Back with more offseason roster resets today for Louisville and Miami as I work through all 18 ACC rosters alphabetically. If you missed any previous, check them out at these links:
As always, let me know anything I missed or needed updates, and of course share your thoughts in the thread.
Louisville
| Departures | PG Skyy Clark (Transferred to UCLA) | 29 G, 31.8 mpg, 13.2 ppg, 3 apg, 35% 3P% | |
| PG Ty-Laur Johnson (Transferred to Wake Forest) | 30 G, 23.1 mpg, 8.7 ppg, 3.6 apg, 19% 3P% | ||
| G/F Curtis Williams (Transferred to Georgetown) | 32 G, 17.6 mpg, 5.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 29% 3P% | ||
| SF Michael James (Transferred to NC State) | 32 G, 33.3 mpg, 12.6 ppg, 5 rpg, 34% 3P% | ||
| SF Kaleb Glenn (Transferred to Florida Atlantic) | 32 G, 15 mpg, 3.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 11% 3P% | ||
| F Tre White (Transferred to Illinois) | 29 G, 31.3 mpg, 12.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 30% 3P% | ||
| PF JJ Traynor (Transferred to DePaul) | 8 G, 25.5 mpg, 10.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 52% FG% | ||
| PF Danilo Jovanovich (Transferred to Milwaukee) | 20 G, 8.3 mpg, 1.2 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 36% FG% | ||
| F/C Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Transferred to NC State) | 32 G, 30.8 mpg, 12.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 57% FG% | ||
| F/C Emmanuel Okorafor (Transferred to Seton Hall) | 20 G, 7 mpg, 2.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 65% FG% | ||
| Additions | PG Chucky Hepburn (SR Transfer, Wisconsin) | 35 G, 33.3 mpg, 9.2 ppg, 3.9 apg, 32% 3P% | |
| G Koren Johnson (JR Transfer, Washington) | 31 G, 24.2 mpg, 11.1 ppg, 2.7 apg, 37% 3P% | ||
| G Reyne Smith (SR Transfer, College of Charleston) | 35 G, 25.9 mpg, 12.8 ppg, 1.7 apg, 39% 3P% | ||
| G/F Aboubacar Traore (SR Transfer, Long Beach State) | 36 G, 31 mpg, 12 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 9% 3P% | ||
| SF Terrence Edwards (SR+ Transfer, James Madison) | 36 G, 30.3 mpg, 17.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 34% 3P% | ||
| F J’Vonne Hadley (RS JR Transfer, Colorado) | 36 G, 34.2 mpg, 11.6 ppg, 6 rpg, 42% 3P% | ||
| PF Khani Rooths (4-star FR) | |||
| PF Kasean Pryor (RS JR Transfer, South Florida) | 32 G, 26.3 mpg, 13 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 45% FG% | ||
| F/C Noah Waterman (SR+ Transfer, College of Charleston) | 33 G, 24.1 mpg, 9.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 46% FG% | ||
| F/C Frank Anselem (SR+ Transfer, Georgia) | 29 G, 9.1 mpg, 2.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 63% FG% | ||
| F/C James Scott (SO Transfer, College of Charleston) | 35 G, 16 mpg, 5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 79% FG% | ||
| Redshirting | G Kobe Rodgers (SR Transfer, College of Charleston) | 31 G, 21.7 mpg, 9.7 ppg, 2.2 apg, 45% 3P% | |
| C Aly Khalifa (SR Transfer, BYU) | 29 G, 19.4 mpg, 5.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 39% FG% |
The Kenny Payne era has given way to the Pat Kelsey era in Louisville. Kelsey had great runs at Winthrop and the College of Charleston over the last 12 seasons, earning 5 NCAAT bids in the last eight seasons out of their respective one-bid leagues (that includes 2020 where they’d already won the Big South tournament before the postseason was cancelled).
Now we see how well he handles the transition to high-major competition. For Year 1, he’s doing so without a single returner from Kenny Payne’s roster. In many ways, Kelsey “won” the transfer Portal this year with a near-unprecedented combination of quantity and quality, landing 12 inbound transfers, 11 of whom ranked in the Top 250 of EvanMiya’s portal rankings. This includes four of his best players from College of Charleston who will bring both culture and system familiarity to the program. Of note, two of those transfers do intend to redshirt this upcoming season to rehab injuries (CofC guard Kobe Rodgers and BYU center Aly Khalifa), but there’s still 11 quality players for Kelsey to work with and potentially make an immediate dent in the ACC.
Two of the nation’s best transfer prospects arrive to take over the guard spots in Wisconsin’s Chucky Hepburn and Washington’s Koren Johson. Hepburn will be asked to distribute and defend, having won a spot on the B1G’s all-defensive team last year, while Johnson will be more of a scorer. Joining them in the rotation will be CofC transplant Reyne Smith who won CAA 2nd Team honors last year as an efficient shooter and scorer.
Sun Belt Player of the Year Terrance Edwards will likely seize the 3-spot with Long Beach State swingman Aboubacar Traore (All-Big West 1st Teamer and Tournament MVP) platooning, potentially going small with the two of the playing together as Traore was one of the most effective 2-way rebounders in the country last year for his position.
In the front court, Colorado combo forward J’Vonne Hadley may start at the 4 to give the Cardinals a more spread out look on offense, though USF transfer Kasean Pryor will platoon when they need a more traditional look at power forward. The 5-spot is the closest thing to a weak spot in the Cardinals’ offseason transfer haul, with a pair of College of Charleston big men, Noah Waterman and James Scott, following Kelsey and looking to adapt quickly to the higher level of competition. Four-star Khani Rooths may be an odd man out behind so many veteran bodies, as will former Syracuse and Georgia big man Frank Anselem around for depth.
