PORTLAND, Ore. – University of Portland men's basketball added another talented and versatile player with the signing of Mississippi State transfer forward Alden Applewhite to a financial aid agreement, head coach Shantay Legans announced on Monday. Applewhite (6-7, 205) joins the Pilots after spending one season with the Bulldogs and will have at least three years of eligibility with Portland.

A native of Memphis, Tenn., Applewhite appeared in just two games for Mississippi State before injuries shortened his freshman season. He previously attended prep school at the high-profile Arizona Compass Prep and averaged 10.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game during the 2020-21 season. Applewhite was rated as the No. 172 recruit in the nation and No. 35 small forward according to 247Sports.com.

"It is exciting to welcome Alden to the Portland family," Legans said. "His skillset and knowledge of the game translates extremely well with how we want to play. He can really shoot it from deep, but also can create off the dribble and set up his teammates. His size and athletic ability will give us flexibility to put him in different situations and exploit matchups. Alden had a lot of transfer options, but he chose Portland because he knows where our program is going and believes that we will get the most out of him. We can't wait to get started with him."

"The coaching staff made me feel like I was at home on my visit," Applewhite said of his decision to sign with Portland. "I knew Coach (Jeremy) Pope from Arizona Compass Prep and he and the whole staff felt genuine in how much they care about the players and program. I'm looking forward to getting on the court and having fun playing hoops. I will do whatever it takes to help the team win and just want to grow, both on and off the court."

Prior to joining Arizona Compass Prep Applewhite led Houston High School to the program's first Tennessee state tournament appearance and averaged 15.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game during 2019-20 season. He was named the District 15-AAA regular season and tournament Most Valuable Player.

Applewhite is the fourth transfer to sign with the Pilots this Spring along with Wyatt Lowell, Joey St. Pierre and Vukasin Masic. They join incoming freshmen Bol Dengdit and Juan Sebastian Gorosito as the newest members of the 2022-23 roster.

The Pilots are returning the top seven scorers and all major contributors from the 19-win team that Legans put together for his first year on The Bluff. Portland recorded the first postseason win at the NCAA level and matched the fourth-most wins in a season since joining the Division I ranks in 1958. Other highlights included a road win against NCAA Tournament participant San Francisco, a 7-7 West Coast Conference record, and a six-game win streak late in the season.