24. Amaree Abram – Louisiana Tech
A 6-4 guard out of Texas who played high school ball in California, Abram is no stranger to life on the move and seeks his fourth different D1 collegiate stop. He actually started nearly two dozen games as a freshman at Ole Miss in Kermit Davis’s final season before playing just ten games in his sophomore season at Georgia Tech. Needing a refresh, Abram landed at Louisiana Tech last offseason and put up exactly the kind of numbers he needed.
Not only helping himself, Abram helped the Bulldogs to another 20-win season while averaging 12.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. The former Top 100 recruit made 37% of his 3-pointers and was in the Top 10 in Conference USA in steals. The numbers exceeded his earlier production and showed that he can perform at a high level and should be an intriguing backcourt name to watch in the coming days and weeks.
23. Aidan Mahaney – Connecticut
Fit is very important in collegiate athletics and Mahaney had a great fit early in his career at Saint Mary’s. The California native was a major part of the Gaels’ success for his first two seasons, earning First Team All-WCC honors both years and putting up around 13 points per game as a member of the squad. Unfortunately, Mahaney entered the transfer portal and landed in a spot that really didn’t work for him.
Mahaney’s season at UConn wasn’t ideal, though it’s hard to pass up a shot to join the two-time defending national champions. The numbers took a nosedive, as Mahaney managed just 4.5 points and 1.3 assists per game mostly as a reserve for the Huskies. His opportunities were significantly fewer during a season where the Huskies failed to live up to preseason hype. His next landing spot will be important but the right one could bring out greatness again for Mahaney, who after all was a monumental force in the WCC and once made 40% of his 3-pointers in a season.
22. Cade Tyson – North Carolina
There are certainly times when transferring isn’t the right move for a player’s total perspective and you can argue that Tyson is another example. The NIL money may have been nice at North Carolina, but he certainly didn’t match the productivity as an underclassman at Belmont. The former MVC Rookie of the Year was a nightmarish sharpshooter with the Bruins for his first two seasons before landing in Chapel Hill last offseason.
Tyson made 46.5% of his 3-pointers as a sophomore but was a shell of his former self in the ACC. He’d average just 2.6 points and 1.1 rebounds playing backup minutes for the Tar Heels, making less than 30% of his long-range shots with very limited opportunities. The North Carolina native couldn’t resist that opportunity back in his home state, but could be a lethal shooter and offensive weapon in the right situation if he gets back into his groove.