ACC Preview: Breaking down the league’s top 20 impact transfers

It is ACC week here at On3, and we continue rolling out the content with our 2024-25 season previews. Over 2,000 players entered the transfer portal this off-season and 83 of them committed to programs in the 18-team ACC. All 18 teams added transfers this off-season with Louisville leading the way adding 12 players via the transfer portal.

Looking a little deeper at the numbers, three teams, Louisville (12), Cal (8), and SMU (7), added seven or more players via the transfer portal this off-season. Only four teams, Notre Dame (3), Florida State (3), UNC (3), and Pittsburgh (2), added three or less players. On average each team in the ACC brought in 4.6 players via the transfer portal.

Interestingly enough, in the All-ACC first and second-team predictions I put out earlier in the week, Louisville’s Chucky Hepburn was the only transfer to make the list. He is also entering the season as the ACC’s most important transfer.

In this writing, I take a look at the transfers across the ACC this season. This is not a list of the best players or the top NBA prospects coming to the league from the transfer portal. This is a look at the players with the biggest potential impact for their team this season. Could this player be an x-factor in a program finishing in the bottom or the top third of the ACC? Will this player playing up to expectations make a difference in a program finishing with a winning record? A player’s impact on the league, on their specific team, their talent, and more was taken into account for this list.

Let’s take a look at the 20 most impactful transfers in the ACC for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

ACC’s Most Important Transfer

PG Sr. Chucky Hepburn (Louisville)

2023-24 Stats (at Wisconsin): 9.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.1 steals, 42.9% FG, 32.2% 3P

The Buzz: Louisville is predicted to finish fourth in the ACC this season and with an entirely new roster complete with 12 transfers and a freshman, Wisconsin transfer Chucky Hepburn will be the straw that is asked to stir the drink.

Hepburn is coming from a Wisconsin team that finished 87th nationally in field goals attempted and 147th in points scored last season. He comes to a coach in Pat Kelsey whose College of Charleston team finished 13th in Division 1 in field goals attempted and 27th in points scored. The pace of play should help Hepburn’s comfort levels. Hepburn darned Big Ten All-Defense honors after finishing second in the league with 2.1 steals per game. Hepburn is a quick twitch, confident guard, heating things up at the point of attack.

Louisville is having to replace an entire roster. They have no returners from last year’s team. Kelsey was able to bring in players that he targeted, and he added depth, length, versatility, and perimeter ability. At the head of the snake will be senior guard Chucky Hepburn.

ACC’s Next 20 Impact Transfers

(*in alphabetical order)

SG Sr. Matt Allocco, Notre Dame

2023-24 Stats (at Princeton): 12.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 50.8% FG, 42.7% 3P

The Buzz: Matt Allocco is another connector for Micah Shrewsberry’s team. The 6-foot-4 senior is comfortable moving the ball or knocking down shots. He brings a winning pedigree (70-21 in college) and will provide a veteran presence beside Markus Burton, someone who compliments his game and is able to take some pressure off his duties.

SG Sr. Jalen Blackmon, Miami

2023-24 Stats (at Stetson): 21.3 points, 2.9 rebounds. 1.9 assists, 0.8 steals, 42.8% FG, 38.1% 3P

The Buzz: Jim Larranaga’s Miami teams have been at their very best when they have multiple guys on the floor who self-create offense and can knock down shots. Jalen Blackmon averaged 8.3 threes attempted per game last season. While he might not have the same green light he had at Stetson, his offensive confidence will be a welcomed trait in Miami.

PG Sr. Jaquan Carlos, Syracuse

2023-24 Stats (at Hofstra): 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds. 6.3 assists, 1.6 steals, 41.3% FG, 34.4% 3P

The Buzz: Jaquan Carlos will give the Orangemen a much different look from last season. The ball should move a lot more freely from the point of attack while Carlos provides someone who can heat the ball up guarding full court. Carlos led the CAA in assists last season while finishing second the season prior. He also earned CAA All-Defense honors each of the last two seasons.

C Jr. Cam Corhen, Pittsburgh

2023-24 Stats (at Florida State): 9.4 points, 3.9 rebounds. 0.6 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.4 blocks, 62.9% FG

The Buzz: Cam Corhen will provide a low post presence that Pittsburgh has not had over the past couple of seasons. He has soft hands and an ability to pick and pop out into the mid-range. With the losses of Blake Hinson and Bub Carrington from last season’s team, Corhen’s presence will allow the Panthers some more inside, out-type play.

SF Sr. Matt Cross, SMU

2023-24 Stats (at UMass): 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 54.0% FG, 32.9% 3P

The Buzz: Matt Cross will enter his fifth season of college basketball, for his fourth team. Last season he earned All-A10 honors after finishing 10th in scoring and second in rebounding. He brings physicality and experience to this roster, but he also brings production. He has scored 731 points, grabbed 388 rebounds, and dished 129 assists over his last two seasons in the A10.

