Editor’s Note: This story was finished and published early due to the threat of inclement weather. West Virginia transfer KJ Tenner and Creighton transfer Fred King have committed to Murray State. Freshman forward Jordan McCullum has entered the transfer portal.
The Final Four of the NCAA Men’s Basketball hasn’t started and players are already looking for new places to play. Murray State basketball, both men’s and women’s, is no exception. Both teams have seen some changes to their roster and we’re going to break down everything we know so far.
Let’s start with what the transfer portal even is. According to the NCAA, the Transfer Portal “was created as a compliance tool to systematically manage the transfer process from start to finish, add more transparency to the process among schools and empower student-athletes to make known their desire to consider other programs.”
The implementation of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) makes it seem like the Transfer Portal has become the equivalent of pro sports free agency as money is being used as a way to retain players to stay at schools. I don’t think that it’s money that made these players enter the portal, rather a better opportunity for their playing career. It’s also worth noting that a player isn’t guaranteed to leave if they enter the portal.
Murray State women’s basketball:
After the best season in program history came to an end in Norman, Oklahoma by the hands of the Iowa Hawkeyes, three players announced via their social media that they were entering the portal.
The first player was freshman forward Adalyn Koelling, who announced on X that she was entering the portal on March 25, the first day the women’s transfer portal opened. Koelling averaged 4.2 minutes of play in 19 games this season. She scored 14 total points on the season.
The next player to enter was freshman forward Adriana Blazquez. Appearing in 18 games during the season, she totaled four points and 11 rebounds. Jeff Bidwell of RacerBasketball.com announced she was entering on March 26.
The final player from the women’s team to enter the transfer portal was freshman guard Grace Billington. She announced on March 27 via X that she was entering. Billington appeared in 14 games and scored 24 points total this season.
Freshman forward Jazmine Young also entered the transfer portal but she was a walk-on for the Racers so she wasn’t taking up a scholarship spot.
These are the only players so far to enter the portal for the women’s team and despite losing some freshman, Head Coach Rechelle Turner has a good group of returning players coming back next year. Sophomore forward Destiny Thomas was a big piece for the Racers before she was injured against Indiana State on Jan. 24 and missed the rest of the season. Freshman forward Cam Hoover seemed like she would be an impact freshman but was hurt before the season even began.
Murray State is also bringing back their dynamic guard tandem in sophomores Halli Poock and Haven Ford who Turner looks to rely on heavily next year as she said college basketball is a “guard-dominated game” in the post-game press conference after the Iowa game. Briley Pena, who will be the only senior on the team next year, will also be an important part and the leader of the Racers next year.
Freshman guards Braxcynn Baker and Jada Cook will want to expand and improve on their first season in the blue and gold. Baker averaged 12 minutes in 32 games this season. She averaged five points a game. Cook averaged 10.3 minutes in 32 games this season.
The Murray State women’s basketball team has four incoming freshmen and four scholarship spots open for the 2025-26 season.
Murray State men’s basketball:
It isn’t uncommon in men’s college basketball for there to be roster turnover when a coach is fired and/or leaves a program. Especially in the era of instant eligibility and NIL where someone can make money or get guaranteed playing time at a different place. Despite new head coach Ryan Miller getting straight to work recruiting players for the 25-26 season, some of the current players were always going to enter the portal.
The first player in the portal was redshirt freshman John McCrear. VerbalCommits.com reported he was entering via X on March 17. He redshirted the 2023-24 season because of a lingering knee issue from high school. McCrear played in four games this season.
The second player in the portal was junior forward KyeRon Lindsay. VerbalCommits.com reported on X on March 18 that he was also entering the portal. Lindsay appeared in 32 games this season and averaged 6.6 points and 4.3 rebounds.
The third player to enter was freshman forward Chiang Ring. VerbalCommits.com also reported that Ring was entering the portal.
The most recent transfer to enter the portal is senior forward Nick Ellington. Despite entering the portal, he told RacerBasketball.com that he is open to coming back to Murray State. Ellington has one year of eligibility left after a new rule was put in place that allows an extra year for student-athletes that attended and competed at a non-NCAA institution. He played at Meridian Community College in Mississippi before going to Eastern Illinois and Murray State.
Most can make the assumption that a new coach will bring some players from his last gig with him to his new one. As of right now, the only commit that Miller has brought in is junior forward Mason Miller, a transfer from Creighton. Mason Miller is the nephew of Ryan Miller and the son of former NBA player and agent of Ja Morant, Mike Miller. He led the Big East Conference in 2024 in 3-point percentage at 45.4%.
The other scholarship players that haven’t decided to enter the portal are senior forward Alden Applewhite, senior guard Justin Morgan, redshirt junior Patrick Chew and sophomore forward Jordan McCullum.
This is everything that has happened thus far. It’s fair to say that everyone should expect a lot more shifts all around men’s and women’s college basketball leading up to April 22 when the transfer portal closes.
