Kellie Harper continues to look to the Big Ten in this year’s transfer portal, making her second addition from the conference in Indiana’s Neveah Caffey. The 5-foot-10 point guard is originally from Warrenton, Missouri, entering the portal after spending her freshman year with the Hoosiers.
Caffey averaged 8.5 points as a true freshman on shooting splits of 42/42/81 as an extremely talented three-level scorer. In addition to her
scoring, Caffey added 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists while starting all 32 games. Her best game as a scorer came late in the season against Penn State, pouring in 18 points on 6-12 shooting from the field and 5-6 from the free throw line. She also dished out five assists against the Nittany Lions to tie her career-high. She was one of only two Indiana players to start every game this past season, finishing the year as the fifth leading scorer on a team that just narrowly missed the postseason.
The point guard played her high school ball at Incarnate Word Academy, which has emerged as a true powerhouse in Missouri after winning state titles in the last nine seasons (barring the COVID year which they didn’t have a state final). Saniah Tyler, who transferred to Mizzou from Kentucky last season, also played at Incarnate Word.
Caffey was a four-star prospect, ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 70 player in the nation and the No. 2 player in the state of Missouri in the Class of 2025. While playing in Missouri, it seemed that Caffey didn’t receive any serious interest from Mizzou under Robin Pingeton. But under coach Harper, things have changed.
The Tigers are now down t0 three open roster spots next season. Caffey will likely step into the starting point guard role, either moving Averi Kroenke to an off-guard position as a starter or taking a smaller role off the bench coming off her ACL tear. Her power five experience will pay off immediately, bringing a scoring punch to the point guard position that Mizzou has yet to see in recent seasons. While Caffey’s addition means a whopping nine of the 12 players on the roster are listed as underclassmen, the talent that Harper has brought Columbia has been undeniable.
