There’s not a day where I don’t think about college basketball. And though it’s deep in the offseason, these past few weeks have given me plenty to mull over: USC and Kansas State landed massive recruits, Kamille Pierre found a new home and more.
Here’s what’s on my mind this week.
Khamil Pierre lands at NC State. What does that mean for the Wolfpack?
When the 2024-25 season ended, there were rumors that Vanderbilt forward Khamil Pierre, a 6-foot-2 forward, would be entering the portal. In the current landscape of college basketball, it made sense for a player of Pierre’s caliber to jump to a more successful program. She averaged 20.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game for the Commodores (22-11), who lost to Oregon in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 7 seed.
But the transfer window came and went, and Pierre stayed put, even releasing a statement in which she renewed her commitment to Vandy. Earlier this month, though, that changed when Vanderbilt released a statement saying Pierre no longer was with the program. It was a shocking move – but a welcome one for teams in need. NC State ended up being the winning program.
Whether she will be eligible right away is to be determined – because the transfer window passed, Pierre will need a waiver from the NCAA – but Pierre’s move certainly will affect NC State and Vanderbilt.
NC State lost a lot of scoring between Aziaha James (17.0 points per game) and Saniya Rivers (11.9 points per game), who are having successful rookie campaigns in the WNBA. The Wolfpack do return two of their top five scorers in guards Zoe Brooks and Zamareya Jones, but Pierre fills a gap and offers a different kind of scorer for a team that has relied on its guards for the past few seasons. Having her play alongside Brooks and Jones adds another layer to the Wolfpack offense; she’s also a skilled defender, leading Vanderbilt with 2.9 steals per game last season.
With Pierre on the roster, NC State could go from a team flirting with a top-25 ranking to a team firmly in the top 15.
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How about Vanderbilt?
Vandy was busy this offseason, and while losing Pierre hurts, the Commodores still have strong talent. Their offense once again will revolve around sensational 5-foot-8 sophomore-to-be Mikayla Blakes, who averaged 23.2 points per game last season, with two 50-point outings. Coach Shea Ralph spent the offseason recruiting transfers to play around her star guard, landing 6-foot-2 graduate forward Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda from Texas and 6-foot-6 junior center Aliyah Del Rosario from conference rival LSU.
Mwenentanda is a proven do-it-all player who thrives at getting to the rim on offense and using her length and athleticism to be a disruptive defender. She had three solid seasons at Texas, but her role never expanded past 17 minutes per game. Vanderbilt will allow Mwenentanda to expand on her immense potential.
Del Rosario is more of a question mark. She arrived at LSU as a five-star low-post prospect who was praised for her footwork, rebounding and ability to run the floor. None of that came through at LSU, where she averaged just 9.1 minutes per game in two seasons.
If Ralph can unlock the potential that scouts saw in Del Rosario during her high school years, Vanderbilt could be a complete team with scorers at all five positions.
Will Nastja Claessens be an impact player for Kansas State?
Kansas State is another team that made a late roster addition, signing 6-foot-1 Belgian forward Nastja Claessens last week. Claessens, 20, is a big signing because she has national-team experience, playing for the Belgian Senior National Team during the EuroBasket Qualifiers in June, averaging 5.2 points and 1.8 rebounds; she also was on roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. In addition, Claessens was drafted 30th overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics but declined the opportunity.
The Wildcats needed some good news after a challenging offseason that saw them lose all five starters and four reserves to graduation or the transfer portal. Claessens has the experience and talent to give the Wildcats an instant boost. At the FIBA youth levels – before being called up to the senior team – Claessens was a consistent double-digit scorer.
As Kansas State decides on its rotation early in the season, she’s a player the team can rely upon to score. I expect her, along with five-star freshman guard Jordan Speiser and returning sharpshooter Taryn Sides, to take on a big scoring load for the Wildcats.
Is USC the new landing spot for No. 1 recruits?
Saniyah Hall, a 6-foot-2 wing from Montverde Academy and a 2026 prospect, announced her commitment to USC on Friday, making her the third No. 1 recruit in the past four years to choose the Trojans, joining JuJu Watkins (2023) and Jazzy Davidson (2025).
In the past 10 recruiting classes (2017-26), five No. 1 recruits have signed with UConn (the latest being Sarah Strong in 2024) and two with Stanford (Haley Jones in 2019 and Lauren Betts, who later transferred to UCLA, in 2022). Landing the top recruit in three of the past four classes bodes well for the future of the Trojans’ program with coach Lindsay Gottlieb at the helm.
Wooing Watkins away from schools like South Carolina and Stanford was a major first step, but landing the past two No. 1s prove Gottlieb has staying power as a recruiter. The Trojans also have extended an offer to Kaleena Smith, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2027, who attends high school in a Los Angeles suburb.
When it comes to recruiting, USC clearly will compete with top programs for years to come.
Can Iowa State have a redemption season?
Last season was disappointing for Iowa State. The Cyclones returned 6-foot-3 center Audi Crooks, 6-foot-2 forward Addy Brown and 5-foot-11 guard Emily Ryan. That trio played significant roles in a successful 2023-24 campaign that ended in a near-upset of No. 2 Stanford in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In that game (an 87-81 OT loss), Ryan had 36 points, Brown 18 points and Crooks 10 points and 8 rebounds.
That led to lofty expectations for the 2024-25 season, which weren’t met. Iowa State started the season in the top 25, but fell out of the rankings, finishing 23-12 after a first-round tournament loss to Michigan as a No. 11 seed.
It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly went wrong for Iowa State last season, as the talent was there. Coach Bill Fennelly was honest early in the season after his team dropped games to Northern Iowa, South Carolina, Iowa and UConn, stating that the schedule was too hard, too soon. Things never really improved, and by the end of the season, Iowa State had just one top-25 win.
Iowa State lost Ryan, a five-year starter who graduated. But the Cyclones may have found their needed spark plug in 5-foot-8 Arizona transfer point guard Jada Williams. Williams was one of the top guards in the 2023 recruiting class. She averaged 12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists last season for a struggling Wildcats team.
Williams is a skilled ballhandler who pushes pace. She’s also an elite interior passer, which works well when playing alongside Crooks. Iowa State will have a sense of urgency this season; that could lead to the type of record they were hoping for last season.
