College basketball’s leading returning scorer enters transfer portal with huge asking price

PJ Haggerty was the third leading scorer in men’s college basketball this past season in a breakout sophomore year for the Memphis Tigers. Haggerty averaged 21.7 points per game by splashing shots from all three levels and consistently getting to the free throw line. Only Villanova’s Eric Dixon and Northern Arizona’s Trenton McLaughlin averaged more points during the 2024-2025 season, and both of them are out of eligibility for next year.

Haggerty is the latest shocking addition to the transfer portal, entering his name on Thursday afternoon just ahead of the April 22 deadline. He immediately becomes one of the top available players in the portal, and he might be the best name on the list in terms of players with multiple years of eligibility remaining.

This is a devastating blow for Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway, who is coming off his best season yet at 29-6 overall, yet failed to win a game in the 2025 NCAA tournament. There’s going to be a long list of suitors for a player with this type of production. He went into the transfer portal with a “do not contact” tag, which means he could have his next destination already picked out.

Haggerty is reportedly asking for $4 million from a new school, and also wants to play point guard.

We ranked Haggerty at No. 9 on our list of the 50 best players entering March Madness. The eight players ranked above him are all either returning to their original school or entering the 2025 NBA Draft.

The NBA doesn’t have much interest in Haggerty because he’s a little small for a scoring guard (6’3, 191 pounds) and doesn’t have much athletic explosion — he finished the season with zero dunks. Still, this is exactly the type of guard that great college teams need in March as an instant-offense ingredient who can create off the dribble.

Haggerty was an absolute workhorse for Memphis this past year, finishing No. 9 in total minutes played across DI while ranking No. 2 in both free throws made and free throw attempts. He’s not a high volume three-point shooter, attempting only three shots from deep per game, but he’s still an efficient scorer because of his ability to get to the foul line. His 58.3 percent true shooting was above-average, and is even more impressive when mixed with his 20 percent assist rate and 28 percent usage rate.

Haggerty likely stands to cash in big time in the portal. Name a college team that needs a starting guard: Haggerty should be their top option. North Carolina figures to a be serious suitor for Haggerty. St. John’s still needs a guard as it targets former UNC freshman Ian Jackson. Will an SEC school like Alabama or Kentucky try to get into the mix? A school like Indiana could really use him in the backcourt to compete in the Big Ten.

Haggerty could be a Preseason First-Team All-American when he reports to campus for the 2025-2026 season. Players with this level of production, experience, and two years of remaining eligibility don’t come around often. Memphis’ loss will be a blueblood’s gain most likely.