This is ONLY October!
Check out our list below of 21 Glue Guys to monitor during the 2023-24 college basketball season.
In no particular order:
Kevin McCullar, Kansas: The Jayhawks are a popular pick to win the 2024 national title and McCullar is quietly a major reason why. While many people from the periphery will highlight Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson and other newcomers like Elmarko Jackson and Nick Timberlake (Towson), the 6-7 McCullar is the one who truly fills the mortar between the bricks in Lawrence. McCullar was second on the Jayhawks last season in both steals (2.0) and rebounding (7.0).
Mason Gillis, Purdue: A selfless star, Gillis’ ability to do all the dirty work up front next to Zach Edey is a big reason why the Boilers won both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles last season en route to earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Capable of changing a game by either taking a charge, grabbing a key rebound, or knocking down a timely three-point shot, the 6-6 Gillis often dethrones opponents with the biggest weapon that he possesses — his heart.
Pelle Larsson, Arizona: The Wildcats’ perimeter is loaded thanks to Caleb Love (North Carolina), Jaden Bradley (Alabama), and sophomore Kylan Boswell, but it would be foolish to forget about the steady Larsson. Armed with good size at 6-5, Larsson is a key defender and ball mover for Arizona, who enters the 2023-24 season as the Pac-12 favorite.
Jamal Shead, Houston: Kelvin Sampson may have went to the transfer portal to get offense from LJ Cryer (Baylor) and Damian Dunn (Temple), but that doesn’t mean that Shead still isn’t the gas in the Cougars’ engine. The 6-1 veteran led Houston in both assists (5.4) and steals (1.7) last season when this program earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Stevie Mitchell, Marquette: The Golden Eagles’ backcourt is about much more than just Tyler Kolek and Kam Jones. That’s because of Mitchell. A terrific defensive player, the 6-2 Mitchell is cut from the same cloth as some of the players that Shaka Smart coached when he was at VCU. Mitchell had nine games last season with at least three steals and has the unique ability to have a great impact on a team without demanding shots.
Mawot Mag, Rutgers: How valuable was the 6-7 Mag prior to suffering a season-ending ACL injury in early February? The Scarlet Knights were 16-7 with him in the lineup last season and 3-7 when he was not. If Mag never goes down, Rutgers would have played three consecutive NCAA Tournaments for the first time in program history.
Anton Watson, Gonzaga: Watson averaged career-highs in all major statistical categories last season as one of the top intangible players in America. In six postseason games last spring, he averaged 11 points and 9.2 rebounds. Look for the 6-8 Watson to be a security blanket for the Bulldogs post-Drew Timme and Julian Strawther as Mark Few looks to rebuild around transfers Ryan Nembhard (Creighton), Steele Venters (Eastern Washington), and Graham Ike (Wyoming).
Matthew Nicholson, Northwestern: The best part of Nicholson’s game? He knows what he’s good at and is good at what he knows. A tremendous screener, defender, and finisher at the rim, this 7-footer had a major hand in the Wildcats’ return to the NCAA Tournament last season for only the second time in program history. Nicholson is more comfortable in his own skin than any player in college basketball.
Ty Rodgers, Illinois: A walking swiss army knife, the 6-6 Rodgers is in position to be one of the more unique players in college basketball during the upcoming season. The favorite to start for the Illini at point guard, Rodgers averaged 8.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists last season in games where he logged 25 minutes or more. He’ll be a threat to tally a triple-double each time that he takes the floor in 2023-24.
Glenn Taylor Jr., St. John’s: Well embedded moles in Queens are bullish on the potential of the 6-6 Taylor — who previously played at Oregon State — under Rick Pitino. 6-6 and versatile, Taylor shined during last week’s charity exhibition against Rutgers as he tallied 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals in the double overtime victory.
Berke Buyuktuncel, UCLA: How will the Bruins replace Jaime Jaquez at power forward? This guy. The 6-9 Buyuktuncel boasts a terrific feel for the game and a basketball IQ that’s well beyond his years. He averaged 11.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists for Turkey this past summer at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Hungary. Think a college version of Toni Kukoc.
