Villanova made a major addition to its 2024-25 roster on Friday with the commitment of former VCU and Utah State transfer Max Shulga. The veteran guard is No. 58 in the CBS Sports Transfer Rankings and has one season left to play after playing the best basketball of his career in the 2023-24 season.
The 6-foot-4 Ukrainian averaged 14 points and 3.6 assists per game and shot 41.5% from 3-point range, earning all-conference honors for the Rams. Shulga rated as VCU’s most effective offensive player, per evanmiya.com, and he should provide a spark for a Wildcats team that struggled offensively last season.
Villanova ranked 288th nationally in shooting percentage (42.5%) and 197th in 3-point shooting percentage (33.8%) during an 18-16 season. The Wildcats finished a measly 87th in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom. Third-year coach Kyle Neptune also picked up commitments from Penn transfer Tyler Perkins and La Salle transfer Jhamir Brickus to add pop to next season’s lineup.
The deadline for players to enter the transfer portal and be eligible next season passed on May 1. The chaos isn’t quite over yet, though. Players who entered before the deadline still have ample time to choose their new school ahead of the 2024-25 season. Those who are exploring the NBA Draft process have until May 29 to withdraw if they want to return to college next season.
1. Johnell Davis
Old school: FAU | New school: Arkansas
Davis played a key role in taking FAU to the 2023 Final Four and built on his breakout season by upping his scoring average to 18.2 points in 2023-24. The 6-4 guard hit 41.4% of his 3-pointers, pulled down 6.3 rebounds and averaged 1.4 steals for the Owls in his fourth season of college basketball. Assuming he opts against staying in the NBA Draft, the co-AAC Player of the Year will be headed to Arkansas to play for first-year coach John Calipari.
2. Tucker DeVries
Old school: Drake | New school: West Virginia
DeVries won Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year twice during three seasons while playing for his father, Darian DeVries. The 6-7 wing averaged 21.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in 2023-24. He’s a career 35.9% 3-point shooter and dynamic offensive threat. DeVries is following his father, who accepted the West Virginia job.
3. Norchad Omier
Old school: Miami
At 6-foot-7, Omier is an undersized but physical big who brings a deft shooting touch at the rim. He’s a voracious rebounder and can get to high-efficiency spots as the roll guy in the pick-and-roll. Omier averaged 17 points and 10 rboards per game while shooting 59.8% from the floor this past year for the Hurricanes. He also demonstrated 3-point shooting promise for the first time in his career.
4. AJ Storr
Old school: Wisconsin | New school: Kansas
Storr provided a significant jolt of offense for Wisconsin in the 2023-24 season, averaging 16.8 points. The 6-6 wing is a multi-level scorer with the size needed to finish in the paint and around the rim. being surrounded by other dynamic playmakers at Kansas should allow Storr increase his efficiency after he shot 43.4% from the floor for the Badgers.
5. Kadary Richmond
Old school: Seton Hall
Richmond fueled Seton Hall’s NIT title run as the Pirates’ leading scorer at 15.7 points per game and lead facilitator with 5.1 assists per game. He was also the team’s highest-rated defender by a longshot, per evanmiya.com. The 6-5 guard is a four-year veteran of high-major basketball and is the sort of tough, two-way player who could make a difference on a deep with Final Four aspirations.
6. Jeremy Roach
Old school: Duke | New school: Baylor
Roach is a seasoned floor general with two years of experience under Mike Krzyzewski and two years of experience under Jon Scheyer. The 6-1 guard earned third-team All-ACC honors in 2023-24 while averaging 14 points and 3.3 assists per game on 42.9% 3-point shooting. With 108 starts for a premier program under his belt, Roach will be a plug and play replacement for RayJ Dennis, who is out of eligibility after playing a similar one-year rental role at point guard for the Bears in 2023-24.
7. Mark Mitchell
Old school: Duke | New school: Missouri
Mitchell started 67 games in his two seasons at Duke after ranking as a five-star prospect in the Class of 2022. The 6-9 forward is a dynamic athlete who played mostly at small forward in 2022-23 before sliding to power forward this past season. He averaged 11.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game on 54% shooting from the floor this past year. With two seasons of eligibility remaining and NBA-caliber upside, Mitchell could blossom into a star for a rebuilding Missouri team.
