Indiana State Basketball fans will always remember the 2023-24 season. But that’s all that’s left: memories. The coach and staff who rejuvenated the Hulman Center are gone.
Josh Schertz left for Saint Louis. Robbie Avila and Isaiah Swope followed. Jayson Kent and Julian Larry were transferred to Texas. Ryan Conwell landed at Xavier. Masen Miller chose North Dakota State. Augustinas Kiudulas chose VMI. Jake Wolfe and Xavier Bledson graduated.
Only Aaron Gray, Jayden Daughtry, Derek Vorst and Cooper Bean remain from last year’s NIT runner-up team. The redshirted Bean and the other three combined for 6.1 points per game last season.
New manager Matthew Graves has been busy with his radical rebuild, adding eight new players so far. Here’s a look at who Sycamores fans will need to know ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Merritt Alderink, F, Zeeland, Michigan.
Alderink committed to the Sycamores when Schertz was in charge and remained with the Sycamores after Schertz left for SLU. Ranked as the No. 3 player in Michigan in the 2024 class by 247Sports, the 6-6 Alderink becomes a three-star prospect and the No. 64 power forward in the class. He led Zeeland West to the best season in program history with district and regional titles and earned Best of the Best honors from the Michigan Basketball Coaches Association and Detroit Free Press all-state honors this season.
I chose ISU over offers from Kent State, Toledo, Miami (Ohio) and others.
Bobby Cannon, F, Lewisville, North Carolina
Cannon originally signed with New Orleans to play for Mark Slessinger. After 13 years at UNO, Slessinger decided to return home to Indiana and joined Graves’ staff as an associate coach. Cannon followed the coach to Terre Haute.
“Bobby is a dynamic player with a dynamic personality,” Slessinger said when Cannon signed with UNO. “He plays with a lot of energy and passion. With his size of 6-10, his ability to shoot and spread the ball is tremendous. He has a great level of skill in offensive handling and passing the ball beyond the goal.
“His length also gives him defensive opportunities to alter a lot of shots.”
Cannon averaged 11 points and 6.1 rebounds per game as a junior. Before committing to UNO, he had offers from East Carolina, Old Dominion and Winthrop.
Tirano Cook, Milwaukee (VMI)
He started 23 of 32 games last season as a freshman for the Cadets, averaging 12.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. A 6-2 guard, he shot 34% from behind the arc. He scored a season-high 28 points against Chattanooga on February 8 when he shot 6 of 6 from deep.
He graduated as Waukesha South High School’s second all-time leading scorer (1,913) and rebounder (650) and finished second in the state in the high jump.
Markus Harding, F, Toronto (Central Michigan)
The 6-10, 255-pound Harding averaged 10.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and shot 53.3% from the field last season for the Chippewas. The junior forward has started 39 of 46 games over the past two seasons. He made 21 3-pointers at a 30% rate in 2022-23, but saw that number dwindle to just seven 3s at a 19% rate last season.
He arrived at CMU via Eastern Florida State College by way of Toronto after starting playing basketball at age 14.
Jahni Summers, G, Evansville, Indiana (Coffeyville Community College)
The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Freshman of the Year, Summers averaged 18.2 points, 4.5 rebounds per game and shot 37.1% from 3, earning second-team All-KJCCC honors. He also received offers from Appalachian State, Eastern Kentucky, UC Riverside, Winthrop, IU Indianapolis, FGCU and others.
A standout at Evansville Harrison, schools contacted him or his coach weekly. Division II programs couldn’t believe he didn’t have more offers. Division I schools wanted to see his film. But between the transfer portal and the extra year granted because of the pandemic, no one gave him a chance.
“I had to realize that this takes time,” he told Courier & Press reporter Kyle Sokeland in 2022. “Patience is something I’ve had to go through. I’m just letting it sink in day by day. Trying to go to the gym every day and push myself.”
Samage Teel, G, Greenville, NC (Presbyterian)
Teel started 21 of 32 games for Presbyterian last season as a junior, averaging 13.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He shot 41.5% from behind the arc with 54 shots from deep. The 6-2 guard scored more than 20 points five times last season, finishing last year with a season-high 28 points in CBI’s first-round loss to Montana.
He began his college career at Winston-Salem State, scoring 594 points in two seasons. In high school, he helped lead Farmville Central to two North Carolina state championships.
Camp Wagner, G, Dallas (Rice)
A 6-6 point guard, Wagner played in 18 games last season as a freshman for the Owls, averaging 3.5 minutes per game (1.2 points). Coincidentally, he scored a career-high 11 points against… yes, you guessed it, Indiana State, hitting three 3s.
He played at Link Prep Academy (Mo.), where he averaged 16.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists as a senior.
Jayan Walker, G, Raleigh, North Carolina
A 6-6 combo guard from Charlotte’s Combine Academy (NC), Walker picked up offers from Marshall and Georgia State, and added new offers from Utah State and Kennesaw State. He was offered by Indiana State on April 22, visited campus on May 3 and committed on May 4.
This article originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star: Indiana State Basketball busy rebuilding transfer portal roster
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