Saylor Poffenbarger, shockingly announced her resignation due to controversial……
Ark. — Less than 6 hours after Arkansas’ top scorer left the program, the team’s top rebounder has followed suit. Saylor Poffenbarger announced on X (formerly Twitter) that she has entered the transfer portal.
The Middletown, Maryland native spent her first year at UConn, appearing in just six games before transferring to the Razorbacks in January 2022 and sitting out the remainder of the 2022 season.
In her two years in a Hog uniform, Poffenbarger averaged 9.3 points and started all 67 games that she appeared in. In the 2022-23 season as a redshirt freshman, Poffenbarger made the All-SEC Freshman team.
In 2023, Poffenbarger made strides statistically. She broke the program record for most rebounds in a single season (337) as well as the single-game record of 23 rebounds against Florida State Nov. 23. Poffenbarger averaged a double-double with 10.2 points and 11.2 rebounds in 30 games, ranking eighth nationally in rebounds per game.
Arkansas will now be without both Taliah Scott and Poffenbarger for the first round of the WBIT against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane inside the Donald W. Reynolds Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday and will be streamed on ESPN+.
For the second time in her collegiate basketball career, Middletown High School grad Saylor Poffenbarger has entered the transfer portal.
Poffenbarger, a redshirt sophomore who has played the past two seasons for Arkansas after transferring from UConn, announced the move via X — formerly Twitter — on Monday.
“I will forever be grateful for my time at Arkansas! I could not be more blessed with the support I was given! To anyone I crossed paths with while I was at Arkansas, Thank you,” she posted.
Poffenbarger wasn’t available for comment on Monday.
After making the All-SEC Freshman team last season, Poffenbarger became even more of an impact player this season for the Razorbacks. She broke a program record for defensive rebounds in a single season with 283 and rebounds in a game with 23, set Nov. 30 against Florida state.
Poffenbarger averaged 10.2 points and 11.2 rebounds a game, and the latter stat currently ranks eighth in the nation.
Poffenbarger did not play in Arkansas’ 67-48 loss to Auburn in the SEC Tournament on March 7. Numerous media outlets reported she was out with a concussion after hitting the court hard in the regular-season finale against Ole Miss.
Poffenbarger’s decision to enter the portal means she won’t play with Arkansas in the inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament, which was created by the NCAA and replaces the WNIT as women’s basketball’s second-tier national postseason tournament. The Razorbacks play at No. 3 Tulsa on Thursday.
Poffenbarger’s move came on the same day Taliah Scott, who is Arkansas’ top scorer, also entered the transfer portal.
Meanwhile, Frederick High graduate Makayla Daniels looks to wrap up her stellar five-year career at Arkansas with a strong showing at the WBIT.
Daniels is the highest scoring point guard in team history with 1,845 points. She holds the program career records for most starts, games played and minutes. This season, she has a team-high 53 steals and averages 11.9 points and 2.6 assists a game.
At the beginning of April, Maryland’s women’s basketball roster was nearly bare. After Hawa Doumbouya entered the transfer portal, the Terps had six available scholarships.
Coach Brenda Frese has filled that void quickly.
Arkansas transfer Saylor Poffenbarger committed to Maryland on Monday, she announced on Instagram. Poffenbarger is the Terps’ fourth transfer portal addition this offseason.
A versatile wing, Poffenbarger averaged 10.2 points and 11.2 rebounds per game last season. She was a former top-30 recruit and made the All-SEC freshman team in 2022-23.
Poffenbarger went to Middletown High School and was the 2020 Ms. Maryland Basketball. She started her career at UConn, enrolling in January 2021. After playing limited minutes, she transferred to Fayetteville.
The 6-foot-2 guard thrived at her new home. Poffenbarger broke the Arkansas single-season defensive rebound record and was the first Razorback to grab 200-plus defensive boards.
Rebounding is her calling card. Poffenbarger collected 29.6 percent of defensive rebounding opportunities as a redshirt sophomore, per HerHoop Stats. She was the top defensive rebounder in the Southeastern Conference and grabbed the second most defensive boards per game in the NCAA this season.
Maryland has struggled with rebounding the past few seasons. Poffenbarger should help.
Alongside recent transfer Mayé Touré, the Terps’ frontcourt has been restocked with versatile, long defenders. Poffenbarger averaged over a block and steal per game last season.
She will also provide the Terps with some spacing. Poffenbarger made 1.8 threes per game on 32.9 percent three-point shooting.
![“Eric Musselman, head coach of the [ Arkansas Rozabacks], under fire for controversial coaching tactics!”](https://sportsprintz.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ARKANSAS_MENS_BASKETBALL_32pr_t800.jpg)
