Led by prominent programs like Duke and North Carolina, the ACC tends to be better known for elite freshmen than for seniors and transfers. Still, the impact of the transfer portal has been significant for the conference, as evidenced by six of the top-10 scorers from the ACC coming via the portal.
Who are the projected impact transfer players for the conference this upcoming season? Here’s a look at the top 20.
1. Flory Bidunga, 6-foot-9 junior forward, Louisville
2025-26 stats (Kansas): 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds
Bidunga was one of the biggest breakout stars last season, earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in his first year as a full-time starter. Louisville’s frontcourt left a little to be desired on both ends, and Bidunga would be a major upgrade inside for the Cardinals.
2. John Blackwell, 6-foot-4 senior guard, Duke
2025-26 stats (Wisconsin): 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds
Coming off a breakout junior campaign, Blackwell was a top-10 scorer in the Big Ten. He had nine games of at least 25 points, including back-to-back 30-plus point outings in the Big Ten Tournament. As stacked as Duke’s roster looks on paper, Blackwell has a great chance to be its leading scorer in 2027.
3. Jackson Shelstad, 6-foot senior guard, Louisville
2025-26 stats (Oregon): 15.6 points, 4.9 assists
Limited to just 12 games last season due to a hand injury, Shelstad still has 77 career starts at Oregon and was a former All-Big Ten performer. When healthy, he’s an efficient playmaker, including shooting 38 percent from three-point range on five attempts a game as a sophomore. While not the same caliber of scorer as 6-foot-5 freshman Mikel Brown Jr. was, the veteran Shelstad will still be one of the top ball-handlers in the ACC.
4. Acaden Lewis, 6-foot-2 sophomore guard, Miami
2025-26 stats (Villanova): 12.2 points, 5.3 assists
In a year filled with elite freshmen, Lewis was quietly a quality first-year ball-handler in his own right. He ranked second in the Big East in assists and third in total steals (63), shooting 46 percent from the field. The point guard had eight games of at least 20 points, including 26 on the road at Georgetown. Lewis replaces Miami’s other star transfer guard from last year, 6-foot-2 senior guard Tre Donaldson (16.4 points and 5.7 assists per game).
5. Neoklis Avdalas, 6-foot-9 sophomore guard, North Carolina
2025-26 stats (Virginia Tech): 12.1 points, 4.6 assists
Avdalas was one of the top international prospects joining CBB a year ago, and while having ups and downs, did show flashes of stardom. The playmaking guard had a 30-point outing against Western Carolina, along with 33 points in an overtime win over Providence. He’ll be paired with another transfer guard in the new-look backcourt under first-year head coach Michael Malone.
6. Baye Ndongo, 6-foot-9 senior forward, Pitt
2025-26 stats (Georgia Tech): 11.8 points, 8.1 rebounds
Ndongo has been a consistent player in the ACC, averaging at least 11 points and eight rebounds a game in all three years. He was all-conference in 2024-25 and has produced 24 career double-doubles. Ndongo, who had 27 points in a game against North Carolina last season, looks to give Pitt a legitimate focal point inside next season.
7. Somto Cyril, 6-foot-11 junior center, Miami
2025-26 stats (Georgia): 9.3 points, 5.4 rebounds
The former top-50 prospect had a breakout year as a full-time starter, shooting 76 percent from the field and leading the SEC in blocks with 2.2 per game. Cyril earned All-SEC honors and had a pair of double-doubles, including 15 points and 15 rebounds against West Georgia. Miami had one of the best scoring frontcourts in the ACC last season, but the addition of Cyril should make them much more well-rounded on both ends.
8. Gavin Doty, 6-foot-5 junior guard, Syracuse
2025-26 stats (Siena): 18 points, 6.9 rebounds
Doty was the star of the MAAC champions last season, shooting 46 percent from the field and averaging nearly 37 minutes per game. He had five games of at least 25 points, including 31 points and 12 rebounds on the road at Iona. Doty follows head coach Gerry McNamara from Siena to Syracuse, projected to be a top scorer for the Orange next season.
9. Colby Garland, 6-foot-1 senior guard, Georgia Tech
2025-26 stats (San Jose State): 20.3 points, 4.6 assists
Garland has been at a different school each season but exploded in the Mountain West at San Jose State, ranking second in scoring. The all-league guard also was top-five in passing in two different years and finished last season with 12 straight games of 20-plus points. Georgia Tech lost its top scorer in 6-foot-5 senior guard Kowacie Reeves (15.1 points per game), with the hope that Garland can fill his role.
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10. Christian Hammond, 6-foot-4 junior guard, NC State
2025-26 stats (Santa Clara): 15.6 points, 3.0 rebounds
On a team that included an NBA Draft first-round pick (6-foot-9 sophomore forward Allen Graves), it was Hammond who led the Broncos in scoring. He shot 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from deep on four attempts a game and had nine games of at least 20 points, including 24 in the WCC title game loss to Gonzaga. Hammond and returning 6-foot-5 junior guard Paul McNeil (13.8 points per game) will make up one of the top off-ball guard duos in the ACC.
