The most intriguing portal addition for every Sun Belt basketball program.

In November, college basketball season brazenly slides right into college football’s DMs and invites themselves over for dinner. They’re not unwelcome. While we’re gnashing our teeth over our favorite gridiron programs struggling to win that essential sixth game, basketball is politely going about its non-con businesses, providing a new layer of sporting interest until February, when it become the primary focus.

With Sun Belt rapidly stepping up its hardwood game, it behooves us to increase the heat on our anticipation sooner rather than later. The stakes are too high to ignore. Don’t just take my dubious word for it. Sun Belt programs are upping their recruiting game, perhaps sensing that as football championships become further and further out of reach, the chance to shine on a national stage in basketball remains an achievable goal.

The pressure to win now is undeniable. High school recruiting remains the cornerstone of team building, but the transfer portal is the place to shop for instant points and ready-made defenders. Who are the most intriguing new players looking to make their mark in the Sun Belt? Here’s our take:

Appalachian State Mountaineers

Last season, the Mountaineers were unstoppable, especially in Boone, for the bulk of the season before finally running into a hot Red Wolves team in the conference tournament. However, success punishes the Sun Belt without mercy, and several essential players like Tre’Von Spillers, Terance Harcum and Justin Abson bailed for the bag during the off season.

Jackson Threadgill, a guard with size, isn’t going to fill those empty shoes. Last year he average averaging 5.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists for a solid 49ers team. However, Threadgill is not without potential even in his 5th year of basketball, and his experience should be a benefit considering how much leadership Dustin Kerns has lost.

ALSO INTRIGUING: Alonzo Dodd, 6’1″ Guard, Texas A&M – Commerce

Arkansas State Red Wolves

Coach Bryan Hodgson melded a roster of sturdy returners with experience portal hands last season, enduring the slings and arrows of adjustment before finding enough rhythm to place second in the Sun Belt Tournament last season. Arkansas State lost Tournament hero Freddy Hicks to the portal, but the team remains largely intact.

However, Hodgson was on a request for more size during the off season, grabbing an impressive haul that includes 6’5″ shooting guard Joseph Pinion from Arkansas and 6’8″ forward Rashuad Marshall from Ole Miss. Mashall, a four star prospect out of Blytheville, played center for the Rebel Bears and loves conflict in the paint – the kind of physicality that earns hard hats in Jonesboro.

ALSO INTRIGUING: Kobe Julian, 6’6″ Forward, Louisiana

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

At least eight guys portaled out of Conway during the off season, including human bucket Jacob Meyer, who is now dropping points for DePaul. Making matters more difficult, rebound master John Ojiako has graduated, leaving an big empty hole in the paint.

Portal to the rescue! New Chants head coach Justin Gray obviously subscribes to the age old basketball mantra that “you can’t coach size.” Mabor Majak via Missouri is one of two seven-plus-footers Gray has added to the program (the second is Noah Amenhauser from Grand Canyon). A former 3-star recruit, the 245-pound Majak doesn’t play a ton of minutes, but his size makes him a problem for opponents.

ALSO INTRIGUING: Marcus Watson, 6’6″ Forward, Towson

Georgia State Panthers

Year Two of the Jonas Hayes Era was a 14-17 learning experience that didn’t appeal to at least five players once the final buzzer sounded – most notably to Dwon Odom, who left for Tulsa. However, Hayes rebounded by delivering the Sun Belt’s best transfer class of the off season, bringing in promising hands like Zarique Nutter from Northern Illinois and big forward Nick McMullen from UNC Asheville.

But it may be 6’9″ forward from Missouri State Cesare Edwards who delivers most for the Panthers this season. A four-star prospect at center, Edwards plays big with soft hands, though he could certainly improved on his five rebounds per game from last season. Look for Edwards to lead a more dangerous Georgia State squad.

ALSO INTRIGUING: Jelani Hamilton, 6’5″ Guard, Iowa State

Georgia Southern Eagles

The Eagles endured a miserable 9-24 campaign in 2023-24, leading to seven players showing themselves out of Statesboro, none more painful than Tyren Moore and his 17 points per game. Yeah, it was a rough first year for new head coach Charlie Henry.

Henry responded by plucking 6’9″ forward Tyson Brown from Rhode Island and Adante’ Holiman from the Roadrunners. Holiman was a three-star talent out of high school with offers from DePaul and Arizona State, but he may need a change of scenery to jumpstart his latent potential.

ALSO INTRIGUING: Bradley Douglas, 6’1″ Guard, UA Little Rock

James Madison Dukes

The Dukes were the kings of the Sun Belt last season, winning the conference title and enjoying a nice upset over Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament. But nothing decimates a Sun Belt roster like winning. In addition to head coach Mark Byington leaving for Vanderbilt, James Madison lost key players like Terrence Edwards, Jaylen Carey and Raekwon Horton.

New head coach Preston Spradlin wasn’t deterred. Among others, Spradlin enticed 6’11” center Elijah Hutchins-Everett from Seton Hall and 6’11” Ebenezer Dowuona from Georgia Tech to block a ton of shots in the name of the Dukes. Dowuona was a three-star talent with offers from Auburn and NC State, and may be a suitable replacement for TJ Bickerstaff, who has sailed into his college basketball post life.

