A couple weeks ago, the Sun Belt released its preseason basketball poll, and Red Wolves fans were delighted to see A-State Women ranked a respectable third and the A-State Men ranked first. One does not have to search one’s memory too rigorously to recall seasons of low expectations for both the men and women. Today, high expectations give Arkansas State fans a boost of self esteem unfelt since the 1990s.
Nobody Doubts Destinee Anymore
In 2021 as interim head coach, Destinee Rogers made history as the first Black female head coach to win a game in school history, defeating Mississippi Valley State 81-47. The Power made her gig official the following season, and after a couple years of struggle, there were grumblings of doubt. Perhaps Destinee wasn’t ready for the role. Maybe her potential was overvalued. Two losing seasons raised the volume on the grousing.
The program experienced a dramatic 180º in 2024-25. Rogers led the Red Wolves to a 21-11 overall record and 15-3 mark in Sun Belt play, securing the program’s first winning season since 2015-16 and first NCAA Tournament appearance. Spurred by her motto “Net’s Ain’t Free,” Rogers followed the success up with a 27-10 mark last year, setting program records with 386 made 3-pointers, 532 steals and 972 turnovers forced. Not only did Rogers transform the program, she established a new culture based on tenacity and long-range sharpshooting.
This season. voters have picked the Red Wolves to finish in third place behind Troy and James Madison. Fourth year guard Crislyn Rose was named the SBC Preseason Player of the Year, leading a seasoned squad that includes returners Allyson Ferguson and Aniyah Ruddock.
What last year’s squad lacked with size and toughness in the paint – which might be why Troy and James Madison get the nod over Arkansas State. It may also be why Rogers recruited 6’2″ center Jasmine Jordan out of Eastern Kentucky. Jordan displayed rebounding and scoring powers while a first year at the University of Rio Grande, where she averaged 18.2 points and 14 rebounds per game.
Also providing an inside presence is Texas State transfer Angela Carroll, a 6’1″ forward who appeared in 30 games for the Bobcats last season. Rounding up the bigs: the Canadian Maya Chocano, a 6’1″ guard from UC Riverside who can not only secure a board, but can also nail a three.
The Red Wolves open the season with MAC/Sun Belt Showdown opponent Ball State on November 2. The Women will also play an all-Arkansas stretch starting with UCA (Nov 29), then UA Little Rock (Dec 2) and closing with Arkansas (Dec 6).
Get to Know Ryan Pannone’s Red Wolves Again
In 2025-26, the Red Wolves men’s basketball team was entirely brand new, without a single player returning from the previous season. This year, the Red Wolves retain the services of three veterans: CJ Geathers, a 6’5″ guard who spent the season out with an injury, 6’10” forward Rho Omed who did not make an appearance last season, and Royal Blue Smith, a 6’4″ guard who, at times, electrified A-State fans with his fast-paced play. Smith will be heavily relied upon to bring cohesion to a team drawn from across the map.
The Red Wolves were picked to finish atop the Sun Belt with James Madison, Troy and South Alabama nipping at their Nikes. However, zero Red Wolves were selected to the SBC First Team, but two were named to the Second Squad: 6’4″ guard Tameron Ferguson who averaged 20.0 points and 6.5 assists per game for Augusta last season, and 5’11” Layne Taylor, who shot 40.8 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from three-point range for Murray State in 2025-26.
Like Coach Rogers, Coach Pannone has expressed concern about the team’s physicality in the paint. Last season, Arkansas State was elite on the glass – 41.3 rebounds per game – but the Red Wolves were not an elite paint-scoring team. Also like Rogers, Pannone imported some size to the roster, like seven-footers Amadou Doumbia (3rd year, originally out of UMASS but recruited from North Carolina A&T) and Moussa Sy a rebound-machine from Dakar, Senegal.
In a recent closed exhibition with SIUE, Coach Pannone’s starting five were Blue Smith, Tameron Ferguson, Lane Tayler, Amadou Doumbia, and 6’8″ forward Delang Muon, and fourth year Australian out of New Mexico Junior College. Exhibition games mean zilch, but for what it’s worth Smith led the team in points with 20 on 7/10 shooting – 6-8 from three point distance. Doumbia recorded a double-double (11pts, 10 rebs). Jordan Pyke and Aaron McGee each contributed 9 from the bench. The team shot 35%, out-boarded SIUE 45-44, and lost on a last second three. Is this the “Starting Five?” Pannone likes to dabble during non-conference.
Red Wolves Go International
One look at Ryan Pannone’s LinkedIn page will reveal the head coach’s worldliness. We expected to see a global flavor come to Jonesboro, and in this regard, the Red Wolves do not disappoint. The 2026-27 roster is represented by Frankston (Australia), Calgary (Canada), Dakar (Senegal) and twice by Bamako (Mali). Two Arkansans also make the squad: Layne Taylor out of Farmington and Anthony Hester out of Little Rock.
OOC Games of Interest
Red Wolves open the season hosting Toledo for Part One of the Sun Belt/MAC Showdown. The Rockets are expected to battle Miami for the MAC championship, and the game represents a critical test for an Arkansas State roster who is just beginning to know each other.
What’s become a kind of tradition, the Red Wolves visit #20 Alabama on November 6 and then return home November 10 for a solid match-up with UT Martin. Looking ahead, the Red Wolves get one more crack at Rice on November 29, this time in Jonesboro. Arkansas State also hosts Missouri State, UAPB and UA Little Rock, plus a trio of what I can only describe as goof-games: Dillard, St. Thomas and Crowley’s Ridge. Once again, per tradition, Arkansas has elected to duck Arkansas State.
The Red Wolves first conference contest is December 16 at home against the dreaded South Alabama zone defense.
IMAGES: Arkansas State Athletics