The junior averaged 18.7 points and 8.8 rebounds in her final season at Southern Illinois.
After a dormant start for Mizzou women’s basketball, the Tigers have pounced in a major way. Laniah Randle, a junior from Southern Illinois, is heading to Columbia. This marks the second commitment for Pingeton and her staff in two days.
#committed @MizzouWBB pic.twitter.com/zXhQ0nDmX1
— Laniah Randle (@Laniah_r) April 17, 2024
Let’s Meet Laniah
- From: Wichita, Kansas
- Former School: Southern Illinois-Carbondale (3 years)
- Position: Forward
- Ht: 5-11
Randle is the big splash that Mizzou fans have been looking for. In her junior season for the Salukis the forward averaged 18.7 points and 8.8 rebounds. She was named the MVC Most Improved Player of the Year as well as First Team All-MVC. Her averages jumped 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds from her sophomore season.
Laniah Randle: All-MVC First Team the MVC’s Most Improved Player @Laniah_r averaged career-high’s in scoring (18.7) and rebounding (8.8), is fifth in total steals (62), and has recorded 10 double-doubles this season! #Salukis | @ValleyHoops pic.twitter.com/YW5ws5QG4E
— Saluki Women’s Hoops (@SIU_WBasketball) March 14, 2024
During a road game against Indiana State in January Randle pulled in a career-high 15 rebounds, 10 on the offensive glass, to go alongside 22 points. She one-upped herself the next matchup against the Sycamores in February with a career-high 36 points and 11 rebounds.
And here she is going off against Bradley.
Another outing by Laniah Randle (@Laniah_r)
In Saturday’s win over Bradley, Laniah scored 32 PTS, her 30-point game of the season, the most in @ValleyHoops
The junior also had 14 rebounds in tallying her league-leading double-double… pic.twitter.com/pw8CUl2UJl
— Saluki Women’s Hoops (@SIU_WBasketball) March 4, 2024
Against Power 6 competition, Randle also handled herself quite well, scoring 25 points on 10-12 shooting with 9 rebounds and 2 steals against Oklahoma State in mid-December. She also had 30 points and 11 rebounds against West Virginia.
What a week it was for @Laniah_r in Puerto Rico
– Career-High 30 PTS vs. West Virginia
– 22+ PTS in all three games
– MVC Player of the Week pic.twitter.com/qIxCMC8uml— Saluki Women’s Hoops (@SIU_WBasketball) November 28, 2023
Randle comes from a family filled with athletic accolades. Her father, John Randle Sr., played two seasons of football at kU. This included an honorable mention Big-12 honors appearance as a freshman. He transferred to Southern Illinois-Carbondale (wise choice), earning All-MVFC Second Team with 1,074 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final season.
His brother and Laniah’s uncle Joseph Randle played in the NFL for three years with the Dallas Cowboys as a running back.
Laniah’s younger brother, John Randle II, is a redshirt freshman running back at the University of Utah.
What they’re saying:
Hey! She’s serious and she’s ready for one more round of college basketball. This time our Wichita Heights, Laniah Randle is headed to the University of Missouri for her last go round. What a great season Laniah has had at SIU. Congrats Kid! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ULA61hhOF6
— k.PALMER (@coach_palmer1) April 18, 2024
Laniah Randle (5’11 SF/SIU) has entered the transfer portal:
2023-24 stats ➡️ 18.3 PTS | 8.6 RBS | 2.2 STL
⭐️36 PTS | 11 RBS | 3 STL vs Indiana State
⭐️30 PTS | 11 RBS | 5 STL vs West Virginia
⭐️25 PTS | 11 RBS | 2 STL vs Oklahoma State
⭐️25 PTS | 9 RBS | 2 STL vs Bradley
⭐️23… pic.twitter.com/al3mLa05FR— I talk hoops (@trendyhoopstars) March 19, 2024
Randle instantly impacts Mizzou as a force on the offensive glass. Last season she averaged 3.7 offensive rebounds per game; a mark that doubled anyone else on last year’s Tiger roster.
She joins fellow transfer Nyah Wilson alongside De’Myla Brown, who was sidelined last season after being denied a medical hardship waiver, as the three seniors on the squad. A team that just last week appeared to lack senior leadership now seems to have found a new identity.
With Randle joining the roster Pingeton is down to three spots left for the next season, but it appears that the dominos are falling into piece for Mizzou women’s basketball. We can only hope more commitments are on the way as the rebuilding process continues.