The 2026 college basketball transfer portal opened on Tuesday, and both Mississippi State squads are already undergoing significant changes. There was some early movement for both teams, with several players announcing their intention to enter the transfer portal following the end of the regular season, but player movement is now official for the next two weeks.

Players have until April 21 to enter their name into the portal, but player visits, recruiting and commitments can still go beyond that date.

Women’s basketball

Four names hit the portal for Sam Purcell’s squad, with the notable but predictable departure of freshman guard Jaylah Lampley. She started six games and made 30 appearances for the Bulldogs, averaging 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.   

Lampley’s time in Starkville seemed to be coming to an end after playing only five minutes in each of MSU’s final two regular-season games, both must-win contests against Texas A&M and LSU. She did not feature in the team’s SEC Tournament loss to Florida.

Lampley’s sister Lola is an LSU signee.

Also leaving the Bulldogs will be guard Awa Fane and redshirt sophomore Rocio Jimenez, both of whom had limited playing time off the bench last season, and freshman Nataliyah Gray.

Gray was part of MSU’s highest-rated recruiting class alongside Jaylah Lampley, but struggled to find a place in the regular rotation like her classmates did.

The biggest portal news for MSU is potentially the announcement made last week that the third member of that class, Madison Francis, will return for her sophomore campaign after becoming a leader on the floor for the Bulldogs. She started 27 of 31 games as a freshman, leading the team with 13.2 points per game, 48 steals and a remarkable 88 blocks to earn SEC All-Defense and All-Freshman team selections. She is also a finalist for the Peggy Gillom-Granderson Trophy, given annually to the top women’s college basketball player in Mississippi.

Favour Nwaedozi, Francis’ frontcourt partner, was the first player to announce her return to the team. Retention was a priority for Purcell and his staff, and Francis’ presence gives the team a blue-chip player to build around going into the portal.

Men’s basketball

The most notable name leaving the men’s team so far is freshman Jamarion Davis-Fleming. The 6-10 forward quickly became an important player at a thin position for the Bulldogs, and he wound up playing in all 32 games, starting six, with an average of 20 minutes on the floor per game. He averaged just 3.7 points per game but was a reliable rebounder, at 4.8 per game, and developed into a good defensive presence in a year where the team was desperate for players to step up.

Per multiple reports, Davis-Fleming is open to returning to MSU.

Backup guard Dellquan Warren and forward Brandon Walker also entered the transfer portal, as did forward Sergej Macura. The Slovenian sophomore had a similar impact as Davis-Fleming in the frontcourt, showing some promise to develop into a stronger player down the line.

The biggest question for Jans in constructing his next team will be whether Josh Hubbard is staying or going. The nation’s 10th-highest scorer, with more than 22 points per game, would no doubt have suitors if he chose to enter the portal, and the NBA Draft process is also an option with an avenue to return should he choose so, like last year.

In terms of retention, the Bulldogs announced on Wednesday that freshman King Grace will return to MSU next season. The guard played in 24 games and averaged 5.1 points in 12.2 minutes per game.