By: StLouHoo
@HoosPlace
Welcome back to another round of previewing ACC hoops rosters for this upcoming 2025-26 season. We’re moving alphabetically through the conference, picking up with Louisville this week after having reviewed BC through Georgia Tech previously which you can find here.
Cuts Note: This article has tables after the logo that may not be visible if accessing this article via e-mail. It will be visible if you view on the site.
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| Player | 2024-2025 Stats | |
|---|---|---|
| Departures | PG Chucky Hepburn (Graduated) | 34 G, 34.8 mpg, 16.4 ppg, 5.8 apg, 33% 3P% |
| G Reyne Smith (Graduated) | 31 G, 30.4 mpg, 13.1 ppg, 0.8 apg, 38% 3P% | |
| G Koren Johnson (Transferred to Ole Milss) | 2 G, 19.5 mpg, 3 ppg, 2.5 apg, 0% 3P% | |
| G/F Aboubacar Traore (Graduated) | 25 G, 13.6 mpg, 4.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 17% 3P% | |
| SF Terrence Edwards (Graduated) | 35 G, 32.7 mpg, 16.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 33% 3P% | |
| F/C James Scott (Transferred to Ole Milss) | 35 G, 23.6 mpg, 7.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 76% FG% | |
| F/C Noah Waterman (Graduated) | 31 G, 20.5 mpg, 6.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 37% FG% | |
| F/C Frank Anselem (Graduated) | 23 G, 3.7 mpg, 0.3 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 25% FG% | |
| Returners | SF J’Vonne Hadley (RS SR) | 35 G, 33.1 mpg, 12.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 38% 3P% |
| PF Khani Rooths (SO) | 35 G, 13.4 mpg, 3.3 ppg, 3 rpg, 39% FG% | |
| PF Kasean Pryor (RS SR) | 7 G, 23.3 mpg, 12 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 37% FG% | |
| Additions | PG Mikel Brown Jr (5-star FR) | |
| G Kobe Rodgers (RS SR Transfer, College of Charleston [’23-24]) | 31 G, 21.7 mpg, 9.7 ppg, 2.2 apg, 45% 3P% | |
| SG Ryan Conwell (SR Transfer, Xavier) | 34 G, 33 mpg, 16.5 ppg, 2.5 apg, 41% 3P% | |
| G/F Isaac McKneely (SR Transfer, Virginia) | 32 G, 34.4 mpg, 14.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 42% 3P% | |
| G/F Adrian Wooley (SO Transfer, Kennesaw State) | 33 G, 33.5 mpg, 18.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 42% 3P% | |
| F Mouhamed Camara (4-star FR) | ||
| F/C Vangelis Zougris (3-star FR) | ||
| C Sananda Fru (4-star FR) | ||
| C Aly Khalifa (RS SR Transfer, BYU [’23-24]) | 29 G, 19.4 mpg, 5.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 39% FG% |
Perhaps no team in the ACC has as much hype surrounding them going into the 2025-26 season as does Louisville, moreso even maybe than Duke. Pat Kelsey took over the program last summer and became the poster child for a one-offseason Portal rebuild, leading the Cardinals back to the NCAAT, with expectations to compete for the league title and a ranked finish again this year.
Louisville does have to completely rebuild its backcourt after the graduations of Chucky Hepburn, Reyne Smith, and Terrence Edwards. Kelsey is putting his faith in consensus five-star rookie PG Mikel Brown Jr (247sports #6 overall 2025 recruit), who is already showing up as a projected 2026 Lottery pick. He’s getting surrounded by a number of high profile transfer guards, starting with two power-conference seniors in Xavier’s Ryan Conwell (16.5 ppg, 41% 3P%, EvanMiya #16 transfer, 3rd team All-Big East) and Virginia’s Isaac McKneely (14.4 ppg, 43% 3P%, EvanMiya #41 transfer, HM All-ACC). Rounding out backcourt depth are additional midmajor transfers in Kennesaw State’s Adrian Wooley (18.8 ppg, 42% 3P%, 1st Team all-ACC) and Kelsey’s former CofC guard Kobe Rodgers coming off a redshirt year (9.7 ppg, 45% 3p% in 2023-24).
