Kentucky PG Saniah Tyler marks first transfer portal commit of Kellie Harper era

Tyler returns to Missouri roots for final year of eligibility

The first commit of the Kellie Harper era comes straight from the SEC, bringing in junior point guard Saniah Tyler from Kentucky, according to Talia Goodman. The St. Louis native played three years for the Wildcats, playing in 67 games while starting 13. Her most impactful year was as a sophomore, when she averaged 10.6 points on a struggling Kentucky team.

But with the arrival of Georgia Amoore, Tyler saw her role on the team take a steep decline. As a junior her PPG dropped to 2.3, but saw firsthand what a winning culture can provide behind new coach Kenny Brooks.

Tyler is familiar with success, playing at powerhouse Incarnate Word Academy during high school. She finished her high school career with two state titles and was voted the St. Louis Post Dispatch All-Metro Player of the Year as a senior.

Tyler got the chance to play against Harper’s Tennessee teams, averaging 13.5 points across the two meetings as a sophomore. This included a 17-point performance during the SEC Tournament when the Lady Vols ended Tyler’s season.

This game was impressive, but was not her career high. Tyler reached a career-high of 22 points twice that season; first in December against Lipscomb then in February against Mississippi State.

She enters as a high-level three-point shooter, averaging 34.8% from beyond the arc in her last two seasons. In addition to tying her career-high in points against Mississippi State, she DID set a new career-high of 6 threes in one game.

The one knock on Tyler is her direct passing ability, averaging under one assist per game during her college career. But if anyone can bump those numbers up, it’s former PG coach Harper herself.

She should immediately compete for the starting PG spot alongside Averi Kroenke. More importantly, Harper is on the board in the portal.