Two weeks after the official college basketball season came to an end with UConn cutting down the nets in Houston as the new national champion, college basketball’s silly season is already in full swing.

The free agent frenzy began almost as soon as the transfer portal opened and to date, more than 1,500 players have entered it.

ACC teams haven’t been immune from the roster movement. With the exception of Duke, every conference team has had at least 1 player leave and most have started replacing the departures with transfer pickups of their own.

Although the process is still only in its early stages, now is as good a time as any to take stock of the comings and goings that have taken place so far. And what all the changes mean for each ACC  team.

Boston College

Outgoing

  • TJ Bickerstaff, 6-9 forward
  • DeMarr Langford Jr., 6-5 guard

Incoming

  • Claudell Harris Jr., 6-3 guard (from Charleston Southern)

Langford took a step back this season after what appeared to be a breakout sophomore year while Bickerstaff was an effective secondary rebounder to primary big Quinten Post. While both played significant minutes for the Eagles, neither is irreplacable.

Harris, on the other hand, has the potential to be the high-volume perimeter scorer coach Earl Grant has been looking for as he enters his third season at BC. The 6-3 junior, who has 2 years of eligibility remaining, averaged 17.4 points per game for Charleston Southern this season while earning 2nd-team All-Big South honors.

Clemson

Outgoing

  • Chauncey Gibson, 6-5 guard (committed to Tulsa)
  • Ben Middlebrooks, 6-11 center

Incoming

  • Jake Heidbreder, 6-5 guard (from Air Force)

Middlebrooks is a former 3-star prospect who was a valuable member of the Tigers’ low post rotation. His decision to leave is interesting, considering that starting big man PJ Hall has declared for the NBA Draft and might not return. The addition of Heidbreder, a junior sharpshooter who led Air Force in scoring at 15.1 ppg while shooting 48.8% from the floor and 39.9% from 3-point range should be an upgrade over Gibson, who played only a minor role off the bench as a freshman.

Duke

None

Florida State

Outgoing

  • Matthew Cleveland, 6-7 forward
  • Caleb Mills, 6-5 guard (committed to Memphis)

Incoming

  • Jamir Watkins, 6-7 wing (from VCU)

Two huge losses for Leonard Hamilton in his effort to produce a quick bounce back from a truly dismal 2022-23 season. Cleveland’s departure is especially damaging, because unlike Mills it comes as a surprise. Between them, Cleveland and Mills averaged nearly 27 points per game. It’s going to take some work on the portal by Hamilton to replace that kind of production. He began that process with the signing of Watkins, who averaged 9.5 points and 5.4 rebounds in helping VCU to a 27-8 record and the Atlantic-10 regular season title.

Georgia Tech

Outgoing

  • Freds Pauls Bagatskis, 6-8 forward
  • Jermonte Hill, 6-6 guard
  • Rodney Howard, 6-11 center
  • Tristan Maxwell, 6-3 guard
  • Cyril Martynov, 7-0 center
  • Jordan Meka, 6-8 forward

Incoming

  • Ebenezer Dowuona, 6-11 center (from NC State)
  • Kowacie Reeves, 6-6 wing (from Florida)

Roster turnover is a natural byproduct of coaching changes, so it’s no surprise that so many Yellow Jackets are heading for the door. In this case, it could be addition by subtraction. None of the 6 averaged more than 4.5 points per game and only Howard and Maxwell averaged double figure minutes. The mass exodus gives new coach Damon Stoudamire plenty of roster flexibility to build a team in his own image. He’s already filled 2 of the openings with Dowuona, a serviceable rim protector who doesn’t offer much in the way of offense, and Reeves, a Georgia native who averaged 8.5 points and Florida and should be a good fit for Stoudamire’s preferred uptempo style.

