Midway through the 2025-2026 basketball season, it became fairly evident that the Wes Miller era was nearing its end. As rumors began to circulate the coaching carousel and link Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun as the heavy favorite to land the Bearcats job, I made it my mission to tune into as much Utah State basketball as possible. In today’s new era of NIL, and the transfer portal, it felt like a guarantee that if Calhoun landed in Cincinnati, a few Utah State Aggies would follow. One of those players was Adlan Elamin, a name every Bearcats fan should get to know, and should be hearing frequently in Fifth Third Arena.
So who exactly is Adlan Elamin, and why should Cincinnati Bearcats fans be excited about his arrival?
This past season, Elamin was a true freshman forward listed at 6’9 and 185lbs. A three-star recruit out of Paul VI Catholic High School, in Fairfax, Virginia. He averaged 6.7 points, and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting 44% from the field, 30% from three-point range, and 83% from the free-throw line.
Elamin did not begin the season as a starter, and saw limited minutes early on. That quickly changed, however, as Calhoun would increasingly find it difficult to keep him off the floor. His raw talent, athleticism, and intangibles were evident almost immediately.
What immediately passes the eye test when watching Adlan Elamin is his elite athleticism. He has excellent size for a wing, plays with relentless motor, and seems to glide effortlessly in transition. Which compliments one of Calhoun’s focal points of defense, creating turnovers and getting out in transition. Whether he’s running the floor for an easy bucket, or chasing down a block, his combination of length, speed, and fluidity stands out.
I firmly believe Adlan Elamin’s sophomore year success in the Big 12 will depend on two factors. The most important being the amount of time he puts in the gym, adding muscle and putting some weight on. Luckily for him, the University of Cincinnati has excellent facilities and one of the best strength coaches in the nation— Michael Rehfeldt. The Big 12 is widely considered the best conference in college basketball, and with that comes top tier physicality. The added muscle and weight will be crucial if he hopes to finish through contact, battle the glass for boards, and hold his own defensively, with the gauntlet of talent the Big 12 has on a week to week basis.
The second factor that will determine Adlan Elamin’s ceiling this year is the continued development of his shot from the perimeter. While he shot 30% last year, there’s still plenty of room for growth. To his credit, I’ve seen he’s been training hard in the off season per his Instagram stories, getting shots up, and 5 on 5 runs with other players, sharpening his craft. A really encouraging sign is that the foundation is already there. Elamin shot 83% from the free-throw line as a true freshman, which screams promise to me. A 6’9 wing, with his athleticism, free-throw shooting, hopefully added strength, and being a reliable threat from deep would unlock another level of his game and be a nightmare matchup for opponents. Depending on how Elamin attacks the off season, Cincinnati may have landed one of the highest upside players from the transfer portal.
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