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Myron Medcalf, ESPN Staff Writer
The transfer portal has created constant movement in men’s college basketball in recent years. That reality has stripped the game of the continuity it once enjoyed, so it’s not abnormal to turn on the TV today and see that the player who once wore a uniform for your favorite squad is now competing for another team. But all transfers — including coaches who’ve found new teams — are not created equal, and this season is proof.
There are teams throughout the country that are fundamentally different — and better — than they were a year ago because a new player or coach has changed their respective identities — and two of them happen to be facing off Saturday.
On a giant day for college hoops — 18 ranked teams play, including a tough road matchup for No. 1 Tennessee and a showdown between No. 8 Gonzaga and No. 18 UConn. Let’s look at eight game-changers who have already put an undeniable stamp on their new programs just a month into the season. All times ET.
Igor Milicic Jr. (Tennessee Volunteers)
at Illinois, 5:30 p.m. (Fox)
In the second half of his team’s 75-62 victory over Miami on Tuesday, the Tennessee star, who transferred from Charlotte, threw a lob to teammate Cade Phillips. Phillips then finished with a dunk that mesmerized the Jimmy V Classic crowd at Madison Square Garden. It was a flashy assist for Milicic, a 6-foot-10 forward. But it also showcased the problems Milicic has created for opposing teams.
Miami’s Brandon Johnson had a choice to make on that play: defend Milicic (12.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.3 APG) or try to stop Phillips. He chose Milicic, who had already scored multiple times around the rim and hit shots from outside. The Hurricanes were aware of the threat he presented with the ball in his hands at that moment. But their only answer was to force Milicic to showcase his passing ability — as he did with his assist to Phillips.
Milicic plays like a guard in Rick Barnes’ offense, even though he’s technically a forward or a center when he has to be. Though the Vols use him in a lot of pick-and-roll action, he’s also comfortable as a player who can create his own shot. Barnes might have the most balanced team of his tenure at Tennessee — the Vols are ranked 10th in adjusted offensive efficiency and second in adjusted offensive efficiency on KenPom — and Milicic’s arrival is a key factor in that surge.
Kasparas Jakucionis (Illinois Fighting Illini)
vs. No. 1 Tennessee, 5:30 p.m. (Fox)
It did not take long for Jakucionis — a 6-foot-6 point guard — to leave his mark last week in his team’s 70-66 overtime loss at Northwestern. Early in the game, he sped between a pair of defenders before he Euro-stepped into the lane for a layup. It was a beautiful transition and the type of play that has turned the Lithuanian phenom into a projected first-round pick in ESPN’s latest 2025 NBA mock draft. In his team’s 86-80 victory on Tuesday, he finished with 24 points, connected on 50% of his 3-point attempts and also had five assists.
He’s an excellent 3-point shooter and also one of the quickest guards in the country at his size, which enhances his ability to create shots in the lane. That talent has turned Illinois into one of America’s fastest teams, as Brad Underwood’s squad is playing at a top-30 tempo for the first time in his tenure. Jakucionis’s arrival has made Illinois a high-paced program that’s led by one of the most dynamic point guards in the country.
Mark Pope (Kentucky Wildcats)
vs. Louisville, 5:15 p.m. (ESPN)
During his team’s 18-point comeback in a 90-89 overtime win against Gonzaga in Seattle last Saturday, Pope put his stamp on the program and officially eliminated any lingering talk about his preparedness for one of the biggest jobs in the sport. Pope might not have an NBA first-round pick on his roster — a strong contrast from John Calipari’s reign — but he has a group of selfless players and a collection of lengthy athletes who are willing to share the ball.
Under Calipari, the Wildcats relied on one or two guards to run the offense — Pope, a center on Kentucky’s 1995-96 national championship team, teaches all of his players guard skills and also operates his offense through those players. Pope has three players, including Andrew Carr, who are 6-foot-9 or taller and have assist rates — a measurement of a player’s assists in conjunction with the number of times his team scores when he’s on the court — of 14% or higher this season (per KenPom). Why is that significant? Calipari did not have one player 6-9 or taller who reached that mark — in his 15 seasons with the program. Pope has already changed Kentucky’s identity.
Dusty May (Michigan Wolverines)
When May told Danny Wolf (7-foot) and Vladislav Goldin (7-1) that he wanted to play both of them in Michigan’s starting lineup this season, they had similar concerns. “At first, it was a little hard to believe just in that it seemed as if there were far more question marks than things that made sense,” Wolf recently told ESPN. Despite the uncertainty, the duo has subsequently become the catalyst for a Michigan squad that won seven consecutive games before Tuesday’s thrilling 89-87 loss to Arkansas at the Jimmy V Classic in New York City.