The guard depth will allow Kelsey the flexibility to go small at times with incumbent forward J’Vonne Hadley (12.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg) able to play either the 3 or the 4. In more traditional lineups, the Cardinals have two traditional power forwards in Khani Rooths, who showed promise in a reserve role as a freshman last year, as well as Kasean Pryor, who’s 2024-25 season was cut short with a November ACL injury. Anchoring all of this for Louisville is the presence of 6’11” 275 lb center Aly Khalifa who redshirted last year after putting up 5.7 ppg and 3.7 rpg at BYU in 2023-24 (of note: the NCAA initially denied Khalifa’s injury waiver but it was overturned over the summer). The Cards have a few promising rookie bigs in 4-stars Sananda Fru (Nick Kalinowski’s #11 international recruit), Evangelos Zougris (Kalinowski’s #9 international) and Mouhamed Camara they can work in as needed but shouldn’t need to rely on.
There really isn’t a weak spot on this roster unless you want to nitpick center depth behind Khalifa or worry about a couple of guys’ injury histories. The bottom line is that this is a stacked roster very worthy of the preseason accolades they’re receiving, and the presence of six seniors (and/or grad students) puts them over the top as the league’s team to beat going into the season.
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| Player | 2024-2025 Stats | |
|---|---|---|
| Departures | PG Nijel Pack (Transferred to Oklahoma) | 9 G, 31.2 mpg, 13.9 ppg, 4.3 apg, 39% 3P% |
| G Divine Ugochukwu (Transferred to Michigan State) | 28 G, 20.2 mpg, 5.3 ppg, 2.3 apg, 18% 3P% | |
| G Jalen Blackmon (Graduated) | 20 G, 18.3 mpg, 6.9 ppg, 1.4 apg, 32% 3P% | |
| SG Austin Swartz (Transferred to Creighton) | 29 G, 18.6 mpg, 5.9 ppg, 0.9 apg, 30% 3P% | |
| G/F A.J. Staton-McCray (Transferred to Seton Hall) | 31 G, 21.8 mpg, 7.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 32% 3P% | |
| G/F Jalil Bethea (Transferred to Alabama) | 31 G, 18.9 mpg, 7.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 33% 3P% | |
| F Matthew Cleveland (Graduated) | 29 G, 30.3 mpg, 17.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 38% 3P% | |
| F Paul Djobet (Transferred to UAB) | 28 G, 16.4 mpg, 5.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 38% 3P% | |
| PF Brandon Johnson (Graduated) | 31 G, 29.8 mpg, 8.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 41% FG% | |
| PF Kiree Huie (Transferred to Eastern Washington) | 14 G, 9.1 mpg, 1.6 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 47% FG% | |
| F/C Lynn Kidd (Graduated) | 27 G, 29 mpg, 11.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 66% FG% | |
| Additions | PG Tre Donaldson (SR Transfer, Michigan) | 37 G, 31.1 mpg, 11.3 ppg, 4.1 apg, 38% 3P% |
| G Jordyn Kee (3-star RS FR) | ||
| G John Laboy (3-star FR) | ||
| SG Tru Washington (JR Transfer, New Mexico) | 34 G, 28.2 mpg, 11.1 ppg, 1.9 apg, 34% 3P% | |
| G/F Dante Allen (4-star FR) | ||
| SF Shelton Henderson (4-star FR) | ||
| SF Treyvon Maddox (4-star FR) | ||
| SF Noam Dovrat (3-star FR) | ||
| F Timotej Malovec (3-star FR) | ||
| PF Marcus Allen (SO Transfer, Missouri) | 26 G, 9.2 mpg, 2.6 ppg, 2 rpg, 44% FG% | |
| F/C Malik Reneau (SR Transfer, Indiana) | 26 G, 23.2 mpg, 13.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 55% FG% | |
| C Ernest Udeh Jr. (SR Transfer, TCU) | 30 G, 26.6 mpg, 6.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 63% FG% | |
| C Salih Altuntas (3-star FR) |
Jai Lucas replaces Jim Larranaga as the head coach in Coral Gables, the first head coaching experience for the 36 year old after nine years as an assistant at Texas, Kentucky, and most recently Duke. The coaching changes comes with a total roster changeover as well, with Lucas adding a near-full complement of 13 scholarship players for his first campaign, eight of them freshmen.
