In recent years college basketball has shifted its entire “business” model in a couple of different ways. “Student-athletes” went from playing four years at one school, and then either going pro in basketball, or something else, to the “one-and-done” rule, to eventually having players at smaller schools be allowed to transfer to bigger and better schools after they have completed their degree at their original school.
While there is another article completely on whether or not this is good or “fair” for the schools and players themselves (I do not believe it is), the rules are what they are for now, and as a result, there are nine graduate transfers in the ACC this year who were not here last year.