WSU's Myles Rice among three Cougars to enter transfer portal

Mar. 28—PULLMAN — Washington State's basketball program might not have a new head coach, but a new look is already evident.

Guard Myles Rice and forwards Kymany Houinsou and walk-on AJ LeBeau entered the transfer portal on Thursday, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed, depriving the team of two key pieces in Rice and Houinsou.

On3 Sports was the first to report Rice's departure. Rivals was the first to report Housinsou's. LeBeau announced the news himself.

Rice, the redshirt freshman who earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and first-team all-conference honors last season, averaged 14.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists, helping the Cougars break their 16-year NCAA Tournament drought. Of those three portal entrants, Rice is the costliest loss for WSU, which will bid farewell to its best shot-creator and playmaker.

Rice was born in Columbia, South Carolina, but he spent many of his formative years in the Atlanta area, where he played high school ball at Sandy Creek High. Washington State was his only Power Five offer, and it came from former WSU assistant John Andrzejek, a potential candidate for the Cougs' head coach opening.

Former WSU head coach Kyle Smith departed for the same position at Stanford on Monday. The Cougars are also without an athletic director following Pat Chun's exit for the job at rival Washington on Wednesday. The same day, WSU promoted senior deputy AD Anne McCoy to interim AD.

Houinsou, a sophomore wing, averaged 4.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 20.1 minutes last season. He excelled as a defender, often guarding the opponent's best ball-handler, and he rebounded well for his 6-foot-7 frame.

LeBeau, a 6-10 Boise native, walked on to the program in June .

All told, four Cougars are in the portal: Rice, Houinsou, LeBeau and guard Dylan Darling, who announced his departure earlier this week. Darling, who started four of 25 games in 2022-23, suffered an injury before the season and is looking to secure a medical redshirt.

All four retain the option to return to WSU.