While there are big concerns with youth here, there’s something to be said for quality where at least the inbound transfers are big gets. This is headlined at both starting guard spots, where a pair of upperclassmen take over in Michigan senior Tre Donaldson (11.3 ppg, 4.1 apg, EvanMiya #17 transfer) and New Mexico junior Tru Washington (11.1 ppg, EvanMiya #46 transfer, ranked the #3 point-of-attack defender by CBS Sports). Lucas will have no choice but to lean heavily on rookies to build out his perimeter depth chart, with the most likely contributors being scoring guard Dante Allen (247sports #35 recruit in 2025) and wing Shelton Henderson (247sports #25 nationally in 2025), with the potential for small forward Treyvon Maddox (247 #124) to mix in as well.
The front court will lean heavily on two veteran bigs in Indiana’s Malik Reneau (13.3 ppg, 5.5rpg, EvanMiya #22 transfer) and TCU’s Ernest Udeh Jr (6.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg, EvanMiya #67 transfer). It will be big if these two can play together, with Reneau’s face-up scoring game potentially pairing well with Udeh’s focus on defense (he was ranked the #4 physical interior defender nationally by CBS Sports) and rebounding, because after these two the front court for the ‘Canes is largely a lot of question marks. Forward Marcus Allen is a former Top 100 recruit but was a minimal presence on a decent Missouri team as a freshman last year. Otherwise the Canes had to dip into the international pool, with 21 year old Timotej Malovec perhaps the most ready to take on a reserve role in the ACC (Kalinowski’s #65 ranked international).
Miami’s a team many are high on thanks to the presence of four Top-75 transfers, but it feels way too shaky to me to bet much on. A roster whose majority has never played D-1 ball before has to be scrutinized, especially when only two of the eight incoming rookies are former Top 100 prospects. There’s a good looking Top 6 here (Donaldson, Washington, Dante Allen, Henderson, Reneau, and Udeh) that will probably be enough to make the Canes an intriguing watch many nights, But picking them for even a .500 league finish is too much for me. There’s simply too much that has to go right that I think that would be a tough chore even for a veteran head coach. For a first timer in Jai Lucas, more likely this season is a mulligan with the dream the young core (only three seniors) can build towards a meaningful 2026-27.
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| Player | 2024-2025 Stats | |
|---|---|---|
| Departures | PG Breon Pass (Graduated) | 30 G, 13.9 mpg, 4.5 ppg, 1.1 apg, 38% 3P% |
| PG Trey Parker (Transferred to Seton Hall) | 27 G, 11.9 mpg, 4.6 ppg, 1.1 apg, 36% 3P% | |
| G Michael O’Connell (Graduated) | 31 G, 29.5 mpg, 6.4 ppg, 3.6 apg, 31% 3P% | |
| SG Marcus Hill (Transferred to Texas A&M) | 31 G, 27.4 mpg, 11.5 ppg, 1.6 apg, 21% 3P% | |
| SG Jayden Taylor (Graduated) | 31 G, 29.1 mpg, 10.6 ppg, 1.6 apg, 32% 3P% | |
| G/F Bryce Heard (Transferred to Dayton) | 24 G, 6.3 mpg, 1.2 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 20% 3P% | |
| SF Dontrez Styles (Graduated) | 31 G, 26.4 mpg, 11.4 ppg, 5 rpg, 36% 3P% | |
| SF Dennis Parker Jr. (Transferred to Radford) | 27 G, 12.3 mpg, 2.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 25% 3P% | |
| PF Ismael Diouf (Transferred to Northern Iowa) | 18 G, 8 mpg, 2.2 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 47% FG% | |
| F/C Ben Middlebrooks (Graduated) | 30 G, 21.6 mpg, 7.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 45% FG% | |
| F/C Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Graduated) | 26 G, 19.6 mpg, 7.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 50% FG% | |
| Returners | G/F Paul McNeil Jr. (SO) | 24 G, 8.7 mpg, 4.2 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 36% 3P% |
| Additions | PG Tre Holloman (SR Transfer, Michigan State) | 37 G, 23.1 mpg, 9.1 ppg, 3.7 apg, 33% 3P% |
| G Alyn Breed (RS SR Transfer, Providence [22-23]) | 32 G, 18.4 mpg, 4.8 ppg, 1.5 apg, 28% 3P% | |
