Acaden Lewis had a strong stint with Villanova during the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season. The 6’2″ point guard played in 33 games for the Wildcats, averaging 12.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.9 steals in 30.5 minutes per game.
About two weeks after Villanova’s first-round ouster in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, Lewis announced his intention to test the NBA Draft waters while also exploring the transfer portal. If Lewis ultimately decides to return for another year of college basketball, here are several schools that make sense as a landing spot.
3 Schools to Watch With Acaden Lewis in the Transfer Portal
Miami Hurricanes
Miami has a glaring opening at the guard spot following the departures of Tre Donaldson (who exhausted his collegiate eligibility) and Tru Washington (who transferred to Xavier). With Dante Allen returning and possibly taking over the shooting guard role for Jai Lucas’ squad, the coaching staff’s primary focus during this transfer-portal period will be the point guard spot.
Lewis can fill the production that Donaldson will leave behind if the Hurricanes take the chance and pursue him. He could be an effective facilitator for Miami next season and help teammates look good as the team attempts to match its surprising run toward the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
UConn Huskies
With Silas Demary Jr. and Solo Ball expected to return next season for the 2026 NCAA Tournament runner-up, the starting backcourt looks formidable enough to support another excellent campaign. However, adding another talent like Lewis could provide a significant boost for the Huskies, even if head coach Dan Hurley deploys him off the bench to spark the team.
Lewis could effectively lead the second unit alongside incoming freshman shooting guard Junior County. He could also be inserted into a three-man guard formation with Demary and Ball in crucial stages of the game, bringing speed and playmaking when needed.
Alabama Crimson Tide
With top scorer Labaron Philon Jr. declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft after an excellent 2025-26 season in which he averaged 22.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game for Alabama, Nate Oats may be looking into the transfer portal to find a replacement for Philon.
The Villanova playmaker could fill the role Philon had last season and might prove to be a better playmaker than the 6’4″ guard if he improves his shooting.
Recall that Oats brought in Ohio transfer Mark Sears to the Crimson Tide for the 2022-23 season, and Sears had a fruitful three-season stint, highlighted by a Final Four appearance in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
