan, the young guard has good positional size and also performed extremely well when facing off against Southeastern Prep in late March — a team featuring perhaps the top two players in the class of 2027 in Beckham Black and CJ Rosser.

• Martinez scored 24 points in that one, burying 6-12 from beyond the arc. He shot 45% on all catch and shoot opportunities on the Grind Session. Martinez looks equally comfortable shooting off screens or pulling up.

In footage we pulled together, his shot certainly looks pure (highlights include his big game against Black and Rosser):

If Butler is to surprise…

Expect to see Butler projected near the bottom of the Big East once the fall rolls around. The Bulldogs will happily welcome back point guard Jalen Jackson, who missed nearly all of last season due to injury, while they also return serviceable center Drayton Jones.

The season could hinge on how quickly foreign imports Asim Djulovic (a 6’8 forward) and 6’6 Finnish scorer Samu Adler adjust.

Butler also has a pair of potential swing players in Eduardo Klafke and Treyson Anderson. Klafke is an outstanding shooter who had very good shooting numbers at Ole Miss (career 44% from three) on limited usage/attempts, while the 6’9 Anderson comes in from an NCAA Tournament team in North Dakota State.

Ideally, Anderson will bring inside/out versatility to the frontcourt. He’s comfortable facing up and playing in the paint, but he also expanded his game beyond the arc as a sophomore (35% from 3 after going 0-5 as a freshman).

Meanwhile, Klafke isn’t just a spot up shooter. In fact, he’s very good when pulling up.

We broke down both of them over the weekend:

What Butler will need out of newcomers Treyson Anderson and Eduardo Klafke

Butler enters next season with more question marks than fellow Big East clubs — as the likes of Xavier, Providence, Creighton, DePaul and Marquette look much improved on paper. But between Klafke’s shooting, Anderson’s versatility and the potential impact of its foreign newcomers, there are at least a few intriguing pieces for Ronald Nored to work with.

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