| G/F Jayme Kontuniemi (3-star FR) | ||
| G/F Matt Able (4-star FR) | ||
| SF Quadir Copeland (RS SR Transfer, McNeese State) | 35 G, 21.9 mpg, 9.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 15% 3P% | |
| SF Terrance Arceneaux (RS JR Transfer, Houston) | 40 G, 20.3 mpg, 6.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 34% 3P% | |
| F Darrion Williams (SR Transfer, Texas Tech) | 34 G, 30 mpg, 15.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 34% 3P% | |
| F Colt Langdon (3-star RS FR) | ||
| PF Ven-Allen Lubin (SR Transfer, UNC) | 37 G, 19.6 mpg, 8.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 68% FG% | |
| PF Zymicah Wilkins (4-star FR) | ||
| F/C Scottie Ebube (SR Transfer, Wyoming) | 23 G, 10.4 mpg, 5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 68% FG% | |
| F/C Jerry Deng (JR Transfer, Florida State) | 31 G, 15.4 mpg, 7 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 43% FG% |
The buzziest new coach in the ACC this year is likely Will Wade, taking over in Raleigh after Kevin Keatts’ eight year tenure. Many casual Hoo fans will think of Wade for his brief successful stint at VCU (where he was Shaka Smart’s immediate successor) or for his involvement in the Adidas Pay for Play scandal at LSU (where he was caught on tape uttering the phrase “strong ass offer.”) But it’s still relevant that he won the SEC one season at LSU with a roster that made the Sweet 16, finished 2nd and 3rd in the league two other seasons, and never missed the NCAAT after making the NIT in his first year in Baton Rouge. After he took the 2022-23 season off in the wake of his scandal, he landed at McNeese and immediately dominated the Southland conference with a combined league record of 36-2 over two regular seasons (40-2 if you could league tournaments), making the NCAAT both years and even upset Clemson in the 5-12 game last season. Scandals aside, this guy wins.
For all intents and purposes this is a total rebuild, only one sub-10 mpg role player returning from last year’s team (rising sophomore guard Paul McNeil). Five of Wade’s nine incoming transfers ranked in the Top 150 at EvanMiya, equivalent 4- and 5-stars. This starts up top with Michigan State’s lead guard Tre Holloman (9.1 ppg, 3.7 apg, #58 ranked transfer), being backed up by former Providence guard Alyn Breed (4.8 ppg, 1.5 apg in 2022-23) looking to come back strong after two effective years off (knee injury) under Wade at McNeese. Two big presences will man the other perimeter spots in another McNeese transfer (and former Syracuse Orange) Quadir Copeland (9.2 ppg, #126 ranked transfer) and Houston’s Terrance Arceneaux (6.5 ppg, #121 ranked transfer, #4 ranked wing stopper nationally by CBS Sports), with depth being provide by 4-star rookie swing guard Matthew Able (#28 overall recruit on 247sports).
Wade scored big in the Portal in the front court as well, getting the crown jewel of the transfer class in Texas Tech’s Darrion Williams (15.5 ppg, #1 overall transfer) to man the 4-spot and UNC veteran combo big Ven-Allen Lubin (8.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, #89 ranked transfer), with FSU’s Jerry Deng (7 ppg) to provide depth at the 5-spot. 4-star rookie Zymicah Wilkins (247’s #101 overall 2025 recruit) will provide depth along with Wyoming transfer Scottie Ebube.
There’s quality depth at basically every position here. There’s some concern with shooting, especially in the back court where none of Holloman, Breed, Arceneaux, or Copeland have great historical percentages from beyond the arc, which could lead to some cold shooting nights. But Wade brought in a lot of veterans looking to win, good size across the board with Arceneaux setting the tone defensively, and he proved at McNeese State he’s able to get a roster to win in Year 1. You’ll see a lot of preseason hype around NC State as a surprise contender for the league, and it’s mostly justified. I don’t think they quite unseat Louisville or Duke, but they’ve got a strong case for the #3 team in the league going into the season.
