Jayden Taylor (NC State)
We couldn’t make this list without at least one representative from NC State. The Wolfpack made the NCAA Tournament last year thanks in large part to the guard trio of Terquavion Smith, Jarkel Joiner, and Casey Morsell, but next year’s team will look very different.
The Wolfpack have hit the transfer portal in a big way, bringing in Mohamed Diarra of Missouri, MJ Rice from Kansas, and DJ Horne from Arizona State. Head coach Kevin Keatts also pulled off the first unofficial “transfer trade” I’ve seen, adding Clemson’s Ben Middlebrooks while losing Jack Clark to Brad Brownell’s Tigers.
The most impactful addition to the Wolfpack, though, might just be Jayden Taylor of Butler. As a sophomore, the guard led the Bulldogs in scoring with 12.9 points per game, and he became more consistent as the year went on, dropping between 19 and 21 points in each game of a five-game stretch in February.
The Wolfpack was one of the best teams in transition last year, and Taylor’s ability to get steals and finish on the break should keep NC State running once again. He should also improve his assist totals with reliable big man DJ Burns returning down low.
Like it or not, the transfer portal is only growing in importance. Teams that embrace this new reality will prosper, while those that ignore it will get left behind. With so many talented players moving to and from ACC schools, it will be fascinating to see how different next season looks.