DJ Rodman, USC: The Trojans haven’t had a classic “Glue Guy” in recent years, but Rodman should fit the bill. The son of former NBA star Dennis Rodman, DJ Rodman has the requisites to be a missing piece for USC at power forward. A transfer from Washington State, the 6-6 Rodman averaged 9.6 points and 5.8 rebounds last season.
Jordan Longino, Villanova: The 6-5 Longino has never been fully healthy during his first two seasons of college basketball, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not capable of making a major impact for the Wildcats in 2023-24. Blessed with the size and versatility to defend as many as four different positions, Longino could play a significant role for Villanova without commanding major attention on offense. Think another Reggie Redding.
Brock Cunningham, Texas: Cunningham has played for three different head coaches — Shaka Smart, Chris Beard, and Rodney Terry — during his career in Austin and they all revere him equally. Why? There’s nothing that this guy wouldn’t do to help his team win. You can’t measure the impact that Cunningham has with statistics.
Evan Mahaffey, Ohio State: The next Andre Wesson? It’s not out of the realm of possibility. The 6-6 Mahaffey spent his freshman season at Penn State prior to transferring to play for the Buckeyes. He’s got a real chance to cement a role this season for Ohio State because of his length and defensive prowess. The Buckeyes need Mahaffey to be a factor if they’re going to return to the NCAA Tournament in 2024.
Trey Galloway, Indiana: This is another guy who you can’t measure with a box score. The 6-4 Galloway regularly guards the opponent’s top perimeter player while blending his defensive ability with tremendous ball security on offense. Galloway had just 24 turnovers last season in 885 total minutes played — that’s an average of just one turnover every 36.9 minutes. Also a tremendous ball mover on offense, this veteran guard is a coach’s dream because of his willingness to sacrifice.
Max Klesmit, Wisconsin: Greg Gard has regularly compared Klesmit to guys who filled a similar role for the Badgers in the past like Brad Davison, Zak Showalter, and Josh Gasser. That’s high praise in Madison. If the 6-3 Klesmit — who started his college career at Wofford — can continue to evolve, Wisconsin should have one of the top intangible players in the Big Ten.
Cameron Matthews, Mississippi State: He doesn’t get the same attention as Tolu Smith, DJ Jeffries, or Shakeel Moore, but Matthews quietly had a major hand in the Bulldogs’ NCAA Tournament appearance last season. Like a Queen on a chessboard, the 6-7 Matthews can be put in different places on the floor to guard different positions as part of a defensive game plan. He’s tailor made for Chris Jans and Mississippi State.
Paul Mulcahy, Washington: Several Pac-12 coaches believe that the Huskies are the sleeper team in the conference. A big reason for that is the addition of Mulcahy as a graduate transfer. The 6-6 veteran played in multiple NCAA Tournaments while he was at Rutgers and should instantly bring his East Coast grit to the Great Northwest.
Jordan Geronimo, Maryland: People in Bloomington may not want to hear this, but Geronimo is in line to have a major role for the Terps this season after transferring from Indiana. Capable of playing either forward spot, the 6-6 Geronimo should immediately carve out a role in Maryland’s rotation thanks to his willingness to do all the little things that affect winning. Don’t be shocked if this guy is a fan favorite in College Park by Christmas.
Luke O’Brien, Colorado: The casual college basketball fan may know about the Buffaloes’ tandem of KJ Simpson and Tristan da Silva, but only the real junkies are aware of O’Brien. That will change if the Buffaloes compete for a Pac-12 regular season title this season. A 6-8 guard, O’Brien has a tremendous nose for the ball and regularly creates extra possessions, tallying five games last season with 10 or more rebounds. If Colorado lives up to its preseason hype, O’Brien will emerge as one of the top utility players in the sport.
Leftovers
- Purdue, Alabama working to finalize home-and-home series
- Weekend Brunch: How Mick Cronin quickly made UCLA into arguably college basketball’s most intriguing team
- UCLA, Gonzaga finalizing two-year series starting next season at Intuit Dome, the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers
- Texas A&M, UCF to begin home-and-home series on November 4th
- Alabama, Illinois working to finalize an agreement to play in Birmingham in December, series will feature return game in Chicago in 2025