Sun Belt leading scorer Kobe Julien transfers to Arkansas State
JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - With one of their final two scholarships, Arkansas State men’s basketball added someone with five years of experience playing in the Sun Belt from the transfer portal. Louisiana junior forward Kobe Julien committed to the Red Wolves on Monday.. He’ll have one final season of eligibility.
A-State made the move official Wednesday morning. “We are fired up to add Kobe to the Red Wolves family,” Hodgson said in a statement. “Kobe has been one of the best players in the Sun Belt for the last several years, and brings some much-needed experience to our roster. Kobe has one of the most complete skillsets we played against last year, and is an elite scorer at all three levels.”
Julien, an All-Sun Belt Second Team selection, averaged a Sun Belt-best 17.3 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game across 33 starts this season, also recording 36 steals and 22 blocks. He had 11 games scoring over 20 points, second-most in the Sun Belt. He excelled at getting to the foul line, shooting 159 free throws (2nd in SBC) and drilling 131 (T-2nd SBC) for an 82.4 percent clip.
In his Cajun career, the 6-6 Baton Rouge native has appeared in 94 games, scoring 1,135 points, knocking down 123 threes and shooting 43 percent from the field.
The 2023-24 season was a bounce-back year for the forward after missing the first 12 games in the 2022-23 season due to recovery from a knee injury suffered in early 2022. He averaged 12.7 points per game across 27 games in the 2021-22 season, but missed the entirety of the Sun Belt Tournament. He missed all of his freshman season in 2018-19 due to a knee injury suffered in high school. He started the first 8 games of his career in 2019, averaging under 13 points per game, but he missed the rest of the season due to another knee injury that required surgery.
Despite the multiple setbacks, Julien averaged career-highs in points, minutes (31.5 per game), assists, blocks and steals this season.
The Red Wolves will be happy to have Julien on their team instead of against them. In 7 games against A-State, Julien has averaged 15.0 points per game, including 18.7 PPG this season. Julien is one of just 20 players who have scored over 100 career points against the Red Wolves, dating back to 2005.
Arkansas State has one scholarship left to fill.
Arkansas State Men’s Basketball Roster
Returning for 2024-25
G Derrian Ford (Soph.) - 36 GP (31 GS), 10.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 41.1% FG, 37.6 3FG% (64-170), 21 stl
G Taryn Todd (Jr.) - 37 GP (19 GS), 12.8 PPG, 42% FG, 37 stl
F Izaiyah Nelson (Soph.) - 37 GP (31 GS), 9.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 73 blk, 23 stl
F Dyondre Dominguez - 37 GP (23 GS), 10.3 PPG, 33.9% 3FG (60-177), 5.8 RPG, 25 stl, 19 blk
G Avery Felts (Jr.) - 37 GP (19 GS), 5.9 PPG, 37% 3FG (62-168)
G Zane Butler (Jr.) - 28 GP, 3.1 PPG, 42% 3FG
G Terrance Ford Jr. (Soph.) - 2 GP (missed majority of season due to injury)
G Jacob St. Clair (Fr. walk-on) - DNP
Newcomers
F Kobe Julien (Louisiana)
F Rashaud Marshall (Ole Miss; Blytheville alum)
F R’Chaun King (Bartlett (TN) HS)
G Jaiden Harrison (Timon (NY) HS, walk-on)
Graduating
G Caleb Fields
F LaQuill Hardnett
In Transfer Portal
F Julian Lual
G Obadiah Curtis
F Lado Laku
G Noah McDavid
G Malcolm Farrington
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