It’s rare to see two 7-footers together in college basketball, which has largely embraced the NBA’s small-ball approach. It’s even more distinctive to see a head coach, just months after he’d accepted the job, build a scheme around those big bodies. But it’s working.
Michigan entered the matchup against Arkansas ranked No. 14 in the country. Although the Wolverines surrendered a 15-point, first-half lead against Calipari’s squad, the duo proved it can help the Wolverines contend for a Big Ten title in the first season in Ann Arbor under May, who led Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023. Wolf (12.3 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 1.6 BPG) and Goldin (12.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.9 BPG) have created matchup problems for opponents with their pick-and-roll game and also anchor a top-20 defensive unit. Few teams are built to deal with a pair of 7-footers controlling the pace of a game the way they do. Though the pair had legitimate questions about May’s plans before the season, both players have realized their potential, and Michigan has enjoyed its most successful stretch in years with May at the helm.
Cooper Flagg (Duke Blue Devils)
As Auburn raced up the court in transition during Duke’s 84-78 win over the Tigers in Cameron Indoor Stadium, Flagg (15.9 PPG, 8.9RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.3 BPG, 1.6 SPG) immediately found Johni Broome, a Wooden Award contender, and shadowed him until Khaman Maluach could get to him. Then, Flagg waited in the middle of the court like a free safety poised to pounce. As Denver Jones settled on the perimeter, Flagg watched him too until Flagg sprinted to the top of the arc to contest Chad Baker-Mazara‘s 3-point attempt. Baker-Mazara missed.
Though the buzz about Flagg has emphasized the 6-foot-9 NBA prospect’s offensive gifts, his defensive versatility has arguably had a greater impact for the Blue Devils, who entered the week ranked first in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom. That number is certified for a squad that has already faced Kentucky, Kansas, Arizona, Louisville and Auburn. Flagg can cover any opposing player on the court. Per EvanMiya.com’s individual defensive metrics, Flagg currently has a higher mark than Zion Williamson recorded during his remarkable 2018-19 season — that’s how good Flagg is right now for Duke on defense.
Joshua Jefferson (Iowa State Cyclones)
vs. Omaha, 1 p.m., Sunday (CBSSN)
With 4:42 to play in Iowa State’s 81-70 victory over Marquette last week, Jefferson — a 6-foot-9 forward who transferred from Saint Mary’s — led a fast break, put a spin move on a defender in the paint and scored with his left hand, all while drawing a foul. It was a beautiful play in transition, where he’s rated as “excellent” per Synergy Sports data. Overall, Iowa State is averaging 132 points per 100 possessions when the team is in transition versus 114 points per 100 possessions on those same plays a season ago.
Jefferson has not only helped this program on fast breaks but his versatility has also upped the tempo — Iowa State is top-90 on KenPom for the first time under T.J. Otzelberger — of this season’s squad compared to last season’s team.
Derik Queen (Maryland Terrapins)
In the first half of his team’s 83-59 victory over Ohio State last week, Queen — a 6-foot-10 big man — caught a pass in the paint against the Buckeyes’ zone. If you freeze the frame, you can see three players converge on Queen. As a result, three Maryland players were suddenly open. Queen could have decided to pass but instead, he dribbled right, turned in the lane and finished with a left hook. With Queen, the Terps have an offensive balance they lacked a season ago.
In last season’s turbulent run that ended with a 16-17 record and no postseason berth, Maryland made just 48.8% of their shots inside the 3-point line. With Queen on the team this season, the Terps have made 58.7% of those same shots.
Brandon Angel (Oregon Ducks)
vs. Stephen F. Austin, 6 p.m., Sunday (Big Ten Network)
Under Dana Altman, Oregon has kept a fleet of athletic forwards and centers on his rosters in Eugene. But Angel — a 6-foot-9 transfer from Stanford — has given the Ducks’ offense a key component because of his shooting ability. He’s a strong player who thrives in the post. But the Ducks also run a lot of pick-and-pop action with Angel, who has made 41% of his 3-point attempts this season.
Few teams possess a perimeter threat with Angel’s size. It creates more space for his teammates to operate. The addition has helped Altman achieve a top-20 mark in adjusted offensive efficiency. The Ducks haven’t ended a season ranked that high since 2018-19. Angel’s shooting prowess is a big reason why they could this season.