On paper, it’s a highly promising roster that Kelsey has built over a short period of time. Questions will remain, however, (a) how quickly they come together and (b) how well Kelsey manages minutes and roles with eight or nine guys who’ve come to expect starter-level minutes from their previous stops. Kelsey has proven himself to be a quality coach at his previous stops, so it’s maybe dangerous to underestimate them purely because of their turnover. I do think they have a fairly high floor with this much proven talent across all five positions. But what’s their ceiling? As of today I put them on par with the likes of Clemson, Wake, and NC State as a top-half program that will have their inconsistent nights but on the whole should be hunting for a single-digit NCAAT seed.
Miami
| Departures | G Bensley Joseph (Transferred to Providence) | 32 G, 31.5 mpg, 9.6 ppg, 3.4 apg, 36% 3P% | |
| SG Jakai Robinson (Transferred to Bryant) | 17 G, 7.2 mpg, 1 ppg, 0.3 apg, 17% 3P% | ||
| G/F Wooga Poplar (Transferred to Villanova) | 29 G, 31.1 mpg, 13.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 39% 3P% | ||
| F Kyshawn George (Turned Pro) | 31 G, 23 mpg, 7.6 ppg, 3 rpg, 41% 3P% | ||
| F Christian Watson (Transferred to Southern Miss) | 24 G, 12.7 mpg, 2.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 24% 3P% | ||
| PF AJ Casey (Transferred to Saint Louis) | 24 G, 9.5 mpg, 1.9 ppg, 2 rpg, 39% FG% | ||
| F/C Norchad Omier (Transferred to Baylor) | 31 G, 30.6 mpg, 17 ppg, 10 rpg, 55% FG% | ||
| C Michael Nwoko (Transferred to Mississippi State) | 29 G, 8.9 mpg, 2.7 ppg, 2 rpg, 56% FG% | ||
| Returners | PG Nijel Pack (SR+) | 25 G, 32.5 mpg, 13.3 ppg, 3.6 apg, 36% 3P% | |
| F Matthew Cleveland (SR) | 29 G, 33.2 mpg, 13.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 36% 3P% | ||
| F Paul Djobet (SO) | 16 G, 10.2 mpg, 2.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 41% 3P% | ||
| Additions | G Jalen Blackmon (SR Transfer, Stetson) | 35 G, 34.8 mpg, 21.3 ppg, 1.9 apg, 38% 3P% | |
| G Divine Ugochukwu (3-star FR) | |||
| SG Jalil Bethea (5-star FR) | |||
| SG Austin Swartz (4-star FR) | |||
| G/F A.J. Staton-McCray (RS SR Transfer, Samford) | 31 G, 21.2 mpg, 11.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 41% 3P% | ||
| F Isaiah Johnson-Arigu (3-star FR) | |||
| PF Brandon Johnson (SR+ Transfer, East Carolina) | 31 G, 34.7 mpg, 14 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 42% FG% | ||
| PF Kiree Huie (SR Transfer, Idaho State) | 34 G, 26.8 mpg, 11.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 54% FG% | ||
| F/C Lynn Kidd (SR+ Transfer, Virginia Tech) | 33 G, 23.3 mpg, 13.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 67% FG% |
Two seasons ago, UNC followed up a Final Four run with missing the NCAAT entirely. Last season it was Miami’s turn. (Should NC State fans be worried? More on that in the next installment.) The wheels completely came off the Hurricanes as they finished with a ten-game losing streak, punctuated with a blowout loss to BC in the ACCT’s opening round. Multiple starters promptly left Coral Gables, four of whom found homes at rival power conference programs, but a couple of key star players did return to build around.
5th year Nigel Pack with captain the Miami offense for the third straight season, hoping for a bit of a bounce back year after his efficiency dropped last season, the career 41% 3-point shooter hitting on only 33% from deep in ACC play. He’ll be joined in the backcourt by Atlantic Sun 1st Teamer Jalen Blackmon, an efficient multi-level volume scorer. Top 10 rookie and projected 2025 NBA Lottery Pick Jalil Bethea will likely seize an immediate role as well, with Southern Conference 3rd teamer AJ Staton-McCray factoring in on the wing along with 4-star rookie Austin Swartz.
The front court returns wing-forward Matthew Cleveland at one starting spot, who had an up-and-down first season with Miami after transferring from Florida State. He’ll need to improve his consistency this year, especially in league play, to get back on any NBA radars. A trio of transfers arrive to build out the rest of the post depth chart, with more traditional big men at both big man spots in ECU’s volume scoring stretch forward Brandon Johnson, Idaho State’s rotational Kiree Huie, and Virginia Tech traditional center Lynn Kidd on his 3rd ACC team. There may still be some size concerns when Kidd sits, though all three transfers were high-level rebounders at their last stop.
Like last year, it’s not a bad-looking roster on paper, but Larranaga’s got some serious late-career question marks with his ability to get a roster to perform to its potential. The 2023 Final Four run, amazing as it was, somewhat obscures the fact that he’s had four losing records in the ACC in the last six seasons. It’s possible that all 8 of their primary rotation players this upcoming year are in their last year of college ball (7 seniors in their final season + projected one-and-done Bethea), so this is likely configured to be “one last run” for the soon-to-be-75 Larranaga. But my confidence that he gets this roster to execute consistently is low, and even if it’s somewhat better than last season, I ultimately foresee a disappointing sub-.500 ACC finish yet again come next spring.