411OnTheForty: Women’s basketball lands transfer guard from Mississippi State

AUSTIN, Texas — After two Texas women's basketball players entered their names in the NCAA transfer portal last week, head coach Vic Schaefer announced Tuesday that UT has signed a transfer of its own: former Mississippi State guard Aliyah Matharu.

Matharu spent two seasons at Mississippi State, where she was recruited by Schaefer when he was the head coach of the Bulldogs. The 5-foot-7 guard averaged 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists this year. Last year, she twice was twice named the Southeastern Conference's Freshman of the Week.

“We’re very excited about having Aliyah join our Longhorn family. She’s obviously someone I’ve recruited before and got to coach during her freshman season, and I’m excited by the opportunity to coach her again,” Schaefer said in a statement released by the Texas athletic department. “Aliyah started to play really well for us at the end of her freshman year. She had a big game (18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) against Arkansas and then scored 17 points in the SEC Championship game. She’s someone that can score at all three levels and is able to create her own shot when she needs to."

The Washington D.C., native is a sharpshooter from three-point range, having made 26 of 76 shots (.342) from behind the arc this season. Primarily a point guard, Matharu should compete for time at point guard after Kyra Lambert concluded her collegiate career in the Longhorns' Elite Eight loss to South Carolina.

Matharu, a former five-star recruit by espnW, joins an incoming class that features three freshmen and three transfers.

Kobe King-Hawea, a versatile 5-11 guard/forward from Point Cook, Australia, who is the No. 1 JUCO transfer according to  Dan Olsen's Collegiate Girls Basketball Report, is transferring to Texas from Casper (Wyo.) College, and 6-5 sophomore Femme Sikuzani will arrive from South Georgia Technical College. The incoming freshmen are point guard Rori Harmon of Houston, shooting guard Kyndall Hunter of Houston and forward Aaliyah Moore  of Moore, Okla.