Done Deal: Former Washington State Star Agree Deal With Indiana Hoosiers
Former Washington State point guard Myles Rice is one of the top transfer portal prospects, and Mike Woodson wants him to be a Hoosier next season.
Indiana returns Gabe Cupps and Trey Galloway as lead guard options for next season, but Cupps needs more time to develop, and Galloway is better as a secondary ball-handler. Rice would give Indiana the dynamic playmaker who takes an offense to the next level.
Originally from Columbia, South Carolina, Rice played for the legendary grassroots team Atlanta Celtics and transferred to Sandy Creek High School in Georgia for his senior year. There, he played with the No. 3 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Jabari Smith Jr. His coach at Sandy Creek was former IUPUI assistant coach Jon-Michael Nickerson.
Rice sat out his first two seasons at Washington State. First, he took a regular redshirt season, then was diagnosed with cancer before his second year in Pullman. Prior to the diagnosis, Rice was a breakout player candidate, but he bounced back to be that player this season.
Rice earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and All-Pace-12 First Team honors. He also made the Kyle Macy National Freshman All-America team after averaging 14.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2.6 turnovers per game.
His production helped Washington State make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 16 years. The Cougars beat Drake in a close game before falling to Iowa State in the second round.
Hoosier Hysterics! VIDEO Podcast: Portal Pandemonium starring Jeff Rabjohns
College football teams with a high number of returning starters from the previous season are often set up for success heading into the next campaign. While experience does not always translate to positive results, it can certainly help in pressure-packed situations. In the era of the transfer portal, roster reconstruction is seemingly more extensive than ever with movement all across the board. For now, rosters for the upcoming 2024 season are set with most of the programs across the nation currently holding spring practices.
But soon another wave of changes will take place when the spring transfer portal opens April 15. So, which power conference college football teams currently have the highest number of returning starters from 2023?
The number of returning starters for each team are determined using Pro Football Focus data. A player must have at least six starts from the 2023 season — conference title games, bowls and playoffs included. Offense, defense and special teams (kicker and punter) are factored into the total number of returning starters.
Below is a complete look at which power conference college football teams return the most starters for the 2024 season:
Virginia Tech has an opportunity to take another big step forward in Year 3 under coach Brent Pry. The Hokies could be a preseason top-25 team in 2024. A key reason behind that optimism in Blacksburg is the number of returning starters back from last season, which saw Virginia Tech post its first winning record in four years. Defensive line is really the only question mark for the Hokies as they look to upgrade the interior of their front. Basically the entire starting offense returns for Virginia Tech with breakout quarterback Kyron Drones leading that unit.
Oklahoma State has not always capitalized on rosters with a large number of returning starters from the previous season. Sometimes the hype is too high for the Cowboys. But after making a late charge to an appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game in 2023, the experienced Pokes are built to make another run at their first conference title since 2011. Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon headlines the long list of returning starters for Oklahoma State after a breakout campaign. The nation’s leading rusher is back in the saddle hoping to make the most of a veteran roster in 2024.
Iowa is another conference title game participant from 2023 that ranks near the top of the list for most returning starters. The Hawkeyes bring back much of their defensive starters from last season, including five of the top six individual tacklers. Unanimous All-American cornerback and key special teams returner Cooper DeJean is the only member of the Iowa starting secondary not returning in 2024. A lot of attention is expected on the offense and what changes are made under new coordinator Tim Lester. Former Michigan transfer quarterback Cade McNamara, who suffered a season-ending injury after just five starts, did not factor into the returning starters number for Iowa.
