For many HBCU basketball teams, save the few still engaged in tournament play, the season has concluded, and the preparation for the next season begins.
For coaches, that includes talent evaluation of the current rosters and hitting the recruiting trail in the never-ending quest to improve their programs.
And that means checking the transfer portal. That’s because some athletes believe the proverbial grass is greener on the other side and seek new situations.
According to The Next Hoops and Liv For Hoops, nearly two dozen basketball players from the SWAC have entered the transfer portal.
Here are the players who are looking for new homes to date:
Alabama A&M
Clemisha Prackett | Forward | Freshman
The freshman out of West Memphis, Arkansas, appeared in one game, a six-minute stint against Colorado State on November 9.
Darian Burgin | Senior | Guard
The Cincinnati, Ohio native appeared in 31 games and 30 starts this season for the Bulldogs, averaging 8.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, with a season-high of 18 coming against Texas Southern on January 27.
Alisha Wilson | Forward | Junior
Wilson was the Bulldogs’ leading scorer, with per-game averages of 9.0 points and a team-leading 9.9 rebounds per contest.
Kayla Turner | Guard | Freshman
Turner started 29 of her 31 appearances on the season and was AAMU’s second-leading scorer, putting up 11.2 points per contest.
Amiah Simmons | Guard | Junior
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Simmons was the Bulldogs’ leading scorer, averaging 15.7 points per contest and reaching double figures in all but 3 of her 31 games.
Alabama State
Che’ Maya Carouthers | Guard | Junior
Carouthers appeared in 20 games, with seven starts, putting in a season-high 13 points against Jacksonville State on November 30.
Alcorn State
Jazmine Jackson | Guard | Sophomore |
Jackson appeared in 3 games on the season for the Lady Braves, playing a combined 44 minutes and averaging 1.3 points per contest.
Arkansas Pine-Bluff
Demetria Shephard | Guard | Junior |
Sheppard has appeared in 46 games in her two seasons at UAPB, finishing with career averages of 9.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. The 8.7 points per game Sheppard averaged this season were tied for the fourth-highest on the team.
Jelissa Reese | Guard | Senior |
The Cordele, Georgia native scored a season-best 25 points on November 18 against Texas A&M Texarkana.
Coriah Beck | Guard | Senior |
Beck, at 12.8 points per game, was the Lions’ second-leading scorer, trailing only the 16.7 per contest put up by Zaay Green.
Thank You Uapb. 🖤 pic.twitter.com/HszzSbUy69
— Coriah Beck (@coriah_beck) March 25, 2024
Maya Peat | Center | Senior |
The senior center averaged 10.5 points and 6.4 rebounds and was named to the All-SWAC Second Team.
Forever grateful, UAPB . 💛♾️ pic.twitter.com/b0OGyBprOC
— J A N A 🌺 (@mayajpeat) March 26, 2024
Bethune-Cookman
Nia Jordan | Forward | Senior |
The senior forward made five appearances this season, with two starts, averaging 4.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per contest.
O’Mariyah Tucker | Guard | Senior |
Tucker appeared in 29 games, starting 18, posting per-game averages of 6.0 points and 4.5 rebounds. She scored 16 points against Florida on November 9 and 12 rebounds against UAPB on Feb. 26.
D’Shantae Edwards | Guard | Sophomore |
Edwards led the Wildcats in free throws attempted (153), free throws made (90), steals (2.2), and total minutes played (808).
Grambling State
Deivejon Harris | Junior | Center
Harris appeared in 5 games, scoring in double figures twice, 10-point outings in the season opener against Champion Christian College on Nov. 6, and Houston in her last appearance of the season on Nov. 19.
Jackson State
Mya Pratcher | Forward | Sophomore
The sophomore forward took part in 17 games for the Tigers, averaging 6.6 minutes of action per contest. Her best effort was a five-point, three-assist performance in 11 minutes against Prairie View on Jan. 20.
Taylor Woodhouse | Guard | Junior
In 20 games with Jackson State, the Southaven, Miss. native averaged 2.9 points in 8.8 minutes per contest. Woodhouse’s best outing of the season was a 12-point performance against Mississippi State on Dec. 14.
Mississippi Valley State
SyAnn Holmes | Forward | Senior
Holmes, a 6-foot forward out of Evanston, Illinois, had a season-best 10 points and four rebounds against McNeese State on Nov. 16.
Amberly Brown | Forward | Junior
Brown shone brightest in the Devilettes’ 67-59 win over Alabama State, in which she scored 18 points and nine rebounds.
Lizzie Walker | Forward | Junior
Walker was MVSU’s third-leading scorer at 6.1 points per game and the Deviliettes’ leading rebounder with 5.5 boards per contest.
Prairie View A&M
Kimora Sykes | Forward | Junior
The Loyola Marymount transfer joined the Panthers at the midpoint of this past season. She last pearled in 17 games for LMU, averaging 7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 33.8 minutes per contest.
Southern University
Sirviva Legions | Guard | Sophomore
The Brooklyn native averaged 3.4 ppg in 23 appearances, with her best performance being a 14 points and 4 assist outing against Louisiana College on Dec. 9.
Texas Southern
Ariana Taylor | Forward | Senior
Taylor was not on Texas Southern’s 2023-24 roster; she transferred to Texas Southern following the 2020-21 season. She last suited up for the Tigers in the 2022-23 season, appearing in a single game. Taylor did, however, particulate in 15 games and 12 starts for Texas Southern in the 21-22 season, averaging 5.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 26.5 minutes of action.
Jordyn Turner | Forward/Center | Junior
The junior forward was the Tigers’ third-leading scorer on a per-game basis, as she averaged 9.9 points per contest. Turner’s best game of the season came in a 25-point and 10-rebound performance in 27 minutes against FAMU on Feb.10.
Here is who has hit the portal from the MEAC:
Delaware State
Deyonce Thompson | Guard | Sophomore
Thompson increased her scoring, rebounding, and assists from her freshman to sophomore seasons from 5.5 points to 8.2 points per game. Thompson started 15 games, up from the five starts of her freshman season, and saw her minutes increase from 16.6 points to 20.1 points per game.
Savannah Brooks | Guard | Sophomore
At 10.4 points per game, Brooks was the Hornets’ third-leading scorer, averaging 10.4 points per contest. She had a season-high 25 points against New Jersey City University on Dec. 17.
Howard
Aaliyah Frazier | Guard | Freshman
The freshman guard out of Plainfield, Illinois, appeared in eight games for the Bison, clocking a season-high 13 minutes against DePaul on November 20.
Kaiya Creek | Senior | Forward
Creek enjoyed her best statistical season for the Bison with career highs in games played (30), starts (21), free throw percentage (.778), rebounds (3.3), assists (1.3) and points (7.8).
Te’Keyah Bland | Freshman | Forward
Bland made nine appearances for the Bison during her freshman campaign.
Morgan State
Brooklyn Jones | Senior | Guard
The senior guard and Niagara transfer took the court 11 times, logging a season-high 25 minutes against Central Connecticut State on Nov. 29.
Maryland Eastern Shore
Aysia Hinton | Freshman | Guard
Hinton appeared in 17 games in her freshman campaign. Her top performance of the season was an 8-point in just 15 minutes she scored against Lancaster Bible.
