Heartbreaking news: Tigers Lose Another Freshman Guard to the NCAA Transfer Portal

LSU WBB: Tigers Lost Another Freshman Guard to the NCAA Transfer Portal
Janae Kent is the latest Tiger to leave Baton Rouge. LSU is still looking for a point guard this offseason.

Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers’ third transfer portal exit this summer is true freshman guard Janae Kent, who is looking for a new home, according to LSU Country sources.

Kent’s decision to use the NCAA Transfer Portal was first reported by On3.

The 6-foot-1 guard from Oak Forest, Illinois, was a former four-star prospect in the 2023 cycle and was a crucial member of LSU’s No. 1 recruiting class, which included Angelica Velez, Aalyah Del Rosario, and Mikaylah Williams.
Both guards have entered the portal, and Velez and Kent are about to leave Baton Rouge.

Kent averaged 1.6 points per game as a freshman, and she played little under Kim Mulkey.

It’s no secret that LSU’s roster was loaded with talent during the 2023-24 season after the Tigers brought in America’s top recruiting class, led by SEC Freshman of the Year Mikaylah Williams and transfers Aneesah Morrow and Hailey Van Lith.

Now, Kent returns to the recruiting scene with a chance to find a new home to seek immediate playing time.

LSU will be in the market for a point guard this offseason with the trio of Van Lith, Velez and Kent announcing their intentions to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Van Lith, who will exercise her COVID year to play a fifth season of college basketball, will be looking for a place to play her style of basketball. She believes she is a “pro-type” player and has intentions of boosting her draft stock during the 2024-25 season.

“You have to kind of look at what type of player you are,” Van Lith said. “There’s some people that have to capitalize in college because they’re not a pro-type player. Their likability is going to stay in college. And I think for me, that’s not the case. I’m a pro-type player. The deals will follow, like Angel said. The one downfall is visibility. And the amount of times we play on ESPN and ABC and all these major television channels, that becomes a lot less when you go to the WNBA where it’s at right now. You’re not going to be in the media as much, but from a brand aspect, as long as you do what you need to do and keep up that part of your life, then brands, they’re going to follow you when you go to the league.”

Now, moving forward, LSU will be pushing to add a point guard via the free agency market with a pair of transfers set to visit campus this month.