PADUCAH, Ky. — The NCAA offseason has come to an end, and each Local 6 college hoops team will look different entering the 2025-26 season. Below you’ll find each newcomer and departure from the 2024-25 season to the upcoming ’25-’26 campaign.
MURRAY STATE
Outlook: First-year head coach Ryan Miller brought in 15 newcomers to the Racers.
Arrivals
Appeared in 101 games with 37 starts over the past three seasons at Creighton. Led the Big East by shooting 45% from three in 2023-24. Saw limited action this season, averaging 11.8 minutes per game but appeared in 32 games.
Appeared in 103 games with 4 starts over the past three seasons at Creighton. Averaged 7 minutes per game in his career. Shot 67% from the field (42-63) this season.
Memphis native appeared in 30 games in his freshman season with the Mountaineers. Averaged 2.4 points per game in 13.1 minutes per game. Scored season-high 10 points in season-opener against Robert Morris.
G Ben Shtolzberg (Creighton/UC Santa Barbara)
After playing his freshman season at Creighton, the 6-4 guard played in 56 games with one start at UC Santa Barbara. Shot 45% from the field. He also finished with 76 assists to just 40 turnovers in that time.
F JJ Traynor (Louisville/DePaul)
Spent last season at DePaul after playing first four seasons at Louisville. Averaged 5.6 PPG over 32 games. Had career-high 21 points with 3 blocks and 4 steals in a win at Providence.
G Javon Jackson (Utah State/UIC)
Started 29 games at UIC in his junior year last season, averaging 11.6 points per game. Scored a career-high 30 points in double-OT win over Murray State in January. Will be fourth school in four years with stops at Southern Nazarene (D2), Utah State and UIC.
G Layne Taylor (Central Arkansas)
Named to A-Sun All-Freshman Team after averaging team-high 17.4 points per game in his true freshman season at UCA. Scored season-high 29 points on January 4 vs. Bellarmine.
Redshirt freshman played 5 games with North Texas this past season. Started collegiate career at Creighton.
Led all of NCAA Division II with 119 threes made, getting named to the All-MIAA Second Team after averaging 15.5 points per game.
C Dylan Anderson (Boise State)
7-footer completed his redshirt sophomore campaign at Boise State, average 3.5 points per game and 10.2 minutes per game across 24 games played.
G Tristian Ford (Chicago, Ill.)
Signed with Racers over Arizona State, Texas A&M, App State, and others.
G Mathis Courbon (Lyon, France)
6-6 guard is Murray State’s first French-born player in program history. Played with the France national team in the U18 European Championship
G Roman Domon (Amiens, France)
6-10 combo guard/forward appeared in 29 games with BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque in France.
G Dillon Butler (Memphis, Tenn.)
G | F Lachlan Crate (New Zealand)
6-8 combo guard/forward helped his team from New Zealand finish fourth place at a FIBA U19 Tournament, where he scored 10 points with two steals in the final game.
Departures
G JaCobi Wood (Graduation)
G Kylen Milton (Graduation)
G Terence Harcum (Graduation)
G AJ Ferguson (Graduation)
F Nick Ellington (George Mason)
F Jordan McCullum (East Tennessee State)
F KyeRon Lindsay (UAB)
G|F Alden Applewhite (Georgia Southern)
F John McCrear (Lewis)
G Justin Morgan
G Patrick Chew (now a Graduate Assistant on Murray’s staff)
In Transfer Portal
F Chiang Ring
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
Outlook: Head Coach Scott Nagy received a major boost when freshman Drew Steffe announced his intention to return to the Salukis next season. Nagy will enter year two looking for more depth after losing top-scorers Ali Dibba and Kennard Davis.
Arrivals
GÂ Luke Walsh (St. Louis, Mo.)
Signed with Salukis over SEMO, UT Arlington, and Missouri State among others.
F Daniel Pauliukonis (Darien, Ill.)
G Caden Hawkins (John A. Logan)
6-1 guard from Carterville averaged 7.9 points per game across 24 starts for the Vols, shot 42 percent from three over two seasons.
G Jalen Haynes (Lewisville, Texas)
Committed to the Salukis over Drake.
G Quel’Ron House (Jacksonville State)
Louisville native started 22 games for the Gamecocks this season, averaging 8.4 points per game. Scored season-high 20 points against Middle Tennessee State in the Conference USA Tournament Semifinals.
Appeared in 32 games, starting 29 for Seton Hall last season. The 6-7 forward was fourth on the team with 7.8 points per game. He is the older brother of SIU sophomore forward Rolyns Aligbe.
G Isaiah Stafford (Valparaiso)
Missed the 2024-25 season due to injury. Spent 2 seasons at Valparaiso after graduating from John A. Logan in 2023. Ranked 7th in the Missouri Valley in scoring in the 2023-24 season at 16.9 points per game.
Departures
F Jarrett Hensley (Graduation)
UT MARTIN
Outlook: First-year head coach Jeremy Shulman had mixed results with a brand new roster full of international flavor. He’ll look to build off of that in year two with the addition of highly-touted guard Ty Price.
Arrivals
G Ty Price (Morgantown, Ky.)
Signed with Skyhawks over Mississippi State, SEMO, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
F James Bass (Dakar, Senegal)
F Ama Sow (Dakar, Senegal)
G Filip Petkovski (Kranj, Slovenia)
FÂ Matas Deniusas (Vilnius, Lithuania)
G Damien King (Anderson, IN)
6-5 guard committed to the Skyhawks over East Tennessee State, Southern Indiana, and Kent State among others.
G Dragos Lungu (San Diego)
6-6 Romanian PG plated in 28 games in his true freshman season at San Diego, averaging over 4 points per game in 2023-24. Had his season cut short due to injury after playing first seven games in 2024-25. Will be a redshirt sophomore for the Skyhawks.
F Luca Colceag (Northern Colorado)
Averaged 3 points per game in 12 appearances with Northern Colorado in 2024-25. Played under head coach Jeremy Shulman at Eastern Florida State College in 2023-24 and averaged 10.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
G|F Charlie King (Southeastern Illinois College)
F Vladimir Khryapa (Moscow, Russia – Golden State Prep)
G Will Hopkins (Colorado College)
G Enrique Maya (Granada, Spain)
Departures
David Kamwanga (Graduation)
F Vladimer Salaridze (Youngstown State)
SEMO
Outlook: Returning guard Rob Martin and transfer guard Teddy Washington both entered the portal, leaving head coach Brad Korn to potentially replace the bulk of his production from this season.
Arrivals
C Trace Sadler (Sikeston, Mo.)
F PJ Farmer (Sikeston, Mo.)
G Landren Blocker (Louisiana Tech)
GÂ Luke Almodovar (Saint Francis (Ind.))
Departures
G Rob Martin (High Point)
G Teddy Washington (Chattanooga)