SG Sr. Terrence Edwards, Louisville

2023-24 Stats (at James Madison): 17.2 points. 4.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.9 steals, 42.7% FG, 34.3% 3P

The Buzz: Terrence Edwards earned Sun Belt Player of the Year honors after finishing second in the league in points and fifth in assists. The 6-foot-6 senior was the focal point of a team that finished 32-4 on the season earning an early season win at Michigan State and advancing to the Round of 32 after beating Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Edwards brings experience to this team having 82 collegiate wins under his belt and 1,414 career points scored.

G Sr. Marcus Hill, NC State

2023-24 Stats (at Bowling Green): 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steals, 44.3% FG, 28.9% 3P

The Buzz: The best players on Kevin Keatts’ best teams at NC State have been guards who are able to create an advantage off the bounce. As Keatts puts it, “combo guards who have a little boogie.” While Marcus Hill might not be the most athletic guard in the league, and he might need to tighten up his shooting stroke from deep, what Hill can do is get his defender on his hip and finish through contact. Hill, a former third-team JUCO All-American, averaged 6.4 free throws per game en route to first-team All-MAC honors last season.

C Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, NC State

2023-24 Stats (at Louisville): 12.9 points 8.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.3 blocks, 56.7% FG

The Buzz: Brandon Huntley-Hatfield has perhaps the biggest shoes to fill on this list. He is set to replace DJ Burns, NC State’s second-leading scoring and the darling of the NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-10, 240-pound center quietly went about his business last season, logging eight double-double efforts for a Louisville team that finished last in the league. In his career against NC State, Huntley-Hatfield has averaged 14.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.3 steals on 58.6 percent shooting from the field.

C Sr. Lynn Kidd, Miami

2023-24 Stats (at Virginia Tech): 13.2 points, 6.5 rebounds. 1.1 assist, 0.5 steals, 0.4 blocks, 66.8% FG

The Buzz: Lynn Kidd brings an interesting dynamic to this year’s Miami team. For starters, he brings a low post presence on the offensive end to the Hurricanes, someone who can flash to the paint and finish or play out of the dunker spots. He also replaces one of the league’s best rebounders and interior defenders in Norchad Omier. Kidd has never averaged more than 0.4 blocks or 0.5 steals for a season, and in his 4-year college career, he has averaged 4.2 rebounds per game. While experiencing a breakout last season, Miami will need for Kidd to take another step this season.

PF Jr. Ven-Allen Lubin, UNC

2023-24 Stats (at Vanderbilt): 12.3 points, 6.3 rebounds. 0.5 assists, 1.0 blocks, 50.0% FG, 33.3% 3P

The Buzz: There has been a lot of talk about the interior play of UNC’s team this year. On paper, 6-foot-8, 225-pound Ven-Allen Lubin looks primed to take on a big role for the Tar Heels. While Vanderbilt finished second-to-last in the SEC last season, Lubin’s production stayed consistent throughout the season, even getting better as the season went on. Over the Commedores’ final two months of the year, Lubin averaged 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. This is Lubin’s third team in three college seasons. There seems to be a big role available for him.

PG Sr. Javian McCollum, Georgia Tech

2023-24 Stats (at Oklahoma): 13.3 points, 2.6 rebounds. 3.4 assists, 0.8 steals, 40.4% FG, 31.4% 3P

The Buzz: While Georgia Tech finished 12th in the league, they won four of their last seven games and brought some optimism into his season. For the most part, The Yellow Jackets stayed pat with their roster, bringing back an injured Lance Terry and focusing on the development of promising sophomores Baye Ndongo and Nait George. However, what they did add was senior guard Javian McCollum from Oklahoma. McCollum led the Sooners in scoring last season, showing an ability to self-create offense and some untapped shooting touch (94.3% FT)

PG Sr. Boopie Miller, SMU

2023-24 Stats (at Wake Forest): 15.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.4 steals, 46.4% FG, 36.9% 3P

The Buzz: In Andy Enfield’s first season at SMU, he brought in nine new players, including seven transfers. There is an opportunity for a few guys to carve out a positive role for the new-look Pony Express this season, however, senior inter-conference transfer Boopie Miller might have as many expectations as any. He is a crafty lead guard who started at Central Michigan and averaged 15.6 per game at Wake Forest last season. He brings a season’s worth of ACC experience and he averaged over 15.0 points per game for each month other than February (13.1) last season.

