John Blackwell Among Notable Men's College Basketball Transfers

Duke coach Jon Scheyer's direct approach resonated with former Wisconsin guard John Blackwell as he entered the transfer portal. "He just kept it real," Blackwell told reporters. "He didn’t sugarcoat. He said we’re going to push you every single day. That’s what it’s been."

Blackwell believes Scheyer's coaching philosophy can help him achieve a deep postseason run in his final college season with the No. 2-ranked Blue Devils. The 6-foot-5 guard scored 1,505 points in three seasons at Wisconsin, ranking 11th on the Badgers' career scoring list. Last season, he averaged 19.1 points and 5.1 rebounds, contributing to Wisconsin's 24-11 record before a first-round NCAA Tournament exit.

"He’s a proven scorer who’s been in those moments, also understands he doesn’t need to the ball to always impact winning," Scheyer said of Blackwell.

A preseason media panel selected Blackwell as a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honoree. He finished second in voting for ACC preseason player of the year. Blackwell's impact was evident in preseason games, where he scored 23 points in a win against No. 17 Kansas and 18 points against No. 8 Tennessee.

Other notable transfers are expected to make significant contributions to their new teams.

A 6-foot-9 forward, who earned second-team Associated Press All-Big 12 honors last season and was named the league’s defensive player of the year by conference coaches, is joining Louisville. He recorded 145 blocks in two seasons at Kansas and averaged 13.3 points and 9 rebounds in 2025-26. An ACC media panel named him a preseason first-team All-ACC selection.

Kevin Harris, a 6-foot-7 guard, joins Tennessee after averaging 21.4 points per game at Wake Forest last season, earning him AP second-team All-ACC recognition. He played 1,230 minutes last season, the most by any Wake Forest player since at least 1974-75. SEC coaches selected him as a second-team preseason all-conference pick.

Bobi Momcilovic, a 6-foot-9 forward, led all Division I players in 3-point baskets (136) and 3-point percentage (.487) with 16.9 points per game for Iowa State last season. His 136 3-pointers set the second-highest single-season total in Big 12 history. Momcilovic has made 42.9% of his career 3-point attempts. SEC coaches named him a preseason second-team all-conference selection. He scored 19 points for No. 23 Kentucky in an exhibition win over Central Florida.

A 6-foot-8 forward from Lithuania was chosen by Big 12 coaches as the league’s preseason newcomer of the year and a preseason all-conference selection. He began his career at Arizona but played the last two seasons at Saint Mary's, earning first-team All-West Coast Conference honors each year. Last season, he averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds.

Jahmir Thomas transferred to No. 10 Houston after averaging 15.3 points and 6.5 assists in 16 games at LSU before a foot injury ended his 2025-26 season. He had four times as many assists as turnovers. Big 12 coaches placed Thomas on their preseason all-conference team. Thomas, a 6-foot-1 guard, previously played two seasons at UNLV and has averaged 14.6 points and 5.3 assists in 76 career games.

Michael Yessoufou, a 6-foot-5 guard from Benin, set a Baylor freshman scoring record with 605 total points last season while averaging 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2 steals. He ranked among the top Division I freshmen in points and steals per game. Big East coaches selected Yessoufou as a first-team preseason All-Big East pick. He scored 23 points for No. 13 St. John's in a preseason exhibition victory.