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| Player | 2024-2025 Stats | |
|---|---|---|
| Departures | PG Elliot Cadeau (Transferred to Michigan) | 37 G, 27.8 mpg, 9.4 ppg, 6.2 apg, 34% 3P% |
| G RJ Davis (Graduated) | 37 G, 34.2 mpg, 17.2 ppg, 3.6 apg, 35% 3P% | |
| SF Ian Jackson (Transferred to St John’s) | 36 G, 23.8 mpg, 11.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 40% 3P% | |
| SF Drake Powell (Turned Pro) | 37 G, 25.6 mpg, 7.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 38% 3P% | |
| PF Ven-Allen Lubin (Transferred to NC State) | 37 G, 19.6 mpg, 8.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 68% FG% | |
| PF Jae’lyn Withers (Graduated) | 37 G, 17.5 mpg, 6.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 49% FG% | |
| PF Cade Tyson (Transferred to Minnesota) | 31 G, 7.9 mpg, 2.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 40% FG% | |
| F/C Jalen Washington (Transferred to Vanderbilt) | 36 G, 15.9 mpg, 5.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 59% FG% | |
| F/C Tyzhaun Claude (Graduated) | 20 G, 4.9 mpg, 1.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 50% FG% | |
| Returners | G Seth Trimble (SR) | 34 G, 28.6 mpg, 11.6 ppg, 1.3 apg, 27% 3P% |
| F/C James Brown (SO) | 18 G, 2.9 mpg, 1.2 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 71% FG% | |
| Additions | G Derek Dixon (4-star FR) | |
| G Kyan Evans (JR Transfer, Colorado State) | 36 G, 28.2 mpg, 10.6 ppg, 3.1 apg, 45% 3P% | |
| G/F Isaiah Denis (4-star FR) | ||
| G/F Jaydon Young (JR Transfer, Virginia Tech) | 32 G, 22.4 mpg, 8.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 30% 3P% | |
| SF Jonathan Powell (SO Transfer, West Virginia) | 32 G, 30.1 mpg, 8.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 35% 3P% | |
| SF Luka Bogavac (4-star FR) | ||
| PF Caleb Wilson (5-star FR) | ||
| PF Jarin Stevenson (JR Transfer, Alabama) | 37 G, 18.7 mpg, 5.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 43% FG% | |
| C Henri Veesaar (JR Transfer, Arizona) | 37 G, 20.8 mpg, 9.4 ppg, 5 rpg, 59% FG% |
Many wonder if Hubert Davis is on the hot seat going into his fifth year, having been somewhat inconsistent relative to UNC’s lofty programmatic standards and feeling like they’re falling behind arch rival Duke. The Heels went an okay-but-not-great 23-14 (13-7) last year, tying for fourth in a weak ACC and getting knocked out of the NCAAT in the first round (R64) after first having to go through Dayton as an 11-seed play-in. “First Four” should not be in the vocabulary of a program of UNC’s stature, so there’s a lot of pressure on Davis to come back strong this year.
With the graduation of RJ Davis, who been around since Roy Williams’ tenure, it’s finally 100% Hubert Davis’ roster. Seth Trimble (11.6 ppg, 1.3 apg, 27% 3P%) now becomes the team leader and has to drastically elevate both his floor game and his shooting to be the lead guard Davis requires. There’s the potential that he’s outshined by CSU’s Kyan Evans (10.6 ppg, 3.1 apg, 45% 3P%), who posted solid numbers on conservative usage in the Mountain West but will be asked to take on a more high profile role in Chapel Hill. Rising sophomore Jonathan Powell (8.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg at WVU) starts at the 3, but he projects more as a role player this year while he continues to mature. Expect healthy competition from a trio of 4-star rookie perimeter players to push for reserve playing time, including combo guard Derek Dixon (247sports #45 recruit) and wings Isaiah Denis (247’s #57 recruit) and Luka Bogavac (Kalinowski’s #34 ranked international).
The front court will see a rotation of three high-profile new faces. Arizona C Henri Veesar (9.4 ppg, 5 rpg, EvanMiya #31 ranked transfer) is a strong two-way presence, though the Heels will need him to prove he can handle more minutes as he’s lacking an obvious backup. Former Top 50 recruit Jarin Stevenson (5.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg at Alabama) is still developing and will take on a complementary role this season but should at least provide a veteran presence, underrated on the defensive end. The big name to watch in Chapel Hill will be consensus 5-star Caleb Wilson (247’s #8 overall 2025 recruit) who’s showing up as a projected Lottery pick next summer and will be an immediate contributor in the front court. Depth is a concern here, as it feels as if they’re a big man short (apologies to rising sophomore James Brown who did little to register last year).
There’s enough talent and experience here to be competitive, but the fact is Hubert Davis has shown little ability to win without Roy Williams’ players in feature roles. There isn’t an all-ACC guard in the current backcourt (though some of the freshman have that kind of long-term upside) and the Heels leave you wondering just what kind of identity this roster will coalesce around. I see a lot of nights they simply out-talent lesser ACC teams, but I foresee them struggling against better coached or more experienced programs. The Heels finish as a top-half ACC team, but missing the Dance wouldn’t surprise me at all, and a couple more losses to Duke could be too much for Hubert Davis to be back next season.
