Kansas State women’s basketball added a one of the top mid-major players in the country last month in Temira Poindexter, a 6-foot-1 forward, who is the reigning American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, and a two-time First Team All-AAC.
Poindexter spent her first three years at Tulsa and played at nearby Sapulpa High School where she led them to the 5A Oklahoma State Championship as a senior.
She finished her career at Tulsa ranked third in career points and fifth in career field goals made and career scoring average. She scored over 1500 points in her career and started 87 of 93 games.
What the stats say
Poindexter was one of the best scorers in college basketball this season, ranking seventh nationally in total points and 16th in scoring average, 11th in the nation in field goals made, eighth in the nation for field goals attempted (614), 22nd in the nation for 3-point field goals made, 44th in the nation for 3-point field goals made per game (2.4) and 48th in the nation for total blocks. She is also one of three players to have 700 points and 50 blocks this season.
Poindexter averaged 21.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game, shooting 43.2% from the field, 32.3% from 3, and 71.7% from the free-throw line. She had six games this season with at least 30 points and three with at least five made 3s. She played eight games against Power 5 opponents including against two Big 12 opponents in TCU and Texas Tech. Poindexter averaged 20.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 42.1% from the field, 27% from 3, and 74.1% from the free-throw line in those eight games.
Poindexter had a 32.4% usage rate last season and ranked ninth nationally in effective field goal percentage among those with at least a 30% usage rate according to HerHoopStats, a statistical and analytical website providing rankings and stats on every team and women’s college basketball player. She has shot over 50% from 2 in all three seasons and had her most efficient season this year. She averaged 0.91 points per possession which is in the 82nd percentile and a 50.1 effective field goal percentage which is in the 76th percentile. She also had a 14.5% turnover rate which is in the 79th percentile and is a good number considering she was top-40 nationally in usage rate .
What the film says
The film shows Poindexter as a three-level scorer who can create her shot, whether attacking the basket, catching and shooting opportunities, or a jump shot off the dribble. She can reach her spot by operating out of the high post and has a quick first step. She has her hands ready to catch the ball and has a quick release when shooting from the perimeter. She has a good post-up game in the low and high post with a good ability to seal her defender and soft hands to finish around the basket. She is also a good cutter and does a good job of moving off the ball.
The defensive film from Poindexter is a mixed bag because she was the main offensive weapon for Tulsa and was asked to do a lot on the offensive end. The biggest weakness in her defensive game is she tends to watch the ball and lose track of the opposing player. She does show some high-quality defense at times and had stretches this season where she was a good defender. Her ability to block shots doesn’t go unnoticed and she had 14 games with at least two blocks and 15 games with at least two steals. The defensive upside is there with Poindexter, it is just a matter of being more consistent on that end.
Fit with K-State
The fit with K-State is seamless and one that was needed for the Wildcats. They needed another scoring forward on the roster after Gabby Gregory graduated.
Temira Poindexter has good size at 6-foot-1 and can play on the perimeter as a floor-spacing forward or she can post up in the high or low post and score in isolation. There are many different ways Poindexter can be used on the offensive end and she can be the small-ball center in certain situations. She is a very versatile player on the offensive end and it will let K-State play many different styles with and without Ayoka Lee on the floor.
Poindexter’s fit next to Ayoka Lee is a good one and she also fits next to Kennedy Taylor when she is on the floor. She will need to be better defensively than she was at Tulsa but she won’t have as heavy of an offensive load to carry at K-State.
She is a long, athletic forward who can guard multiple positions and is a good secondary rim protector. The defense for K-State was elite last year and they added more size with the addition of Poindexter. K-State will be one of the favorites to win the Big 12 with the addition of Poindexter and is poised to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament next season.
