18.Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA Bruins
If there were two certainties this offseason for UCLA basketball, it was that a.) depth will not be an issue and b.) defining roles and having all players “buy-in” will be its biggest hurdle. While UCLA stumbled out of the gates with an early-season loss to New Mexico, the Bruins have started to find their rhythm as the 2024-25 college basketball season progresses.
Tyler Bilodeau, the Oregon State transfer, has been a key reason why. Bilodeau leads the Bruins in scoring (14.5 PPG) and has been Cronin’s highest-volume scorer this season. While the Bruins may have an assortment of options to work with offensively, Bilodeau has established himself as that go-to scorer thanks to his versatility on the offensive end of the floor. Bilodeau adds much-needed scoring pop that UCLA did not have last season, making him a clear top-25 impact transfer.
17. Nate Calmese, Washington State Cougars
The Washington State Cougars have established themselves in the at-large conversation under first-year HC David Riley. The reason? Lamar/Washington transfer Nate Calmese, continuing his strong play after being named among the top surprise players from the first two weeks of the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Calmese, who went from a freshman star at Lamar to little used at Washington, has found his groove once again. Calmese leads the Cougars in scoring (16.4) and assists (4.5) in a high-volume role offensively. At 12-3 (2-0), the Cougars will look to play spoiler in the WCC. And Calmese’s impact will be instrumental if the Cougars want to continue its surprise success.
16. Chucky Hepburn, Louisville Cardinals
When you have a lead guard that leads your team in points (15.2), assists (5.2) and is among the best on-ball defenders in the country, good things tend to happen, right?
Louisville may have lost last night — it simply didn’t have enough bodies to run a full 40 minutes against Duke — but Chucky Hepburn’s defense (on-ball + rotations) was, yet again, a major bright spot for the Cards. https://t.co/8miQUiyBkJ
— Cole Amundson (@playformarch) December 9, 2024
That is the case for Wisconsin transfer Chucky Hepburn, who has taken on an entirely revamped role offensively while continuing his stellar play defensively. As the Louisville Cardinals' depth remains thin after its roster was ravaged by injuries, Hepburn will continue to carry a heavier-than-anticipated role offensively. He will likely hit 10+ FGA per game for the remainder of the season. He scored 26 points in Louisville’s win over UNC. Hepburn’s impact will keep the Cardinals an extremely tough out in ACC play.