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| Player | 2024-2025 Stats | |
|---|---|---|
| Departures | G Matt Allocco (Graduated) | 26 G, 33.5 mpg, 9.5 ppg, 2.7 apg, 47% 3P% |
| SG Julian Roper II (Graduated) | 33 G, 16.5 mpg, 2.2 ppg, 0.7 apg, 24% 3P% | |
| SF J.R. Konieczny (Transferred to Florida Gulf Coast) | 32 G, 16.2 mpg, 4.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 29% 3P% | |
| PF Tae Davis (Transferred to Oklahoma) | 33 G, 30.8 mpg, 15.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 48% FG% | |
| PF Burke Chebuhar (Graduated) | 13 G, 6.4 mpg, 2.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 62% FG% | |
| C Nikita Konstantynovskyi (Graduated) | 29 G, 11.6 mpg, 2.9 ppg, 4 rpg, 72% FG% | |
| Returners | PG Markus Burton (JR) | 26 G, 33.7 mpg, 21.3 ppg, 3 apg, 38% 3P% |
| SG Braeden Shrewsberry (JR) | 26 G, 34.6 mpg, 14 ppg, 1.6 apg, 37% 3P% | |
| G/F Garrett Sundra (SO) | 21 G, 9.3 mpg, 2.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 40% 3P% | |
| G/F Cole Certa (SO) | 18 G, 8.1 mpg, 2.5 ppg, 0.2 rpg, 28% 3P% | |
| SF Sir Mohammed (SO) | 23 G, 13.2 mpg, 3.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 17% 3P% | |
| F/C Logan Imes (JR) | 26 G, 9.2 mpg, 1.9 ppg, 1 rpg, 38% FG% | |
| C Kebba Njie (SR) | 31 G, 23.5 mpg, 6.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 56% FG% | |
| Additions | G/F Jalen Haralson (4-star FR) | |
| SF Ryder Frost (4-star FR) | ||
| F Brady Koehler (4-star FR) | ||
| PF Carson Towt (SR+ Transfer, Northern Arizona) | 34 G, 33.7 mpg, 13.3 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 57% FG% | |
| F/C Tommy Ahneman (4-star FR) |
Micah Shrewsberry, entering his 3rd season in South Bend, is still looking for his breakthrough year at the power conference level. He’s stubbornly pursued the “home grown” approach to roster building, sparingly utilizing the transfer portal and betting he can eventually turn the Irish into a winner developing his guys over multiple years. This year will be a critical test of this theory as nearly the full roster will be guys Shrewsberry recruited out of high school.
No backcourt in the ACC has the level of continuity found in the pairing of rising juniors Markus Burton (21.3 ppg, 3.0 apg) and Braeden Shrewsberry (14.0 ppg, 37% 3P%), who combined for 68 out of 80 minutes played a game at the two guard spots last year. The only real question in the Irish backcourt is whether Top-25 rookie Jalen Haralson can seize the 3rd starting perimeter spot Day 1 or if rising 2nd years like Garrett Sundra, Cole Certa, or Sir Muhammed have taken a big sophomore jump and are ready for a bigger role. These are all bigger wing options who should provide better size alongside Burton and Shrewsbuerry than did the graduated Matt Allocco, and the Irish should have one of the higher-floor (if maybe lacking the NBA-level ceiling) backcourts in the league.
The front court is the question mark on this team, though, following the surprising transfer defection of breakout forward Tae Davis. Reliable center Kebba Njia (6.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg) is back to eat up 20-25 minutes at the 5-spot, and he’ll capably pair with Northern Arizona transfer forward Carson Towt (13.3 ppg, 12.4 rpg, #100 ranked transfer on EvanMiya) to give the Irish a plus starting lineup. But a trio of low-4-star freshman bigs will likely be a big drop-off when either of the two starters sit, especially as rising junior Logan Imes has yet to put it all together, and the Irish ultimately may need to go small more often than they’d like.
There is the potential for the Irish to be a sleeper in the ACC this year with this much continuity reinforced with a Top 100 transfer and a Top 25 rookie. The upside may be lacking, and I’d have more confidence if I’d ever seen coach Shrewsberry finish with even just a winning league record (something he didn’t accomplish at Penn State either) before. But I’m going to go out on a bit of a limb and bet the Irish battle to at least a .500 league finish and maybe even push for an NIT berth this season.
