Michigan State forward Malik Hall announced Tuesday that he will return for one final season of college basketball in 2023-24.

Hall opted to use the fifth year of eligibility available to NCAA athletes who played during the 2020-21 “COVID year.”

Hall’s decision comes one day after the Spartans’ leading scorer from this past season, Tyson Walker, announced that he too will be back in 2023-24.

Hall averaged 8.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in 23 games (five starts) for Michigan State this past season as the Spartans reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

“Michigan State has been my home for the last four years,” Hall wrote in a social media post. “The experience I’ve had during my time as a Spartan has been incredible for me and my family. … Our Sweet Sixteen run was fun this year, but we fell short of our own expectations. Although I battled a foot injury most of this season, I worked hard to help us be the best team we could, but, I was left with a feeling of wanting more! I think Michigan State Basketball has the opportunity to be very special next season and I’m really excited to announce that I will be returning for my final season!”

In 118 career games (30 starts) across four seasons in East Lansing, Hall has posted 6.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per contest.

Go green. Let’s do something great! pic.twitter.com/mP6pjdn0XG

— Malik Hall (@iammalikhall) April 11, 2023

–Field Level Media

Drexel basketball is finally getting a seat at the big boys’ table in Philadelphia college hoops.

The Big 5, which formerly featured just Villanova, Temple, St. Joseph’s, La Salle and Penn, formally welcomed Drexel into the fold on Tuesday, alongside an announcement of a new format for the age-old local rivalry series.

Despite the expansion to six teams, the name “Big 5” will not change.

“Drexel University is honored to become part of the Philadelphia Big 5,” Drexel athletic director Maisha Kelly said in a press release. “The Philadelphia Big 5 is synonymous with basketball history in the city and it is exciting to have our brand now be associated with such a storied organization. As an institution of higher learning, prominently positioned in the city, we are proud to be aligned with these five schools that combine excellence in both academics and athletics. This is a historic day in Drexel basketball history.”

Starting in the 2023-24 season, the annual Big 5 championship will be determined with a new format.

Early in the nonconference portion of the regular season, the teams will play in two round-robin pods. Pod 1 includes Temple, La Salle and Drexel, and Pod 2 features Villanova, St. Joseph’s and Penn. That will determine each team’s seeding.

The six teams will then play in the Big 5 Classic tripleheader at Wells Fargo Center, with the first edition scheduled for Dec. 2 next season. The first seed from each pod will compete for the Big 5 championship, the second seeds will play for second place and the third seeds will meet for third place.

“Big 5 basketball and its traditions are a big part of the fabric of Philadelphia basketball,” La Salle coach Fran Dunphy, the former coach at both Penn and Temple, said in a release. “We look back on the Big 5’s history with great fondness, as we welcome a new member to our group in Drexel University and usher in a new era of Big 5 play. We are all excited to participate in this newly imagined format and the first Big 5 Classic at the new Wells Fargo Center next season.”

–Field Level Media

Former Miami guard Harlond Beverly announced Tuesday he will transfer to Wichita State.

The Detroit native was a four-star prospect coming out of high school and spent four years with the Hurricanes, reaching the Elite Eight with them in 2022 and the Final Four this season.

He primarily came off the bench, averaging 3.5 points and 12.2 minutes per contest across 37 games (one start) in 2022-23.

In 91 career games (21 starts), Beverly averaged 5.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest.

Wichita State recently hired Paul Mills as its next head coach following his successful run at Oral Roberts.

–Field Level Media

Former Louisville forward Jae’Lyn Withers announced his commitment to North Carolina on Tuesday.

Withers decided to transfer after three seasons at Louisville. He has two years of eligibility remaining after a redshirt season in 2019-20.

He made his announcement on social media, inserting himself in a Tar Heels uniform into a photo collage of some of UNC’s greats, including Michael Jordan and Vince Carter. Withers is from Charlotte, N.C.

“I chose Chapel Hill because I’d be able to compete at one of the highest levels of college basketball and I’m blessed to be able to play in my home state closer to friends and family,” he told On3 Sports. “A lot of NC players dream of playing for a school in their home state and I’m very blessed to have a familiar fan base and a new set of goals.”

The 6-foot-9 Withers averaged 8.9 points and 5.3 rebounds in 32 games (29 starts) for the Cardinals last season. He shot 41.7 percent from the 3-point line, a potential boost to a Carolina team that was awful from the perimeter in 2022-23.

Withers averaged 8.0 points and 5.6 rebounds in 81 career games (64 starts) at Louisville.

He remains in the ACC and joins a Carolina team that returns big man Armando Bacot and guard R.J. Davis. The Tar Heels also landed Brown transfer Paxson Wojcik.

The Tar Heels lost starter Caleb Love — amid six players overall — to the portal. Leaky Black and Pete Nance are out of eligibility.

–Field Level Media

Former Iona guard Walter Clayton Jr. is transferring to Florida, he announced Tuesday on social media.

Clayton was the Player of the Year in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in 2022-23, playing for former coach Rick Pitino. He decided to play closer to his hometown of Lake Wales, Fla., instead of following Pitino to St. John’s.

He led the Gaels in scoring, averaging 16.8 points, and added 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game over 32 games (31 starts). He also shot 95.3 percent (102 of 107) from the free-throw line to lead the nation.

COMMITTED?? @GatorsMBK pic.twitter.com/kq4H5BchbT

— Walter Clayton Jr . ?? (@w1clayton) April 11, 2023

He has two years of eligibility remaining.

In Iona’s loss to eventual champion UConn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, he led the Gaels with 15 points, hitting three 3-pointers and adding four rebounds and four assists.

–Field Level Media

Syracuse All-Atlantic Coast Conference third-team center Jesse Edwards, who averaged a double-double in the 2022-23 season, announced Tuesday that he’s entering the transfer portal for his final year of eligibility.

Edwards made the announcement on social media.

“4 years ago, I got the amazing opportunity to play basketball in this cold snowy place called Syracuse that I only knew from sports highlights,” Edwards, a native of the Netherlands, began his post on Instagram. “… I have decided that it is time for me to take on a new challenge and enter the transfer portal to explore my opportunities for my grad year.”

The 6-foot-11 Edwards averaged career highs in points (14.5) and rebounds (10.3) in 32 starts in the 2022-23 season. He finished sixth in the country with 2.72 blocks per game.

He has averages of 8.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 95 career games (56 starts) for the Orange.

He is the fourth Syracuse player to enter the transfer portal, following leading scorer Joe Girard III, John Bol Ajak and Symir Torrence.

–Field Level Media

Villanova freshman forward and projected lottery pick Cam Whitmore declared for the 2023 NBA Draft on Tuesday.

Whitmore made the announcement in an interview with Stadium. He didn’t mention whether he would maintain his eligibility by holding off on hiring an agent.

Villanova University freshman Cam Whitmore — a projected top 10 pick — tells me he is entering the 2023 NBA Draft. Our sitdown: pic.twitter.com/mldqW0mRCi

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 11, 2023

Whitmore, 18, averaged 12.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in 26 games (20 starts) for Villanova this season. He led the team with 1.4 steals per game and was second in field goal percentage (47.8).

ESPN projects the 6-foot-7 Whitmore to go No. 7 overall in the upcoming draft.

–Field Level Media