By Aidan Joly
This is the fourth part of my transfer portal adds series, highlighted by Kansas getting a pair of role players and several players making the jump from mid-major to high major.
Twenty more players to take a look at, below:
Matas Vokietaitis: Old school: Florida Atlantic | New school: Texas
Vokietaitis was the freshman of the year in the American Athletic Conference after averaging 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest for FAU. He’s a big seven-footer who plays extremely physical in the paint on both sides of the ball and is increasingly tough to move. He is especially good on the offensive glass. Having played just 17 minutes per game at FAU, he can be a very good interior presence for the Longhorns.
Elliot Cadeau: Old school: North Carolina | New school: Michigan
Cadeau is a former five-star prospect who never truly blossomed into the player the Tar Heels thought he could become, but he was a serviceable player for two seasons in Chapel Hill. He averaged 9.4 PPG in 2024-25 and demonstrated good ability as a passer, but is prone to turnovers. He also sometimes struggles to find consistency in scoring. It feels like a change of scenery could be beneficial here.
Kyan Evans: Old school: Colorado State | New school: North Carolina
Evans doesn’t take a ton of shots for a point guard, but when he does take them he makes them at a consistent rate. He can especially burn you from deep as he hit 44.6% of his attempts for Colorado State on his way to averaging 10.6 points per game for a team that won an NCAA tournament game, and nearly won a second. He is a very smart player, which will fit in well in Chapel Hill.
Malik Thomas: Old school: San Francisco | New school: Virginia
Thomas was a first-team all-WCC pick and led the league in scoring with 19.9 points per game. He also did so while shooting almost 40% from behind the three point line and made 85% of his free throws while getting to the line at a high rate. He is also a good off-the-ball player. He will provide scoring for a Virginia team that could use it under first year coach Ryan Odom.
Christoph Tilly: Old school: Santa Clara | New school: Ohio State
The Buckeyes get a seven-foot big man that a lot of players had their eye on. Another good player coming out of the WCC, Tilly averaged 12.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in just under 23 minutes per game for Santa Clara in 2024-25. He is known to step out and hit a three every once in a while too. He shot 7-9 from the field in an upset win against Gonzaga on Jan. 18.
Nick Boyd: Old school: San Diego State | New school: Wisconsin
Boyd was a serviceable player for San Diego State and finished off his time there by averaging 13.4 points per game for the Aztecs this past season. He is a good but not great shooter, and is very smart and reliable. A part of the 2023 FAU team that made the Final Four, he should be able to carve out a nice role at Wisconsin.
Tre Donaldson: Old school: Michigan | New school: Miami
Donaldson is an interesting player. He was clearly a key cog on a Michigan team that reached the Sweet 16. He is a very good defender, was one of the best in the Big Ten in 2024-25. However, he makes many questionable decisions on offense and as a result is fairly unreliable when you need points. Still, he can be a lead guard and will be for a Miami team that is undergoing a major rebuild under first year coach Jai Lucas.
Denzel Aberdeen: Old school: Florida | New school: Kentucky
Aberdeen had a very solid role on the national championship winning team, averaging 7.7 points per game across 19.7 minutes per game. He mostly played point guard but is capable of playing just about every position, standing at 6-foot-5. He has a good jumper and can score pretty consistently from all areas of the floor. If he can clean up a little bit of a turnover issue, he can be a starter-type player for Kentucky.
Jalil Bethea: Old school: Miami | New school: Alabama
A top prospect coming into Miami one year ago Bethea’s freshman season did not go as planned as he averaged just 7.1 points and shot under 40% from the field for a Hurricanes team that was dreadful. He is a small 6-foot-5, so it would benefit him to gain a little bit of muscle. Still a bit of a project, he’s worth the flyer that Alabama is taking on him.
Vyctorius Miller: Old school: LSU | New school: Oklahoma State
Miller had a very good freshman season in the SEC, averaging 8.9 points per game and hitting 44% from the field for an LSU team that saw improvement after a bad 2023-24 season. His numbers did drop off a bit in the second half of the season as he tried to play through an ankle injury. However, when healthy, he can be a solid presence for Oklahoma State and help them.