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| Player | 2024-2025 Stats | |
|---|---|---|
| Departures | PG Jaland Lowe (Transferred to Kentucky) | 31 G, 35.4 mpg, 16.8 ppg, 5.5 apg, 27% 3P% |
| SG Ishmael Leggett (Graduated) | 31 G, 35.4 mpg, 15.7 ppg, 2.5 apg, 35% 3P% | |
| G/F Zack Austin (Graduated) | 32 G, 32.1 mpg, 9.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 38% 3P% | |
| SF Damian Dunn (Graduated) | 16 G, 25 mpg, 9.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 41% 3P% | |
| F Amsal Delalić (Transferred to DePaul) | 21 G, 13.4 mpg, 3.8 ppg, 2 rpg, 35% 3P% | |
| F/C Guillermo Diaz Graham (Transferred to San Francisco) | 32 G, 23.2 mpg, 6.2 ppg, 5 rpg, 42% FG% | |
| F/C Jorge Diaz Graham (Transferred to Oregon State) | 29 G, 7.2 mpg, 3.1 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 52% FG% | |
| Returners | G Brandin Cummings (SO) | 31 G, 16.2 mpg, 6.3 ppg, 0.8 apg, 38% 3P% |
| PF Amdy Ndiaye (SO) | 8 G, 2.6 mpg, 0.3 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 33% FG% | |
| F/C Cameron Corhen (SR) | 32 G, 28.2 mpg, 11 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 64% FG% | |
| C Papa Amadou Kante (SO) | 22 G, 7 mpg, 2.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 55% FG% | |
| Additions | PG Damarco Minor (SR+ Transfer, Oregon State) | 33 G, 31.9 mpg, 9.8 ppg, 5.1 apg, 28% 3P% |
| G Macari Moore (3-star FR) | ||
| SG Omari Witherspoon (4-star FR) | ||
| G/F Nojus Indrusaitis (SO Transfer, Iowa State) | 15 G, 5.7 mpg, 2.1 ppg, 0.4 rpg, 14% 3P% | |
| F Barry Dunning Jr. (RS JR Transfer, South Alabama) | 32 G, 32.8 mpg, 15.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 31% 3P% | |
| PF Roman Siulepa (4-star FR) | ||
| C Kieran Mullen (3-star FR) | ||
| C Dishon Jackson (SR+ Transfer, Iowa State) | 35 G, 18.7 mpg, 8.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 58% FG% |
After two impressive years on the back of all-ACC forward Blake Hinson, Pitt crashed back to earth last season, finishing a mediocre 17-15 (8-12). Jeff Capel signed a big contract extension two years ago after their solid 2023 NCAA Tournament showing, which likely keep him off the hot seat this year, but there’s still a decided lack of buzz around the Panthers going into the new season.
Only one guard returns from last year’s rotation in rising sophomore Brandin Cummings (6.3 ppg, 38% 3P%) who did show some promise of being capable of a bigger role, and Capel has had some success developing homegrown young guards in his tenure. Most of the load, though, is likely to go to Oregon State bonus senior Damarco Minor (9.8 ppg, 5.1 apg, EvanMiya #99 transfer), a capable 2-way floor general. To round out perimeter depth, however, Capel is going to need rookies Omari Witherspoon (247’s #106 2025 recruit) and/or Macari Moore (#177 2025 recruit) to contribute right away, along with enough post depth to materialize to allow South Alabama transfer Barry Dunning (15.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, EvanMiya #342-ranked transfer) to play at the 3-spot.
About that post depth, Pitt does have the luxury of pairing incumbent big man Cam Corhen 11.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg in his first season after transferring in from FSU) with well-regarded Iowa State transfer Dishon Jackson (8.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg, EvanMiya’s #72 overall transfer). But Capel will be looking for some young bigs to emerge as backups, with rising sophomores Amdy Ndiaye and Papa Kante (both stuck in small roles behind the Diaz-Graham twins last year) and incoming rookies Roman Siupela and Kieran Mullen in competition.
It looks like Capel did just enough to tread water this offseason, not doing anything to really make this team better, and perhaps getting worse without having veteran guards like Ishmael Leggett and Zach Austin to lean on. Projecting Pitt to another bottom half finish, maybe even bottom third, feels like a safe bet.
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Cuts note here: That wraps up part 2 of StLouHoo’s Preseason ACC Capsules. Stay tuned for the third and final part coming up soon!
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