11. DeSean Goode, 6-foot-8 junior forward, Miami
2025-26 stats (Robert Morris): 15.2 points, 8.7 rebounds
Goode was the Horizon League Player of the Year last season, becoming one of the most efficient players in the country. He shot 63 percent from the field and 57 percent from deep on nearly two attempts a game and had four games of 20-plus points. Goode’s ability to stretch the floor should make him a nice complement to Cyril.
12. Logan Duncomb, 6-foot-9 senior center, Notre Dame
2025-26 stats (Winthrop): 18.3 points, 8.9 rebounds
After two years of no production at Indiana, Duncomb became a star in the mid-major ranks, earning Big South Player of the Year honors this past season. Duncomb, who shot 60 percent from the field last year, produced 13 double-doubles, one of which was a career-high 38 points and 15 rebounds on the road at Presbyterian. The Irish, who have struggled with frontcourt scoring production in recent years, hope Duncomb can be an effective scorer back at the high-major level.
13. Rowan Brumbaugh, 6-foot-4 senior guard, SMU
2025-26 stats (Tulane): 19.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists
After averaging 8.3 points per game as a freshman at Georgetown, the former top-100 prospect out of high school excelled at Tulane. The back-to-back All-American Conference performer was second in the league in scoring, shooting 36 percent from deep on 5.3 attempts per game. SMU, which lost all of its top scorers from last season, looks to Brumbaugh as the next likely lead guard of the offense.
14. Money Williams, 6-foot-4 senior guard, Boston College
2025-26 stats (Montana): 20.6 points, 4.7 assists
Williams went from around 13 points per game in his first two years to leading the entire Big Sky in scoring last season. The playmaking guard had 15 games of at least 20 points, including 40 in the Big Sky Tournament win over Northern Colorado. Boston College has a completely new roster filled with transfers, and on paper, Williams looks to be the lead guard to start out the next campaign.
15. Terrence Brown, 6-foot-3 senior guard, North Carolina
2025-26 stats (Utah): 19.9 points, 3.8 assists
A bright spot in an otherwise miserable campaign for Utah, Brown, who averaged more than 20 points per game in 2024-25 at Fairleigh Dickinson, was a quality individual scorer. The veteran shot a career-high 45 percent from the field and 33 percent from deep, along with a 36-point game against Weber State in overtime. Brown joins Avdalas in the revamped Tar Heels backcourt, with the potential to be one of the best in the ACC.
16. Kevair Kennedy, 6-foot-2 sophomore guard, Wake Forest
2025-26 stats (Merrimack): 18.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists
Kennedy was one of the best freshmen in the entire nation last season, leading the MAAC in scoring overall and earning Conference Player of the Year honors. He had 15 games of at least 20 points, including 32 in overtime against Siena. Coach Steve Forbes has had a good history with lead guards and transfers at Wake Forest, and Kennedy is set to be the next potential star for the program.
17. Drew Scharnowski, 6-foot-9 senior forward, Duke
2025-26 stats (Belmont): 10.7 points, 6.0 rebounds
The veteran forward was a highly impactful starter for the MVC regular season champion Bruins, shooting 68 percent from the field. He also earned all-defensive honors and produced four double-doubles, including 19 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists against Murray State. Scharnowski may not start on the loaded Blue Devils’ roster, but should still be a quality rotational piece who’ll help the team’s defense remain top-tier.
18. Kameron Taylor, 6-foot-7 junior guard, Florida State
2025-26 stats (UNC Asheville): 18.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists
Taylor led his team in both scoring and passing last season, doubling his scoring production compared to his freshman campaign. He not only had seven straight games of 20-plus points, but Taylor also went for 35 points against Charleston Southern. The veteran wing has the chance to be Florida State’s primary offensive weapon after the Seminoles lost so much production this offseason.
19. Dylan Faulkner, 6-foot-9 senior forward, Clemson
2025-26 stats (Samford): 17.2 points, 8.6 rebounds
The All-SoCon big man was one of the better two-way mid-major players last season, also earning all-defensive honors. Faulkner, who shot 62 percent from the field, produced 12 double-doubles last season, including nine straight during SoCon play. With 6-foot-11 senior center Carter Welling set to miss next season with a torn ACL, Clemson looks to Faulkner to be the next focal point in the frontcourt.
20. Sebastian Rancik, 6-foot-9 junior forward, Florida State
2025-26 stats (Colorado): 12.3 points, 5.6 rebounds
Rancik was the third-leading scorer at Colorado last season and started 37 games in two years with the program. He became an effective stretch forward, shooting 33 percent from three-point range on 4.1 attempts per game. The Seminoles hope that Ranick can have a similar impact to last year’s starting forward, 6-foot-10 senior forward Chauncy Wiggins.
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