Louisville

  • Fabio Basili, 6-4 guard
  • El Ellis, 6-3 guard
  • Ashton Myles-Devore, 6-1 guard
  • Kamari Lands, 6-8 foward
  • Devin Ree, 6-8 forward
  • Jae’Lyn Withers, 6-9 forward (committed to UNC)

Incoming

  • Skyy Clark, 6-3 guard (from Illinois)

The coach isn’t new. But after a historically bad 4-28 debut season, the Cardinals house cleaning isn’t the worst thing that could have happened for Kenny Payne heading into what is likely to be a pivotal 2nd season. His 2022 team was poorly constructed, with little to no help for Ellis in the backcourt and too many projects that didn’t pan out.

Payne came to his alma mater with a reputation for being an elite recruiter. With the threat of NCAA sanctions no longer clouding his efforts, he now has a chance to show it. That having been said, his first foray into the portal was a risky one. Clark started 12 games for the Illini last season, averaging around 7 ppg. But he stepped away from the team for “personal reasons” and did not return.

Miami

Outgoing

  • Favour Aire, 6-11 center
  • Harlond Beverly, 6-6 guard (committed to Wichita State)
  • Danilo Jovanovich, 6-8 forward
  • Anthony Walker, 6-9 forward

The Hurricanes are losing 4 players from their Final Four team, but only 1 was from the core that fueled their run to the national semifinals in Houston. And even though Beverly’s contribution as a key backcourt reserve was important, he averaged only 5.3 points per game. Walker was also a depth player while the other 2 youngsters played a total of 39 minutes between them all season.

North Carolina

Outgoing

  • Puff Johnson, 6-8 wing
  • Caleb Love, 6-4 guard (committed to Michigan)
  • Justin McKoy, 6-8 forward (committed to Hawaii)
  • Tyler Nickel, 6-7 forward (committed to Virginia Tech)
  • Will Shaver, 6-10 forward
  • Dontrez Styles, 6-6 guard (committed to Georgetown)

Incoming

  • Jae’Lyn Withers, 6-9 forward (from Louisville)
  • Paxson Wojcik, 6-5 guard (from Brown)

Unlike fellow starters Armando Bacot and RJ Davis, who decided to run it back with the Tar Heels, Love decided it was time to seek other opportunities. The junior point guard had some high high during his career in Chapel Hill, including the dagger 3 that ended Mike Krzyzewski’s career in the 2022 Final Four. But he was wildly inconsistent and shouldered the bulk of the blame for last season’s disappointing collapse. As for the others on the way out the door, they’re a product of Hubert Davis’ lack of confidence in his bench. Better to go someplace else and start over fresh than risk getting buried for yet another season.

The 2 incoming transfers who already committed address 2 glaring needs last year’s team lacked. Withers gives UNC an athletic wing who can score while Wojcik is a much more consistent 3-point shooting threat than anyone still on the roster.

NC State

Outgoing

  • Jack Clark, 6-8 forward
  • Ebenezer Dowuona, 6-11 center (committed to Georgia Tech)
  • Gregg Gantt, 6-8 forward

Incoming

  • Jayden Taylor, 6-4 guard (Butler)

Of the Wolfpack’s 3 departing transfers, Clark is the only surprise. He was arguably the team’s best rebounder and played major minutes when healthy, which wasn’t often. Gantt also had issues with injuries during his 2 years in Raleigh, but was limited in what he could do offensively while Dowuona is a project who has yet to blossom.

In Taylor, coach Kevin Keatts hopes to have found a combo guard capable of filling some of the void left by the graduation of Jarkel Joiner and the departure to the NBA of backcourt mate Terquavion Smith. Keatts got a good look at Taylor in November when he scored 18 points with 3 assists against State during the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Notre Dame

Outgoing

  • Dom Campbell, 6-9 forward (committed to Howard)
  • Robbie Carmody, 6-4 guard (committed to Mercer)
  • Ven-Allen Lubin, 6-8 forward
  • Cormac Ryan, 6-5 guard
  • JJ Starling, 6-4 guard (committed to Syracuse)

Another situation involving a new coach coming in and having to rebuild his roster. In the case of the Irish, it’s virtually a complete rebuild. Between the players out of eligibility and the 5 transfers, new coach Micah Shrewsberry’s team consists of 3 returning players and 1 incoming recruit.

