Freshman Avery Howell is 1 of 3 USC guards entering transfer portal. Drake’s Bennett Stirtz to Iowa

By Canadian Press on April 3, 2025.

Freshman Avery Howell is leaving Southern California and entering the transfer portal, along with two other Trojans guards.

Howell announced her decision on her Instagram account.

The 6-foot guard from Boise, Idaho, averaged 7.5 points and shot 43% from the field, including a team-high 40% from 3-point range, and 83% from the free-throw line.

Howell averaged nearly 21 minutes off the bench. She started USC’s last two games in the NCAA Tournament after star guard JuJu Watkins went down with an ACL tear in the second round. Howell, an alternate on Canada’s 2024 Olympic team, had been expected to play more next season while Watkins recovers.

“After much reflection, I have decided to enter the transfer portal in search of the best fit for the future,” she posted Wednesday. “This was not an easy decision, but I believe it is the right step for my journey. Thank you, USC, for everything — you will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Howell was joined in the portal by redshirt sophomore Aaliyah Gayles and redshirt junior Dominique Darius.

Gayles appeared in 15 games totaling 69 minutes, with 14 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and six steals. She signed a national letter of intent with USC from a hospital bed after being shot numerous times at a North Las Vegas house party in April 2022. She called USC “the best thing I ever committed to.”

Darius didn’t play this season after appearing in 19 games last year. She sat out the 2022-23 season after transferring from UCLA.

On the men’s side, new Iowa coach Ben McCollum announced that Missouri Valley Conference player of the year Bennett Stirtz and two other players from Drake are following him to Iowa City.

Stirtz, Kael Combs and Cam Manyawu helped lead McCollum’s Bulldogs to a 31-win season, Missouri Valley regular-season and tournament titles and a win over Missouri in the NCAA Tournament.

Stirtz played two seasons for McCollum at Division II Northwest Missouri State and then went with him to Drake for one season. He led the Valley in scoring, steals and assist-to-turnover ratio and ranked second in assists. He led the nation in minutes played.

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The Associated Press

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