Saylor Poffenbarger (born April 14, 2003) is an American college basketball player for the Maryland Terrapins of the Big Ten Conference. She previously played for the UConn Huskies and the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Saylor Poffenbarger
Maryland Terrapins
PositionShooting guard
LeagueBig Ten
Personal information
Born (2003-04-14) April 14, 2003 (age 21)
Frederick, Maryland, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Career information
High schoolMiddletown (Middletown, Maryland)
College
Career highlights and awards
  • SEC All-Freshman Team (2023)
  • Maryland Ms. Basketball (2020)
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship
Gold medal – first place 2019 Chile Team

High school career

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Poffenbarger attended Middletown High School in Middletown, Maryland. As a junior, she averaged 21.2 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game, being named Maryland Ms. Basketball at the end of the season.[1][2] She committed to play college basketball at the University of Connecticut.[3]

College career

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Poffenbarger enrolled early at UConn during the 2020–21 season.[4] After playing sparingly as a freshman, appearing in 12 games, she entered the transfer portal.[5][6]

In November 2021, Poffenbarger announced her commitment to the University of Arkansas to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks.[7][8] Despite being ineligible to play her first year on campus, Poffenbarger made an immediate impact.[9] The following season, she received the honor of SEC Freshman of the Week multiple times, leading Arkansas to their best start in league play since the 200506 season.[10] On November 30, 2023, Poffenbarger set a school record with 23 rebounds in a 7158 victory over Florida State.[11] She finished her redshirt sophomore season, averaging 10.2 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, before entering the transfer portal for a second time.[12][13]

On April 22, 2024, Poffenbarger announced her commitment to the University of Maryland, College Park to play for the Maryland Terrapins.[14][15]

National team career

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Poffenbarger played for the United States national under-16 team at the 2019 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Chile. She averaged 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, helping her team win the gold medal.[16]

Career statistics

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College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2020–21 UConn 12 0 2.7 .133 .091 1.000 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.5
2021–22 Arkansas Did not play
2022–23 Arkansas 37 37 32.2 .331 .229 .705 6.9 2.4 0.5 1.1 2.1 8.5
2023–24 Arkansas 30 30 31.6 .355 .329 .673 11.2 1.6 1.4 1.1 1.8 10.2
Career 79 67 27.5 .338 .274 .695 7.5 1.7 0.8 0.9 1.6 7.9
Statistics retrieved from Sports-Reference.[17]

Personal life

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Poffenbarger's mom played professional basketball, and her brother, Reese, plays for the Miami Hurricanes football team.[18] She attributes her inspiration to the deaths of her late younger brother Fordham and best friend Ella Bresee.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Middletown's Saylor Poffenbarger reflects on Miss Maryland Basketball award". DC News Now. 2020-05-21. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  2. ^ Cannon, John (2020-05-06). "Knights' Saylor Poffenbarger named Ms. Maryland Basketball by coaches association". The Frederick News-Post. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  3. ^ "Saylor Poffenbarger shares her story, leading up to her commitment to UConn". DC News Now. 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  4. ^ Bonjour, Doug. "What to know about Saylor Poffenbarger's arrival to UConn". Connecticut Post. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  5. ^ Doyle, Paul. "UConn's Saylor Poffenbarger enters transfer portal". CT Insider. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  6. ^ "UConn women's guard Poffenbarger to transfer". ESPN.com. 2021-11-15. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  7. ^ Baker, Tee (2021-11-30). "Poffenbarger will land in Arkansas". The Next. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  8. ^ "Former UConn women's basketball player Saylor Poffenbarger announces she's transferring to Arkansas". Yahoo Sports. 2021-11-26. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  9. ^ Long, Christina. "How UConn transfer Saylor Poffenbarger is making an impact on Arkansas women's basketball". Southwest Times Record. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  10. ^ "Arkansas guard Saylor Poffenbarger named SEC Freshman of the Week for the fifth time this season". KAIT8. 2023-01-19. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  11. ^ "Scott scores 24, Poffenbarger has 23 boards, Arkansas tops No. 15 Florida State women 71-58". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  12. ^ "Former Middletown star Saylor Poffenbarger enters transfer portal again, leaving Arkansas". The Frederick News-Post. 2024-03-18. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  13. ^ "Saylor Poffenbarger enters the transfer portal". KLRT - FOX16.com. 2024-03-18. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  14. ^ "Homecoming for Saylor Poffenbarger: Middletown grad transferring to Maryland to play for Terps". The Frederick News-Post. 2024-04-22. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  15. ^ "Arkansas transfer Saylor Poffenbarger commits to Maryland women's basketball". The Diamondback. 2024-04-22. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  16. ^ "Saylor Poffenbarger". USA Basketball. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  17. ^ "Saylor Poffenbarger College Stats". Sports-Reference. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  18. ^ Kensing, Kyle (2023-03-10). "Reese and Saylor Poffenbarger Turn Sibling Rivalry Into Support". FloFootball. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  19. ^ Johnson, Jordan (2023-02-02). "Star freshman transfer playing, living for more than herself". The Arkansas Traveler. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
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