PressBox recently chatted with Maryland women’s basketball redshirt junior Saylor Poffenbarger about the influence of her family, transferring back home and more. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 10.2 points and 11.2 rebounds per game for the Razorbacks in 2023-24. Poffenbarger is a native of Middletown, Md., and graduate of Middletown High School.
PressBox: How did you first become interested in basketball?
Saylor Poffenbarger: My mom, [Amy], played basketball at Missouri, so I feel like from a really young age I don’t remember not being in the gym. I think my mom playing basketball, obviously I wanted to be like her. I think just growing up in the gym due to my mom.
PB: Was your mother the biggest influence on your game growing up?
SP: Yes, for sure. We’re very different players, but I just think that she knew a lot about the game. She actually coached me in high school, too, so I think just knowing that she’s been there before allowed me to have a lot of trust in her and she was my mom, so knowing that it was from a good place. I think that the knowledge that she had was a big influence. She helped me a lot. We’re very different. She was a point guard and I’m very much a shooting guard.
PB: Was it super competitive growing up in your family? How did that help you grow as an athlete? (Her brother Reese is a quarterback at Miami, while her brother Brittin is a quarterback at Middletown High School.)
SP: It was definitely very competitive. Growing up, I had four brothers. I think it helped me a lot for the college basketball world just because nothing was given. I think we would literally compete on the playground. I grew up kind of having to work for everything. They never would let me win at anything. It definitely has been a big help now, but also … being able to talk to them, being in the same world. Playing college sports is really hard and difficult mentally and physically. I think when we were younger, [we were] able to compete and watch each other and work out with each other, but now it’s more the mental side that has been very helpful, just being able to talk to them. Reese has been through it before. My little brother is about to go through it, so just being there for moral support.
PB: You wear No. 6 to honor your late brother Fordham. Is he always on your mind when you play?
SP: Yes, definitely. Growing up in a very competitive family, he was definitely going to be an athlete, so I just think we always honor him. Don’t take anything for granted because we’re able to do the things he couldn’t, so he’s definitely a big part. When it’s not easy, just always reminding myself of what he can’t do, but also just doing everything for him is just something that’s really important for me, not just in basketball but in life.
PB: Why did you originally choose to go to UConn?
SP: It was my dream out of high school and I think just as a little girl it was something I couldn’t deny. It was definitely my dream. You couldn’t have told my 12-year-old self no.
PB: Why did you choose to transfer to Arkansas?
SP: I just think that at that time in my life, it was a little after COVID. I loved basketball, but I didn’t want it to be my life. So I think that once you get to UConn, it’s one of the best schools for a reason and I just think that I wasn’t in a place to have … such a dominant role. I think that when I went to Arkansas, it was kind of to get some balance and be able to get comfortable and be able to do things. Not in a forceful way, but I was able to work out because I wanted to work out, not because it was the standard, or love basketball because I wanted to. I went there to get my comfort back and get a balance, have the Southern hospitality. Once I got there I realized that I got my competitive nature back and I was like, “Oh my goodness, I need to win and have discipline and get all those things.” That’s kind of what brought me to the portal the second time. Maryland’s program and their success speaks for itself, but [head coach Brenda Frese] has just coached incredible people and she’s coached in every position that I’ve wanted to achieve as a college basketball player. I think just going and playing for a coach that has done it but also trusts and cares about you on and off the court is something really big for me.
PB: Maryland recruited you years ago. What’s it been like to reconnect with Frese?
SP: I think when I went in the portal, my conversation with her is what reassured me to come here. We didn’t skip a beat, and I think sometimes coaches can be bitter about your choices in schools. Just the way that she was so open to accepting me and understanding that I was OK to realize that maybe I made a wrong decision. Now being here, it’s been everything I could imagine. She just believes so much in her players. I think that as a female, it taught me so much being able to have someone like her in my life. It’s just been a short five months. My being here has been one of the most rewarding feelings. It’s not about basketball. She cares so much. We go to her house. We can tell her what we’re going through as people. It’s not one of those things where you’re scared to go to the head coach’s office. I think just as a coach, she pushes for people. She’s very honest, but she’s also very trustworthy. She wants the best for you. She’s everything that I could hope for.
PB: You’re a big-time rebounder, something Maryland has been short on recently. Where does that rebounding prowess come from?
SP: I always rebounded. Obviously last year was more dominant. Being able to rebound [in the SEC] and being one of the top in that [conference] stood out. But I just think understanding the game, I think I just know where to be on the court. But I also just do whatever it takes to win. In high school you might score all the points and do everything, but once I got to college I realized I had to find something else. That was something I could control. Rebounding was something I could always work really hard to do. Coming up with a rebound was so important to get extra possessions for my team. Getting to college I had to find something else other than scoring that was something that I cared a lot about, so rebounding was something that kind of came naturally to me. I think just being in the right place at the right time, I kind of read the ball. I am a shooter, so I know where my ball will go, so I think just knowing that has helped me a lot.
PB: Who’s your best friend on the team and what’s a story that underscores your friendship?
SP: Mir McLean. She is my best friend and we’ve been best friends since UConn. We were at UConn together. She’s been my best friend for three years. Since we left, we stayed in touch. It was definitely really exciting when we got to come here together. We actually live together.
PB: What’s it going to be like to play together again, this time with bigger roles?
SP: I think it’ll just be really cool because we have so much trust in each other and we have a lot of chemistry off the court. Our friendship is really strong. We know each other’s tendencies but also we know how to speak to each other and interact, so I think that’s going to be really beneficial for us on the court. I’m excited. I think it’ll be positive just because of the way we trust each other.
PB: Who did you look up to early in your college career?
SP: When I was at Arkansas, I would definitely say Amber Ramirez. It was her senior year when I had gotten there. I actually had to sit out at the end of that semester and it was her final semester. She just took me under her wing. I have a lot of respect for her. I still talk to her to this day. The way she worked out and the way she was a teammate and how she treated people was something that I definitely looked up to.
PB: What advice would you give to younger players?
SP: I would definitely say to stay in the moment. I think sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the dreams that are coming to light, but I think also just staying in the moment and staying grounded. … I think when it comes to the NIL world, I would probably advise people to pick a school that they want to go to not because of how much money they’re giving you. I think that NIL is kind of blurring the lines for people picking schools, so I would just advise people to go to the school that they want to go to before they discuss those other things.
PB: What are your goals for after basketball, whenever it ends?
SP: I plan to go work with my dad, [William], at his distillery which is honor of my little brother, Fordham Lee Distillery. I hope to one day take that over and work there.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Maryland Athletics
Issue 289: October/November 2024
Originally published Oct. 16, 2024