Former UConn guard Saylor Poffenbarger transfers to Arkansas

Former UConn women’s basketball guard Saylor Poffenbarger committed to Arkansas after entering the transfer portal on Nov. 15. She visited the school last weekend, according to Arkansas Online.

Poffenbarger has not spoken publicly about her decision to transfer other than saying it was in her “best interest” to do so in the Huskies’ release. However, her mother Amy told the Frederick News Post that UConn just wasn’t the right fit.

“It’s been a conversation, and it’s not all basketball,” Amy Poffenbarger said, via the News Post. “The academic [side] wasn’t super-engaging, there wasn’t much to the campus life, and there wasn’t the ability to get out and meet a lot of people. Unfortunately that part of college life ... that part wasn’t happening for her.”

As a result, Poffenbarger will depart UConn, No. 63 in US News’ college rankings, and head to Arkansas, which comes in at No. 162 on the same list.

Originally a member of the Huskies’ 2021 recruiting class, Poffenbarger joined the team as an early enrollee in January after the NCAA granted all winter athletes a bonus year of eligibility because of the pandemic. Ironically, Poffenbarger’s first game and last games on the UConn sideline came against Arkansas.

Poffenbarger had not played this season due to a shin injury and missed most of the team’s summer workouts because of a back issue. In 12 career games, she scored six total points on 2-15 shooting with four rebounds.

Because Poffenbarger transferred midseason, she’ll have to sit out until the start of the 2022-23 campaign but will have four years of eligibility remaining. Out of high school, ESPN rated her as the No. 30 player in the class of 2021.