Basketball
How does 1st Louisville basketball transfer portal haul under Pat Kelsey stack up in ACC?
Louisville men’s basketball introduces Pat Kelsey as head coach
Pat Kelsey was introduced as the Louisville men’s basketball coach on Thursday. Here is what Kelsey had to say.
Courier Journal
The ACC has a new look. It’s only fitting Louisville men’s basketball followed suit.
With the additions of California, SMU and Stanford, the 18-team conference will stretch to both coasts when the 2024-25 season tips off. And no one in the league, from Atlantic to Pacific, was busier than the Cardinals in the NCAA transfer portal this spring.
New head coach Pat Kelsey had to start from scratch after every scholarship player from last season’s team headed elsewhere in the wake of Kenny Payne‘s ouster. He and his staff needed only 55 days to assemble a collection of talent that they believe will be more than just competitive.
“It’s possible to construct a winning roster in a short amount of time,” Kelsey told CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein last month, during an episode of the “College Hoops Today” podcast. “If something like that happened five, six years ago, much less 10, you’re talking about a monumental rebuild that could take a decade or several years, at least.”
Entering the final week of May, EvanMiya.com‘s transfer tracker had ACC members bringing in just over 80 players through the portal after having more than 100 enter it this offseason. Of the conference’s established members, only four teams had acquired five or more. Together, the newcomers accounted for 19 additions.
U of L was the only team welcoming, and one of two losing, 10 or more. Kelsey’s inaugural haul ranked second in the country on the advanced analytics website’s leaderboard.
How does the rest of the ACC stack up talent-wise? Here’s a breakdown:
Note: Teams are listed in order of their Incoming Transfers Class Rank on EvanMiya. You’ll also see what’s called an Overall Transfer Activity Rank, which evaluates teams’ incoming transfers against their outgoing transfers.
Louisville (No. 2)
2023-24 record: 8-24 (3-17)
Incoming transfers (12):
- Frank Anselem-Ibe (C, Georgia)
- Terrence Edwards Jr. (G/F, James Madison)
- J’Vonne Hadley (G, Colorado)
- Chucky Hepburn (G, Wisconsin)
- Koren Johnson (G, Washington)
- Aly Khalifa (C, BYU)
- Kasean Pryor (F, South Florida)
- Kobe Rodgers (G, Charleston)
- James Scott (F, Charleston)
- Reyne Smith (G, Charleston)
- Aboubacar Traore (F, Long Beach State)
- Noah Waterman (F, BYU)
Outgoing transfers (11):
- Skyy Clark (G, UCLA)
- Dennis Evans (C, Grand Canyon)
- Kaleb Glenn (F, Florida Atlantic)
- Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (F, N.C. State)
- Mike James (G/F, N.C. State)
- Ty-Laur Johnson (G, Wake Forest)
- Danilo Jovanovich (F, Milwaukee)
- Emmanuel Okorafor (F/C, Seton Hall)
- JJ Traynor (F, DePaul)
- Tre White (G, Illinois)
- Curtis Williams (G/F, Georgetown)
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: Third
Top addition: Hepburn, a member of last season’s Big Ten All-Defensive Team, was one of the most sought-after point guards in the portal — ranking sixth at the position on EvanMiya. He’s a surefire starter who is coming off a junior campaign in which he posted career highs in field-goal percentage, assists, rebounds and steals.
Biggest loss: Huntley-Hatfield was Louisville’s most consistent player last season and could take another step forward with the Wolfpack. He averaged a career-best 12.9 points and 8.4 rebounds as a junior.
Duke (No. 12)
2023-24 record: 27-9 (15-5)
Incoming transfers (4):
Outgoing transfers (7):
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: 342nd
Top addition: EvanMiya considers Gillis, the Big Ten’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year, to be Duke’s most impactful transfer at No. 24 overall. Brown, a member of last season’s ACC’s All-Defensive Team, is one spot behind him.
Biggest loss: Mitchell was EvanMiya’s highest-rated ACC player available in the portal. He averaged 11.6 points on 54% shooting and six rebounds as a sophomore. Roach (No. 28) and Stewart (No. 43) also cracked the top 50.
Clemson (No. 30)
2023-24 record: 24-12 (11-9)
Incoming transfers (4):
Outgoing transfers (3):
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: 54th
Top addition: Lakhin, at No. 38 overall on EvanMiya, was coach Brad Brownell’s lone top-75 addition through the portal. The 6-foot-11 Russian will be tasked with replacing first-team All-ACC selection PJ Hall.