Elyjah Freeman: Old school: Lincoln Memorial (Division II) | New school: Auburn
It will be interesting to see where Freeman slots in for Auburn. He was one of the best Division II players in the country for Lincoln Memorial in Tennessee, averaging 19.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game for a squad that won 25 games and reached the Division II tournament. He could be worth investing in for Auburn and Bruce Pearl.
Dillon Mitchell: Old school: Cincinnati | New school: St. John’s
Once upon a time Mitchell was a five-star prospect, but he’s another one who has never really blossomed into what we thought he would be. Still, he has become a nice role player and has had a solid career. At Cincinnati this past season he had 9.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while being more efficient than he ever was at Texas. He has an ability to make a three, but it’s not the main part of his game. He’s a good defender, which will probably be his main role at St. John’s.
Cooper Schwieger: Old school: Valparaiso | New school: Wake Forest
The Missouri Valley Conference has sent many successful players to the high majors over the years and Schwieger is next on that list. He was very good at Valpo this past season to the tune of 15.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. At 6-foot-10 he largely played center, and that is likely what he will end up playing at Wake Forest. He is also decent from three for a big man. He is also good on defense as he led the MVC with 2 blocks per game.
Gabriel Pozzato: Old school: Evansville | New school: Xavier
Pozzato, an athletic wing out of Australia, had a very good freshman season at Evansville, averaging 14.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game on his way to being named to the Missouri Valley all-freshman team. He didn’t hit his threes at an overly consistent rate but he has a smooth shooting motion that should translate to making them at a better rate as he matures. Overall, he figures to be a key wing player and a second or maybe third scoring option for first year coach Richard Pitino.
Jayden Dawson: Old school: Loyola Chicago | New school: Kansas
Dawson had a nice breakout season as a junior for Loyola Chicago this past season, averaging 13.9 points per game that made a deep run in the NIT and ended up with 25 wins. He’s a very streaky shooter who runs around making 36% of his threes. Standing at 6-foot-4 he has good size and athleticism for a combo guard which should make him a dynamic option for the Jayhawks.
Tre White: Old school: Illinois | New school: Kansas
White is on his fourth school after previous stops at USC, Louisville and the Illini. He is a proven starter and scorer at this level and really improved with his spacing and shot selection as compared to years past. He also got better defensively. If he keeps improving, he can certainly be an important player for Kansas.
Sebastian Mack: Old school: UCLA | New school: Missouri
After really coming on strong as a freshman for the Bruins in 2023-24 Mack saw a bit of a dip in production this season, going from 12.1 PPG as a freshman to 9.6 PPG as a sophomore, saw his minutes go down, and saw his way out of the starting lineup. However, his shooting percentages went up from 38.7% as a freshman to 42.6% as a sophomore. He projects as a starter at Missouri as he looks to reach his ceiling.
Kanon Catchings: Old school: BYU | New school: Georgia
One year ago Catchings was seen as a player who could have gone one-and-done to the NBA, but he didn’t have the season at BYU that many thought he would, especially after he de-committed from Purdue to go to Provo. He averaged just over seven points a game and really wasn’t even playing much by the end of the season. The upside and potential is still there and we will see if he can find it at Georgia.
Tyon Grant-Foster: Old school: Grand Canyon | New school: Gonzaga
Grant-Foster was the player of the year in the WAC and helped Grand Canyon to the NCAA tournament by averaging 14.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for the Lopes. He averaged over 20 points per game two seasons ago. He is a high volume shooter but has the ability to get them off from anywhere on the floor. There is a ton of potential here and Mark Few will have a great chance at reeling him in a bit, while keeping his ability to go off on any night.
Dishon Jackson: Old school: Iowa State | New school: Pitt
Another player on his fourth school. Jackson was the man in the middle for what was a top-1o defense in the country last year for Iowa State and that is where he shines the most. He is a tad bit inconsistent on defense and with rebounding and under the basket he leaves a little bit to be desired offensively. Still, standing at 6-foot-11 and weighing in at 270 pounds, he is one of the largest players in college basketball, something that will be huge, literally and figuratively, for the Panthers.
AJ Hoops 