ALSO INTRIGUING: Justin Taylors, 6’6″ Guard, Syracuse

Louisiana Ragin Cajuns

After flirting with excellence for several seasons, the Cajuns seemed to lose a step in 2023-24 – then lost three of their better players to the portal. Themus Fulks and Joe Charles bailed for McNeese and Milwaukee while hot-shooting big man Kobe Julian ditched Lafayette for rival Arkansas State. How would longtime head Cajun Bob Marlin respond?

Well, he snagged walking drama Koron Davis from Louisville. The 6’6″ shooting guard was bounced off the Cardinals after a season of what can only be described as bizarre weirdness. But Marlin also nabbed Christian Wright, a 6’3″ guard formerly of Georgia and Oregon State. A 3-star recruit, Wright has a chance to show some of that early promise for Marlin.

ALSO INTRIGUING: Zeke Cook, 6’6″ Forward, Jackson State

Marshall Thundering Herd

Marshall’s 13 wins last season wasn’t exactly magical for the Thundering Herd faithful, nor was it appealing to the five players who portaled out of Huntington, including scorer Cam Crawford (Duquesne). Apparently, head coach Mark Daigneault had enough too, ceding his chair to Cornelius Jackson to begin anew.

The Thundering Herd have been busy, taking five guys out of the Portal, including former Zip Mikal Dawson, a 6’5″ senior who’s good for a handful of points and a couple rebounds per game.

ALSO INTRIGUING: Jaylen Speer, 6’1″ Guard, Florida A&M

Old Dominion Monarchs

If you had predicted that storied basketball program Old Dominion would win only three conference games in 2023-24, you’d probably be banned from the FunBelt Podcast. However, that’s exactly what happened, though not without extenuating circumstances. Thanks to health reasons, head coach Jeff Jones stepped away from the team in December, leaving special assistant coach Kieran Donohu to pick up the bits. At season’s end, Mike Jones was named the head honcho.

Mike went right to work, adding 6’11” rebounder Caelum Swanton-Rodger from Maryland, and picking up 6’5″ forward/guard Sean Durugordon from Siena. The big guy can score, averaging 18 points per game last season while also averaging seven boards a contest. Durugordon may not be the enough answer for the Monarchs, but he’s going to make a lot of trouble for Sun Belt foes this season.

ALSO INTRIGUING: Robert Davis Jr., 6’6″ Guard, UMASS

Texas State Bobcats

Since turning in back-to-back regular season championships in 2021 and 2022, the Bobcats have sunk in the Sun Belt standings, finishing 10th last year with a 7-11 conference record. What gives? Texas State head coach Terrance Johnson saw the frustration spill into the portal, with big man Brandon Love jumping to Nevada and scorers like Davion Sykes and Jordan Mason bidding adieu as well.

Johnson dipped into the Portal to pick up Franck Emmou a young 6’5″ guard from UMBC, and added some size and buckets with 6’8″ forward Austin Green, a junior college star who posted an impressive 18.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game for Pearl River. If Green can put up similar numbers for the Bobcats, then Texas State may not miss Love too badly.

ALSO INTRIGUING: Tylan Pope, 6’6″ Forward, Nevada

Southern Miss Golden Eagles

The Golden Eagles had their moments during their 16-16 season, including gut-punching JMU in Hattiesburg. While nobody will write romantic lyrics about a .500 season in the Sun Belt, the tune head coach Jay Ladner played was appealing enough to maintain the entire incoming roster save one guy, limited-use forward Bryson Hall.

In addition to dodging decimation, Ladner landed one of the bigger talents in the Portal – 6’7″ guard Christian Watson from Miami and former 4-star prospect. Watson didn’t see big minutes in Miami, but should he develop into the talent the rating scouts believed him to be, Watson could be the missing piece to push Southern Miss over .500.

ALSO INTRIGUING: Denijay Harris, 6’7″ Forward, Arkansas

South Alabama Jaguars

The Jaguars finished the year 16-16, treading water for another season. No head coach in the Sun Belt has embraced the Portal like South Alabama head coach Richie Riley, who seems to avoid high school recruiting like raw clams. This off season is no exception, with Riley brining seven new transfers to Mobile – and seemingly no high school recruits.

Among the most noteworthy of these seven portal adds is 6’7″ guard Barry Dunning, a talent long sought by the Jaguars as he’s made stops at Arkansas and UAB. South Alabama had recruited Dunning when he was a four-star talent and a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Alabama out of Mobile. Now he’s back home, hopefully to cash in on his talent for his third stop.

ALSO INTRIGUING: Randy Brady, 6’5″ Forward, Chattanooga

Troy Trojans

Trojan head coach Scott Cross is as good as they come, so it’s no surprise that Troy has only lost one man to the Portal – forward Randi Ovalle. The Trojans spent much of last season atop the Sun Belt standings, but floundered late in the year to finish third. A little depth couldn’t hurt.

However, Cross Laws of Mathematics states that one portal departure equals one portal addition. Cobi Campbell, a 6’2″ guard fro North Idaho, brings some nice three-point shooting to the Trojans. Perhaps some outside shooting was the missing piece.

ALSO INTRIGUING: NA

ULM Warhawks

It will relieve many in the Sun Belt that the Warhawks no longer have the services of ancient forward Nika Metskhvarishvili, who is playing yet another year, but for Charlotte. ULM head coach Kieth Richard has yet to replace Metskhvariskvili’s inside presence, but he has imported some buckets from Jackson State in the form of 6’3″ guard Coltie Young.

Young averaged four rebounds and nearly nine points per game for the Tigers, which ULM will welcome considering the team finished dead last in the conference for scoring last season.