Pittsburgh

Outgoing

  • John Hugley, 6-9 forward
  • Nate Santos, 6-7 forward

Incoming

  • Zack Austin, 6-7 wing (from High Point)

The losses among those eligible to return have been negligible for ACC Coach of the Year Jeff Capel. Hugley, the Panthers’ leading scorer in 2021-22, played in only 8 games this season because of injury and personal issues that caused him to leave the team. And Santos was a rotational player who has already been replaced with the addition of Austin, who is a much more polished player, especially offensively, after averaging 14.1 points and 5.4 rebounds for High Point this season.

Syracuse

Outgoing

  • John Bol Ajak, 6-10 forward
  • Jesse Edwards, 6-11 center (committed to West Virginia)
  • Joseph Girard III, 6-1 guard

Incoming

  • JJ Starling, 6-4 guard (from Notre Dame)
  • Chance Westry, 6-6 guard (from Auburn)

New coach Adrian Autry got off to a strong start by nabbing Syracuse native and ACC All-Freshman team selection Starling within days of succeeding Jim Boeheim. But that victory was offset by the surprise decision of big man Edwards to leave the program. Edwards was 1 of 2 players in the ACC to average a double-double last season at 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 59% from the floor. While the Orange will miss Girard’s grit and experience, the arrival of Starling should offset the affect of his decision to leave. Westry also has potential. A top-50 recruit, he played only 105 minutes at Auburn as a freshman before suffering a season-ending knee injury and redshirting.

Virginia

  • Francisco Caffaro, 7-1 center
  • Kadin Shadrick, 6-11 center
  • Isaac Traudt, 6-10 forward

Incoming

  • Dante Harris, 6-0 guard (from Georgetown)
  • Jordan Minor, 6-8 forward (from Merrimack)

Though none of their stat lines are anything to write home about, the loss of Caffaro, Shadrick and Traudt is a major concern for coach Tony Bennett, because it leaves the Cavaliers without any big men on their roster. In Harris, who averaged 10 points 3.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists at Georgetown, Bennett has found his replacement for 5-year starting point guard Kihei Clark. And Minor, a 3-time All-Northeast Conference selection who can score and rebound, fills the void left by the graduation of Jayden Gardner. But with a gaping hole in the middle of his pack line defense, Bennett still has work to do.

Virginia Tech

Outgoing

  • Darren Buchanan Jr., 6-7 forward
  • Darius Maddox, 6-5 guard

Incoming

  • Mekhi Long, 6-7 forward (from Old Dominion)
  • Tyler Nickel 6-7 forward (from UNC)

Maddox will forever be remembered in Blacksburg for the buzzer-beating 3-pointer he hit in the opening round of the 2022 ACC Tournament that beat Clemson and started the momentum that ended with the Hokies cutting down the nets at conference champions. He averaged 8.5 points this season, but spent a large portion of the ACC schedule sidelined with an injury. Buchanan, on the other hand, might not be remembered at all. He redshirted this season and leaves without having  played a game in a Tech uniform.

The blow of losing Maddox is softened by the arrival of Long, a 2-year starter at ODU coming off career-best averages of 10 points and 8.7 points per game. And while Nickel is only slightly more experienced than Buchanan, he at least got some court time at UNC and is the all-time leading scorer in Virginia high school history.

Wake Forest

Outgoing

  • Davion Bradford, 7-0 center
  • Robert McCray, 6-4 guard
  • Lucas Taylor, 6-5 guard

Incoming

  • Kevin “Boopie” Miller, 6-0 guard (from Central Michigan)

The Portal Whisperer, Steve Forbes, doesn’t have as many holes to fill this time around. But he’s already plugged in the successor to 2022 ACC Player of the Alondes Williams and last year’s runnerup Tyree Appleby in Miller — whose numbers at Central Michigan 18.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 51.9% shooting to the Deacons previous 2 scoring point guards.

Of the 3 departing players, McCray redshirted this season, Taylor barely played until the final few games after Damari Monsanto was injured and Bradford was a major disappointment who averaged only 10 minutes per game. Their entrance into the portal will have little impact, other than to give Forbes 3 more opportunities to work his magic.