On paper, the Sacramento State Hornets have one of the most talented rosters in the nation.
At the helm of that talented group sits former NBA point guard Mike Bibby. He’s no stranger to Sacramento and as a first time college head coach, is ready to lead his star-studded team to the promise land.
The General Manager of Sacramento State is none other than Basketball Hall of Famer, Shaquille O’Neal. His resume speaks for itself and now, he has the unique opportunity to find talent for a developing program.
Behind the star-power of Bibby and Shaq, the Hornets utilized the transfer portal to acquire big names and are leaning on that success in the portal to make some noise in the Big Sky Conference.
𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 9️⃣1️⃣6️⃣
— Sacramento State Men’s Basketball (@SacHornetsMBB) March 25, 2025
Former Sacramento Kings legend Mike Bibby is coming home as the 17th head men’s basketball coach in school history.
🔗: https://t.co/uUjuzYG3HF#StingersUp pic.twitter.com/pi9SJSema7
You can’t talk about Sacramento State without talking about their big three. The first of their big time commitments was Shaqir O’Neal, son of the Hornets GM. He transferred from Florida A&M, an HBCU in Tallahassee, and seemingly sparked a movement.
Next was Brandon Gardner, the former top-100 prospect and USC transfer. He recently arrived from Arizona State after not playing a single game for the Sun Devils. Now, he has a chance to rewrite his story and tap into his true potential.
Finally, Mikey Williams committed to the Hornets to complete the programs big-name additions. Coming from UCF, the former top-50 prospect has another chance to put his name on the map.
These are some of the most well-known players in the world of basketball by virtue of past recruitment or relationships but for one reason or another each has struggled throughout their early careers. Sacramento State is giving them a new opportunity with a chance to put it all together.
Those three aren’t the only impact players Sacramento State added through the portal though. Arguably the programs two most impactful players this season also transferred in with Prophet Johnson and Jeremiah Cherry.
From Fairfield and UNLV respectively, those two additions have been gargantuan in the early stages of this Hornets rebuild. Johnson is averaging 15.3 PPG and 4.0 APG while shooting 44% from beyond the arc. You can’t ask for much more from your starting point guard. Cherry is averaging 15.5 PPG and 8.2 RPG while shooting almost 50% from the field. Simply put, he’s a walking double-double threat every time he steps on the court.
The early portion of the season still hasn’t quite panned out in the Hornets favor. They are a middle of the pack team that’s flashed some early signs of growth but have fallen short of their standard with a 3-4 record. Nonetheless, a learning curve was always to be expected for a team that has an almost entirely new roster.
From putting up impressive wins versus Division II Jessup and Presbyterian, to getting mauled by UCLA in a 31 point blowout, the Hornets definitely have room to improve. It’s important to remember that development isn’t always linear.
Early on, what’s worked for the Hornets is getting Utah transfer and sophomore guard Jayden Teat involved. His scoring off the bench has been crucial for Sacramento as a rotational piece who’s able to fill in with effective minutes behind Williams and Johnson. Teat scored a personal season high 21 points in their recent win over Division II Dominican and is proving to be an explosive spark plug for the Hornets.
The Hornets will need Williams to keep his foot on the gas. He’s been everything that was advertised and his prolific scoring prowess ignites this team every time they step onto the hardwood. He scored a season high 30 points against UC Santa Barbara and although they lost that game, he’s proven to be the go-to guy. Through seven games so far, he posted double-digit scoring efforts in all but two. Williams consistency will be key if the Hornets want to keep making strides ahead of conference play in the Big Sky.
As the season progresses, Sacramento State will have an opportunity to establish its new identity with Bibby and O’Neal at the helm. Although this program may be in the midst of a full rebuild, that doesn’t mean they aren’t ready to compete. “I have plans of taking this conference by storm,” Bibby said when first hired by the University in April.
