Change of Address: Three Leading Scorers For Final Four Teams Are Transfers

Although there previously was a disenchantment stigma attached to transfers, it's no longer considered a crime to focus on them. In the midst of hyperactive transfer portal, there has never been more impact on a Final Four from players commencing their college playing careers at other four-year NCAA Division I institutions than the past several years. The leading scorers for three Final Four teams this year are transfers from other four-year universities - Auburn's Johni Broome (Morehead State), Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. (Iona) and Houston's L.J. Cryer (Baylor). Including injured Kentucky star Derek Anderson in 1997, 37 of the last 41 Final Fours featured teams with at least one starter or key reserve beginning his college career attending another four-year DI school.

Vanderbilt guard Billy McCaffrey, a transfer from Duke, is the only All-Tournament selection to finish his college playing career attending another major university. There was no All-Tournament team in 1942 when Stanford guard Howie Dallmar was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player before completing his undergraduate work at Penn toward the end of World War II. McCaffrey earned a spot on the 1991 All-Tournament team by scoring 16 points to help Duke defeat Kansas (72-65) in the championship game.

"What I really wanted was consistency; not playing a key factor in some games, very minimal in others," McCaffrey said. "My role probably would have been the same if I had stayed. I felt I could do more. I needed to enjoy the game more. I think a player likes to know that he can be counted on for certain things every night. That's how I get pleasure from the games. Your college career is too short to spend somewhere you're not happy.

"I don't regret leaving. I cherish those memories. I was happy for them (when the Blue Devils repeated in 1992). I knew when I left that they had a good chance to win (again). I took that into consideration when I made my decision to leave. I'd already been a part of a national championship. Maybe that made it easier."

Texas Tech, which blew a nine-point lead in last three minutes in regional final against Florida, probably would have been a perennial Top 10 team the past four seasons if Vladislav Goldin (Florida Atlantic/Michigan), Kevin McCullar (Kansas), Terrence Shannon (Illinois) and Mylik Wilson (Houston) didn't transfer from the Red Raiders.

There were more regular-rotation transfers appearing at the last eight Final Fours than there was in a 33-year span from 1984 through 2016. In the last 14 years (13 tourneys), 46 DI schools (38 of them mid-majors) never participating at the F4 had former players advance to the national semifinals after transferring. Following is a chronological look at how transfers have impacted the Final Four in the last 41 years (in reverse order):

