Men's Basketball 2025-26 Roster Reload: Arkansas State

Arkansas State’s 2024-25 basketball season fell just short of an NCAA tournament berth. Despite boasting a 25-11 overall record and a 13-5 record in the Sun Belt, the Red Wolves fell short in the conference final against Troy. The work done by head coach Bryan Hodgson did not go unnoticed. The University of South Florida came calling. Hodgson traded out his ASU red for USF green, leaving the Red Wolves without a coach.

Enter Ryan Pannone. Like Hodgson, he served on Nate Oates’ staff at Alabama. He was hired in 2023 in the wake of Hodgson’s departure from the Crimson Tide. This is the second time Pannone will be hired to replace him.

Departures

Coach Pannone will not be the only new face fans will need to get used to. In fact, not a single player from the 2024-25 team will suit up for the Red Wolves this year. Two of last year’s top contributors, guard Joseph Pinion and forward Izaiyah Nelson followed their former head coach to USF. Pinion was the team’s second-highest scorer, logging 12 points per game. The 6’10” Nelson led the team in both rebounds and blocks.

Other top performers from last season who transferred out include guards Terrance Ford Jr. and Derrian Ford. Ford Jr. was the team’s top facilitator, averaging 4.85 assists across 35 games. Derrian Ford was one of the team’s top producers while being moved between the bench and starting lineup.

It has never been common for teams to lose every player on their roster. However, it is becoming more normal in the NIL-era of college basketball. West Virginia lost head coach Darian DeVries to Indiana. Most of their team graduated or entered the portal. The Mountaineers are returning one single player. DeVries overhauled Indiana, and only two players are remaining from last year’s team. Guard James Goodis is one of the players who left Indiana. He will continue his career at Baylor, who is only returning one player from 2024-25.

While most teams do return at least one player, Arkansas State is not alone. Cleveland State, who lost their head coach as a result of the domino-effect caused by Indiana’s hiring of DeVries, is also not returning one player from last year’s team. Just like the Red Wolves, the Vikings lost in the final game of their conference championship.

It is becoming more and more difficult for teams outside of the Power-4 to have continuity in their roster. Whenever they have a successful season, players or coaches catch the attention of higher-level teams. These teams also often have to reshape their rosters. Indiana, West Virginia and Baylor show just that. According to a CBS Sports article, only seven high-major teams will return over half of their minutes-played from last year. This is the new reality of college sports.

Arrivals

Of course, the vacancies left by last season’s squad mean Arkansas State was a major participant in the offseason roster juggle. They added ten transfer players and five freshman to the roster. Two highlight transfers are leaving major programs. Guard T.J. Caldwell is arriving from Ole Miss, and guard Chandler Jackson is coming from Florida State.

Caldwell was a four-star recruit in high school, and snuck into the ESPN Top-100 at No. 97. He decided to redshirt his junior season, and entered the transfer portal. During his sophomore year, he shot 35% from beyond the arc. That mark would have been Arkansas State’s third-best last year.

Jackson was a three-star recruit in high school. After making one start in each of his first two years at FSU, he received a significant bump in playing time in his junior season. He appeared in 29 games, starting 27. He played a complementary role but could be a key contributor for Arkansas State in his first season in Jonesboro. Jackson is the only player on the Red Wolves to be named to a preseason All-Sun Belt team, landing on the second team.

𝗔𝗟𝗟-𝗦𝗨𝗡 𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗧 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠.

The 2025 Preseason #SunBeltMBB Second Team comprises standouts from @AppStateMBB, @TXStateMBB, @GSU_MBasketball, @AStateMB and @CoastalMBB. ☀️🏀

📰 » https://t.co/ilbzUjo3je pic.twitter.com/ZbGOKyqrZG

— Sun Belt (@SunBelt) October 20, 2025

Jalen Hampton could also be an important piece for the Red Wolves. The Southern Missouri transfer started 19 games for the Bears last season, and was incredibly efficient from the field. His 58.1 shooting percentage would have ranked second on Arkansas State last season, trailing only Nelson.

Matt Hayman also appears poised to play a significant role. Last season, he led Stephen F. Austin with 14 points-per-game. He was one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in the Western Athletic Conference, shooting 36.9 percent. He also led the team in assists, and finished with the third-most rebounds. He is a versatile guard who has had success against Sun Belt competition before. Just last season, he posted a 27 point outburst in a 68-60 win over ULM.

Despite not returning a single player, Arkansas State was selected to finish second in Sun Belt in the preseason coaches poll, trailing only James Madison. The Red Wolves received three first place votes. Clearly, the expectation among coaches is that Pannone and his team will be able to compete immediately.