Biggest lost: Beadle, Clark and Godfrey were role players last season and don’t leave substantial holes to fill. EvanMiya gives Clark (No. 69) the brightest outlook heading into 2024-25, which, counting a redshirt year, will be his seventh at the Division I level.
California (No. 34)
2023-24 record: 13-19 (9-11 Pac-12)
Incoming transfers (8):
Outgoing transfers (8):
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: 22nd
Top addition: Petraitis headlines a trio of four-star additions, the others being Sissoko and Stojakovic. In January, he recorded only the second triple-double in Air Force history with 18 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.
Biggest loss: Celestine averaged 8.7 points and finished among the top 3-point shooters in the Pac-12 with a 44% clip. He ranks 305th overall on EvanMiya, and the next-closet portal entrant, Newell, comes in at 442nd.
SMU (No. 37)
2023-24 record: 20-13 (11-7 AAC)
Incoming transfers (7):
Outgoing transfers (9):
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: 60th
Top addition: Cross, who played at Louisville from 2021-22, is coming off his best college season yet. He earned first-team All-Atlantic 10 honors, and a spot in EvanMiya’s top 50, after averaging 15.3 points and 8.3 rebounds as a senior.
Biggest loss: Phelps was the Mustangs’ leading scorer and a second-team All-AAC selection. His 14.8 points and 1.9 steals per game ranked 12th and fifth, respectively, in the conference.
Syracuse (No. 47)
2023-24 record: 20-12 (11-9)
Incoming transfers (3):
Outgoing transfers (6):
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: 304th
Top addition: Lampkin, at 6-11 and 265 pounds, is as imposing as they come in the post. EvanMiya ranked him 10th among centers in the portal this offseason after he averaged 10.6 points and seven rebounds as a senior.
Biggest loss: Brown leaving for an ACC foe hurts. His upside is immense fresh off a sophomore season in which he tallied 9.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game.
Miami (No. 48)
2023-24 record: 15-17 (6-14)
Incoming transfers (4):
Outgoing transfers (8):
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: 336th
Top addition: Per EvanMiya, Kidd is the highest-ranked center transfer who will take the court in the ACC this season. He ranks ninth at the position and 51st overall after going for 13.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and leading the conference in field-goal percentage (66.8%) as a senior.
Biggest loss: Omier, a second-team All-ACC selection, was EvanMiya’s eighth-best transfer available. He averaged a team-high 17 points and 10 rebounds as a senior.
Virginia (No. 50)
2023-24 record: 23-11 (13-7)
Incoming transfers (5):
Outgoing transfers (3):
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: 33rd
Top addition: Warley, at 96th overall, is Virginia’s lone top-100 transfer commit on EvanMiya, and there’s a big drop-off from him to Ames at 229. The ex-FSU guard averaged 7.5 points, 2.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds as a junior.
Biggest loss: Coach Tony Bennett will be more concerned about replacing his graduating class. Bond led all portal entrants with 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game last season.
Wake Forest (No. 58)
2023-24 record: 21-14 (11-9)
Incoming transfers (5):
Outgoing transfers (8):
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: 308th
Top addition: EvanMiya projects Johnson (No. 152) as both Louisville’s most-impactful departure and Wake Forest’s best newcomer through the portal. His role likely changed, however, when first-team All-ACC selection Hunter Sallis withdrew his name from the NBA draft; so let’s go with Spillers, who averaged 12.8 points and 8.9 rebounds during his first DI season.
Biggest loss: Carr (No. 36) ranks among EvanMiya’s top 10 outgoing ACC transfers. The 6-11 forward notched career highs in points (13.5) and rebounds (6.8) per game as a senior.
Georgia Tech (No. 60)
2023-24 record: 14-18 (7-13)
Incoming transfers (3):
Outgoing transfers (7):
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: 43rd
Top addition: O’Brien’s two-way impact has him inside EvanMiya’s top 100 at 91st overall. One could also make the case for McCollum (No. 207), who led Georgia Tech’s trio of incoming transfers with 13.3 points and 3.4 assists last season.
Biggest loss: Kelly was an All-ACC honorable mention as a junior. Starting all of the Yellow Jackets’ games, he averaged 13.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
Virginia Tech (No. 65)
2023-24 record: 19-15 (10-10)
Incoming transfers (5):
Outgoing transfers (6):
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: 349th
Top addition: Coach Mike Young had three of EvanMiya’s top-200 players enter the portal and brought in only one, Burnham. Playing for Kelsey last season, the 6-7 junior forward produced career highs in points (11.9) and rebounds (4.5) per game.
