Rutgers is losing its star freshman. After one season with the Scarlet Knights, Kiyomi McMiller is entering the transfer portal. The young guard made 19 starts this season. McMiller's 18.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game led the Scarlet Knights.
The freshman, the No. 22-ranked recruit in her class according to ESPNW, is looking to develop her skills elsewhere next season. Let's look at some possible fits for McMiller.
Top five landing spots for Kiyomi McMiller
#1. South Carolina Gamecocks
If McMiller is looking to take her talents to a successful program with a track record for developing guards, South Carolina could be the place for her. Dawn Staley's squad has several admirable guards but will lose assist leader Te-Hina Paopao at the end of this season.
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The Gamecocks could benefit from McMiller's skill set. Her 3.0 apg are a slight increase from Paopao's 2.9 and would be a welcome addition in the senior's absence. The Rutgers star's 18.7 ppg would lead South Carolina.
South Carolina could utilize McMiller's scoring and assisting abilities, and playing for Staley would allow the young guard to play under a veteran coach with proven track record.
#2. North Carolina Tar Heels
The Tar Heels' two top guards are out of eligibility. Alyssa Ustby and Lexi Donarski's senior seasons will end when UNC's March Madness run is over. North Carolina doesn't lack solid young guards, but this guard-heavy team may need to turn to the transfer portal this offseason.
UNC will be losing its top rebounder and assist leader in Ustby. McMiller records more assists than the Tar Heels star and found rebound success as a freshman. Ustby's 9.4 rpg are much higher than McMiller's 4.7, but McMiller would be North Carolina's highest scorer.
She could provide the team with a new star guard who can be a game changer, and UNC could be an admirable program where she can grow.
#3. TCU Horned Frogs
TCU will be in a similar position to UNC when its NCAA Tournament run ends. The Horned Frogs' star guards, Hailey Van Lith and Madison Conner, have exhausted their eligibility. Star center Sedona Prince is also out of eligibility, leaving TCU without a double-digit scorer.
The Horned Frogs will be hunting for guards and scorers this offseason, and McMiller could provide them with both of these things. She is a similar type of player to Van Lith, who puts up one less point per game and 0.3 fewer rebounds than McMiller but finds more success in assists. The TCU star shoots better than McMiller, but their 3-point percentages are nearly identical.
McMiller could be a good pickup for TCU as the team looks to move forward from losing some of its stars.
#4. NC State Wolfpack
NC State is a guard-heavy squad that will need several solid, high-scoring guards ahead of next season. The Wolfpack's top five scorers are all guards, and three are out of eligibility.
Notably, NC State will be without top-scorer Aziaha James, who puts up 18.1 points per game, similar to McMiller's 18.7. James slightly outrebounds McMiller, but McMiller averages more assists. The Wolfpack will need a number of new guards to replace James and the team's other top-performing guards, and McMiller could fit in nicely.
#5. UConn Huskies
It's not lost on anyone that the Huskies will be without their star guard next season. Paige Bueckers is out of eligibility and is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. Fellow guard Azzi Fudd will return for her final college season, but UConn will still need a replacement for Bueckers.
Finding someone to fill Bueckers' shoes won't be easy. McMiller has some of the qualities that make the UConn star great. However, Bueckers is a better defensive player than McMiller and shoots significantly better. McMiller may not be a perfect fit on this Huskies squad, but could be a possibility.
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