2025 - Auburn's Chad Baker-Mazara (transfer from Duquesne/San Diego State), Johni Broome (Morehead State), Ja'Heim Hudson (SMU), Chaney Johnson (Alabama-Huntsville), Denver Jones (Florida International), Miles Kelly (Georgia Tech) and JP Pegues (Furman); Duke's Neal Begovich (Stanford), Maliq Brown (Syracuse), Rueben Chinyelu (Washington State), Mason Gillis (Purdue), Sion James (Tulane) and Cameron Sheffield (Rice); Sam Alexis (Chattanooga), Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. (Iona), Micah Handlogten (Marshall), Alijah Martin (Florida Atlantic) and Will Richard (Belmont), plus Houston's L.J. Cryer (Baylor) and Mylik Wilson (Texas Tech).
2024 - Alabama's Aaron Estrada (Saint Peter's/Oregon/Hofstra), Grant Nelson (North Dakota State), Nick Pringle* (Wofford), Mark Sears (Ohio University), Mohamed Wague* (West Virginia) and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (Cal State Fullerton); Connecticut's Hassan Diarra (Texas A&M), Tristen Newton (East Carolina) and Cam Spencer (Loyola MD/Rutgers); North Carolina State's DJ Burns Jr. (Winthrop), Mohamed Diarra* (Missouri), DJ Horne (Illinois State/Arizona State), Ben Middlebrooks (Clemson), Casey Morsell (Virginia), Michael O'Connell (Stanford), MJ Rice (Kansas), Jayden Taylor (Butler) and Kam Woods (North Carolina A&T), plus Purdue's Lance Jones (Southern Illinois).
2023 - Connecticut's Nahiem Alleyne (Virginia Tech), Joey Calcaterra (San Diego), Hassan Diarra (Texas A&M) and Tristen Newton (East Carolina); Florida Atlantic's Vladislav Goldin (Texas Tech); Miami's Jordan Miller (George Mason), Norchad Ornier (Arkansas State) and Nigel Pack (Kansas State), plus San Diego State's Matt Bradley (California), Jaedon LeDee (Texas Christian), Micah Parrish (Oakland) and Darrin Trammell (Seattle).
2022 - Kansas G Jalen Coleman-Landis (Illinois/DePaul/Iowa State), Villanova G Caleb Daniels (Tulane), Duke F-C Theo John (Marquette), Duke F Bates Jones (Davidson), North Carolina F Brady Manek (Oklahoma), Kansas G Remy Martin (Arizona State) and Kansas G Joseph Yesufu (Drake).
2021 - Houston F Reggie Chaney (Arkansas), Gonzaga G Aaron Cook (Southern Illinois), Baylor G Adam Flagler (Presbyterian), Houston F Justin Gorham (Towson), Houston F-C Brison Gresham (Massachusetts), Houston G Quentin Grimes (Kansas), Houston G Dejon Jarreau (Massachusetts), UCLA G Johnny Juzang (Kentucky), Baylor G Davion Mitchell (Auburn), Gonzaga G Andrew Nembhard (Florida), Baylor F Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua (UNLV), Baylor G MaCio Teague (UNC Asheville) and Houston G Cameron Tyson (Idaho).
2019 - Auburn G Samir Doughty (Virginia Commonwealth), Texas Tech G Brandone Francis (Florida), Virginia F Braxton Key (Alabama), Texas Tech G Matt Mooney (Air Force/South Dakota) and Texas Tech F-C Tariq Owens (Tennessee/St. John's).
2018 - Loyola of Chicago G Clayton Custer (Iowa State), Michigan G Charles Matthews (Kentucky), Kansas G-F Malik Newman (Mississippi State), Villanova F Eric Paschall (Fordham), Michigan G-F Duncan Robinson (Williams MA) and Loyola of Chicago G Marques Townes (Fairleigh Dickinson).
2017 - Oregon G Dylan Ennis (Rice/Villanova), Gonzaga G Jordan Mathews (California), Oregon C Paul White (Georgetown), Gonzaga F Johnathan Williams (Missouri) and Gonzaga G Nigel Williams-Goss (Washington).
2016 - Syracuse G Michael Gbinije (Duke) and Oklahoma F Ryan Spangler (Gonzaga).
2015 - Michigan State G Bryn Forbes (Cleveland State).
2014 - Wisconsin F Zach Bohannon (Air Force), Florida F Dorian Finney-Smith (Virginia Tech) and Connecticut G-F Lasan Kromah (George Washington).
2013 - Wichita State G Malcolm Armstead* (Oregon) and Louisville G-F Luke Hancock (George Mason).
2012 - Ohio State F Evan Ravenel (Boston College), Louisville G Chris Smith (Manhattan), Kentucky C Eloy Vargas* (Florida), Kansas F Justin Wesley (Lamar), Kansas C Jeff Withey (Arizona) and Kansas F Kevin Young (Loyola Marymount).
2011 - Kentucky C Eloy Vargas* (Florida), Virginia Commonwealth F Jamie Skeen (Wake Forest), Virginia Commonwealth F Toby Veal* (Colorado).
2010 - None.
2009 - None.
2008 - Kansas G Rodrick Stewart** (Southern California) and Memphis F Shawn Taggart (Iowa State).
2007 - Georgetown F Patrick Ewing Jr. (Indiana) and Ohio State G Ron Lewis (Bowling Green).
2006 - None.
2005 - Illinois F-C Jack Ingram (Tulsa).
2004 - Oklahoma State G Daniel Bobik (Brigham Young), Georgia Tech G Will Bynum (Arizona), Oklahoma State G-F Joey Graham (Central Florida), Oklahoma State F Stephen Graham (Central Florida), Oklahoma State G John Lucas III (Baylor) and Oklahoma State F Jason Miller (North Texas).
2003 - Texas F Deginald Erskin (North Texas) and Marquette F-C Robert Jackson (Mississippi State).
2002 - Oklahoma C Jabahri Brown (Florida International) and F-C Aaron McGhee* (Cincinnati) and Maryland G-F Byron Mouton (Tulane).
2001 - Michigan State F Mike Chappell (Duke), Maryland G-F Byron Mouton (Tulane) and Arizona C Loren Woods (Wake Forest).
2000 - Michigan State F Mike Chappell (Duke).
1999 - Ohio State G Scoonie Penn (Boston College).
1998 - Kentucky F Heshimu Evans (Manhattan) and North Carolina C Makhtar Ndiaye (Michigan).
1997 - Kentucky G-F Derek Anderson (Ohio State).
1996 - Kentucky G-F Derek Anderson (Ohio State) and C Mark Pope (Washington).
1995 - Oklahoma State F Scott Pierce (Illinois).
1994 - None.
1993 - Kentucky G Travis Ford (Missouri) and Kansas G Rex Walters (Northwestern).
1992 - Cincinnati G Anthony Buford (Akron) and F Erik Martin* (Texas Christian).
1991 - UNLV G Greg Anthony (Portland) and C Elmore Spencer* (Georgia).
1990 - UNLV G Greg Anthony (Portland).
1989 - Illinois F Kenny Battle (Northern Illinois).
1988 - Kansas G Clint Normore (Wichita State), Oklahoma F Harvey Grant (Clemson) and Arizona F Tom Tolbert* (UC Irvine).
1987 - Providence G Delray Brooks (Indiana) and UNLV G Mark Wade* (Oklahoma).
1986 - Kansas C Greg Dreiling (Wichita State).
1985 - St. John's G Mike Moses (Florida).
1984 - Virginia G Rick Carlisle (Maine).

*Played for a junior college between four-year schools.
**Injured.