Biggest loss: Pedulla, who led Virginia Tech in scoring the past two seasons, is the third-best outgoing ACC transfer on EvanMiya at 17th overall. As a senior, he averaged a career-high 16.4 points and 4.6 assists; both of which were top-10 marks in the conference.
North Carolina (No. 69)
2023-24 record: 29-8 (17-3)
Incoming transfers (2):
Outgoing transfer (1):
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: 41st
Top addition: Tyson, who boasted the second-best 3-point percentage (46.5%) in the country as a sophomore last season, should thrive running alongside All-American point guard RJ Davis. For his career, the 6-7 wing is averaging 15 points on 49.2% shooting (44.6% from 3) and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Biggest loss: Okonkwo, who totaled just 15 points and rebounds apiece across 43 minutes of run last season, is the only outgoing transfer — not the most impactful departure. That would be Armando Bacot exhausting his eligibility.
Pittsburgh (No. 73)
2023-24 record: 22-11 (12-8)
Incoming transfers (2):
Outgoing transfers (2):
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: 290th
Top addition: Corhen, at 158th overall, finished nearly 100 spots ahead of Dunn (No. 249) on EvanMiya’s portal rankings. Appearing in 22 games (seven starts) and making only 2-pointers as a sophomore, he averaged 9.4 points and 4.1 rebounds.
Biggest loss: Federiko was among EvanMiya’s top 70 players in the portal. The big man from Finland averaged 4.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game; he blocked the second-most shots on the team (43) as a sophomore.
N.C. State (No. 82)
2023-24 record: 26-15 (9-11)
Incoming transfers (4):
Outgoing transfers (3):
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: 50th
Top addition: Coming in at No. 205 overall on EvanMiya, Huntley-Hatfield is N.C. State’s highest-rated incoming transfer. He has big shoes to fill in the post with NCAA Tournament sensation DJ Burns Jr. having exhausted his eligibility.
Biggest loss: It’s Thomas, although that’s not saying much considering he ranks 385th on EvanMiya and averaged only 2.6 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.8 assists across 12 appearances as a sophomore.
Notre Dame (No. 90)
2023-24 record: 13-20 (7-13)
Incoming transfers (3):
Outgoing transfers (4):
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: 61st
Top addition: Allocco (No. 183) is Notre Dame’s lone top-200 transfer commit on EvanMiya. A two-time member of the All-Ivy League second team, he set career highs in points (12.7) and assists (3.3) per game.
Biggest loss: Booth falls one spot shy of EvanMiya’s top 300. As a freshman, the 6-10 forward led the Fighting Irish in defensive rebounds (3.6) and chipped in 6.4 points across appearances in all 33 games.
Boston College (No. 103)
2023-24 record: 20-16 (8-12)
Incoming transfers (4):
Outgoing transfers (6):
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: 331st
Top addition: Venning (No. 320) is coach Earl Grant’s highest-ranked transfer commit on EvanMiya. A member of the All-A10 second team, he led Saint Bonaventure in scoring with 13.6 points per game as a redshirt junior.
Biggest loss: Zackery, who ranks 87th on EvanMiya, was a mainstay at point guard for Boston College. As a junior, he averaged a career-high 11.3 points on 48.4% shooting and notched a team-leading 152 assists.
Stanford (No. 105)
2023-24 record: 14-18 (8-12 Pac-12)
Incoming transfers (5):
Outgoing transfers (4):
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: 309th
Top addition: Okpara, at No. 424 on EvanMiya, falls well behind Saran (No. 255) but will look to build off a sophomore year in which he finished second on Harvard in scoring with a career-high 16.5 points per game on 47.9% shooting. Note: Kastner starred in lacrosse, not hoops, at Virginia and is joining the Cardinal as a grad transfer.
Biggest loss: Carlyle had a promising start to his collegiate career; during which he garnered Pac-12 All-Freshman honorable mention honors by averaging 11.5 points on 38.6% shooting (32% from 3) with 2.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He ranks 153rd on EvanMiya and is one of three top-200 departures.
Florida State (No. 254)
2023-24 record: 17-16 (10-10)
Incoming transfers (3):
Outgoing transfers (10):
Overall Transfer Activity Rank: 339th
Top addition: EvanMiya doesn’t think Holt, at No. 839 overall, will have much of an impact. In his third season at the DI level, he made a huge jump, improving his scoring by 10.3 points per game from the 2022-23 campaign at Utah while averaging 4.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
Biggest loss: Coach Leonard Hamilton’s roster was decimated, and Watkins stands to be the most important casualty. The All-ACC honorable mention forward finished 12th in the conference in scoring with 15.6 points per game on a career-high 45.7% shooting with six rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.9 steals.
Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
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