Indiana State loses four starters to transfer portal

Ryan Conwell, Isaiah Swope, Jayson Kent and Julian Larry, four of the five starters from Indiana State's team that made a run to the NIT championship game, all entered the transfer portal on Tuesday.

Their moves come in the wake of coach Josh Schertz leaving the Sycamores for Saint Louis on Saturday. The lone starter left is star big man Robbie Avila, but WTHI in Terre Haute, Ind., reported that Avila is expected to enter the portal in the "coming days."

Kent posted a message to social media thanking Indiana State and saying he is on track to graduate in May before entering the portal as a grad transfer.

"Thank you Terre Haute for everything you have done for me," Kent wrote in part. "You will forever be a second home. I love and appreciate the fans and the community so much."

Avila was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team, Kent and Conwell were named to the second team and Larry was a third-team selection.

A 6-foot-10, 240-pound center, Avila starred for the Sycamores (32-7) in averaging 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game over 37 starts.

Conwell was the No. 2 offensive threat, shooting 40.7 percent from 3-point range in 2023-24 while averaging 16.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 38 games.

Swope averaged 15.9 ppg, while Kent was the team's leading rebounder (8.1 per game) and fourth-leading scorer (13.5 ppg). Larry filled the point guard role and put up 11.0 points, 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals per contest.

The Sycamores missed the NCAA Tournament after losing to Drake in the Missouri Valley championship game, but they received a No. 1 seed in the NIT. They won four games before falling 79-77 to Seton Hall in the title game.