UH added Reggie Chaney to go with Quentin Grimes, DeJon Jarreau, Caleb Mills and Marcus Sasser. Highly-touted freshmen, Tramon Mark, Jamal Shead and Kiyron Powell, add depth to a team that’s finished in the Top 25 the past three seasons.

An influx of transfers, led by Miya Crump, gives Houston reason for optimism. That, along with the scoring from Dymond Gladney and Tatyana Hill, and the overall play of Julia Blackshell-Fair, could help improve last season’s 12-19 campaign. 

If HBU is to improve on last season’s 4-25 record, it must improve defensively. A year ago, the Huskies ranked last in Division I in points allowed. Hunter Janacek missed all of last season with an injury and Pedro Castro, should make an immediate impact.

N’Denasija Collins and Abbey Sutherland will be asked to have more of a scoring mentality this season. Senior guard Megan Valdez-Crader returns, but Donna Finnie plans to lessen her minutes so that she will be fresh for conference.

Prairie View A&M has to replace its five leading scorers from a team that captured its second straight SWAC regular-season championship, including Devote Patterson, the conference player of the year. Byron Smith brought in eight newcomers with size. 

Sandy Pugh may have found the true point guard she covets in Tabreea Gandy, one of eight newcomers who will try to improve on last year’s fifth-place finish. Tamiracle Taylor is a combo guard who put up big scoring numbers at FIU.

TSU had four players sit out 2019-20 who are expected to make contributions, highlighted by Oklahoma State transfer Michael Weathers and Georgetown transfer Galen Alexander. Yahuza Rasas is back after making the SWAC Second Team.

An overtime win at Wake Forest highlighted the non-conference schedule last season and a late-season push got the Huskies into the Southland Conference Tournament. There’s plenty to build on for HBU, which returns all-conference selection Ian DuBose and will have talented freshman Myles Pierre at point guard.

Eight returnees, including Marilyn Nzoiwu and point guard Megan Valdez-Crader, the team’s second-leading scorer and assist leader, will be aided by five freshman, which includes 6-foot-4 Abbey Sutherland, are positioned to make the Huskies competitive.