College basketball transfers are reshaping rosters nationwide, and Duke guard John Blackwell sits at the forefront of this year’s impact moves. The former Wisconsin standout said Duke coach Jon Scheyer’s direct approach in recruiting won him over, noting the staff promised to push him daily.
Blackwell, a 6-foot-5 guard, believes that mindset can help fuel a deep postseason run with the second-ranked Blue Devils. He scored 1,505 points across three seasons at Wisconsin, ranking 11th on the Badgers’ career list, and averaged 19.1 points and 5.1 rebounds last season as Wisconsin finished 24-11 before an 83-82 first-round NCAA Tournament loss to High Point. Scheyer called him a proven scorer who impacts winning even without the ball.
A media panel named Blackwell first-team preseason all-ACC, and he finished second to Virginia’s Thijs De Ridder in voting for ACC preseason player of the year. His early outings for Duke have underscored his potential impact, with 23 points in a 90-84 win over No. 17 Kansas and 18 in a 103-64 victory against No. 8 Tennessee.
Other notable college basketball transfers
Several other transfers are positioned to play major roles for their new teams this season, with former schools listed in parentheses. Fans eyeing the new season may also want to revisit top early women’s college basketball games for a broader look at how transfers can influence early marquee matchups.
This 6-foot-9 forward from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kansas) was a second-team Associated Press all-Big 12 pick last season and the league’s defensive player of the year as voted by Big 12 coaches. He totaled 145 blocks in two seasons and averaged 13.3 points and 9 rebounds in 2025-26. An ACC media panel named him preseason first-team all-ACC. No. 11 Louisville also added Oregon transfer Jackson Shelstad, a preseason second-team all-ACC selection.
Harris (Wake Forest to Tennessee) averaged 21.4 points last season and earned AP second-team all-ACC honors. The 6-foot-7 guard logged 1,230 minutes, the most by any Wake Forest player since at least 1974-75. SEC coaches selected him to the preseason second team.
Momcilovic (Iowa State to Kentucky) led Division I in 3-pointers made (136) and 3-point percentage (.487) while averaging 16.9 points last season. His 136 threes were the second-highest single-season total in Big 12 history. The 6-9 forward has hit 260 career threes at a 42.9% clip. SEC coaches named him preseason second team. He scored 19 in an exhibition vs. Central Florida and 15 against Texas Tech for No. 23 Kentucky.
Murauskus (Saint Mary’s to Arizona State, began career at Arizona) was voted the Big 12’s preseason newcomer of the year by league coaches and also made the preseason all-conference team. The 6-8 forward from Lithuania earned first-team all-West Coast Conference honors in each of his two seasons under coach Randy Bennett at Saint Mary’s, averaging 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds last season.
Thomas (LSU to Houston) joined the No. 10 Cougars after averaging 15.3 points and 6.5 assists in 16 games at LSU before a left foot injury ended his 2025-26 season. He posted a 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and was named to the Big 12 preseason all-conference team. The 6-1 guard previously spent two seasons at UNLV and owns career averages of 14.6 points and 5.3 assists in 76 games with 75 starts.
Yessoufou (Baylor to St. John’s) set a Baylor freshman scoring record with 605 points last season, averaging 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2 steals. Among Division I freshmen, he ranked 10th in scoring and third in steals per game. Big East coaches named the 6-5 guard from Benin to the preseason first team. He scored 23 in an 87-74 exhibition win over Texas for No. 13 St. John’s.