PF Jr. Chism Okpara, Stanford

2023-24 Stats (at Harvard): 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.8 blocks, 47.9% FG

The Buzz: With Stanford entering a new league, and traveling across the country to play their league games, the addition of Chisom Okpara gives them one of the ACC’s most intriguing frontcourts. At 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, Okpara brings a physical presence alongside projected first-team All-ACC center Maxime Raynaud. Okpara can step outside to knock down shots and he is capable of moving the ball in the half-court. Okpara more than doubled his scoring output last season. Stanford will not need him to quite replicate his numbers, but they will need him to continue his efficiency and confidence.

SF So. TJ Power, Virginia

2023-24 Stats (at Duke): 2.1 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 0.2 steals, 33.3% FG, 35.7% 3P

The Buzz: By most accounts, it was a lost freshman year for TJ Power. An off-season transfer took him to Virginia, a school that led for much of his recruitment out of high school. Reports from the summer suggest the 6-foot-9 wing kept his confidence high and that the Cavaliers are expecting production out of Power this season. The sophomore forward has excellent positional size, and two things he does exceptionally well are shoot and pass. This Virginia offense and system should be a more comfortable fit for Power, who was a top-30 recruit coming out of high school just one year ago.

PF Sr. Kasean Pryor, Louisville

2023-24 Stats (at USF): 13.0 points, 7.9 rebounds. 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.7 blocks, 44.7% FG, 35.2% 3P

The Buzz: Kasean Pryor carved out a space as one of the most unique prospects in college basketball last season. The former JUCO big man used his lengthy and twitchy athleticism to create havoc on the defensive end while showing some shooting touch and initiation tools on offense. Now the 6-foot-10, 210-pound senior is going to a coach who loves analytics. The hope is to let him continue to freelance while tightening up his situations. Pryor still has some productive ceiling to tap into.

SG Sr. Sion James, Duke

2023-24 Stats (at Tulane): 14.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.7 blocks, 51.4% FG, 38.1% 3P

The Buzz: Sion James brings experience to a Duke roster that will feature six freshmen. But he also brings another connector on the offensive end and a physical presence who is a versatile defensive presence and can knock down threes. James finished top 20 in the American Athletic Conference last season in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals last season. He also knocked down 1.4 threes at a 38.1 percent clip. He sits fifth currently on the conference’s all-time steals list and has scored 1,084 career points.

F Sr. Tre’Von Spillers, Wake Forest

2023-24 Stats (at Appalachian State): 12.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 1.3 blocks, 0.7 steals, 60.4% FG

The Buzz: Wake Forest enters this season with some lofty expectations. A predicted top-three finish in the league and Hunter Sallis will undoubtedly be the team’s best player and focal point. However, Tre’Von Spillers is primed to be the possible x-factor for how good this team could ultimately be. Spillers, a lengthy forward, will bring a versatile defensive presence along with a nose for the basketball. The former JUCO recruit finished with 12 double-doubles last season. He is an efficient offensive player and elevates the floor of those around him on the defensive end.

SG So. Andrej Stojakovic, Cal

2023-24 Stats (at Stanford): 7.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.4 steals, 40.9% FG, 32.7% 3P

The Buzz: Instead of opting to transfer to the Blue Blood (Kentucky), Andrej Stojakovic opted to stay close to home and chose opportunity. The son of former NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovjc is a former McDonald’s All-American. While he could not ever quite find his footing at Stanford, Stojakovic is a skilled wing who can move the ball and knock down shots from multiple levels of the court. There is a direct opportunity for the 6-foot-7 wing to be a focal point of this offense this season.

SF Jr. Cade Tyson, UNC

2023-24 Stats (at Belmont): 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.6 blocks, 49.3% FG, 46.5% 3P

The Buzz: Cade Tyson entered the transfer portal this off-season with the reputation as one of the nation’s very best floor spacers. The 6-foot-7 forward shot 46.5 percent from behind the arc as a sophomore averaging 5.3 attempts per game. Tyson is going to come to Chapel Hill, a team that needs a player to space the floor. While Tyson, the brother of Denver Nuggets’ wing Hunter Tyson, will co timid to have defensive questions, if he can make shots – or at least provide the threat of making shots – his presence should open up another level to this offense.

PG Sr. Jaeden Zackery, Clemson

2023-24 Stats (at Boston College): 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 steals, 48.4% FG, 40.5% 3P

The Buzz: Clemson loses Joe Girard off of last season’s Elite Eight team. Girard was the team’s second-leading scorer and averaged 7.1 three-point attempts on 41.3 percent from behind the arc. His replacement, Jaeden Zackery, is not one-for-one with Girard, however, what he does bring is a different, more complimentary look that might elevate the floor of this team. Zackery finished sixth in the ACC last season in assists, steals, and minutes played. He is a very good defender who, at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds can guard on or off the ball. He will be a nice compliment to returning point guard Chase Hunter, able to initiate the flow of play or spread the floor and knock down shots. While this addition did not come with a lot of fanfare, it could prove to be one of the better additions in the league if Clemson lives up to pre-season expectations.