We're in the middle of the basketball portal period, as well as the beginning of the late signing period for high school and junior college talent.

Here's a look at what's going on with Idaho State women's basketball recruiting, as well as a check-in with some old friends from the neighborhood.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

This week, it's been plus three and minus one for the Idaho State women's team.

Let's start with the subtraction: ISU coach Seton Sobolewski confirmed that forward Piper Carlson, the Bengals' leading rebounder and second-leading scorer last season, is graduating this spring and forgoing her final year of eligibility.

Carlson, who was generously listed at 6-foot-1, was a tough battler as an undersized power forward for the Bengals as she continually developed her game over three years in the program. This past season, she averaged 10.8 points and 8.1 rebounds, while shooting 51 percent from the field.

"Piper did graduate early and has decided not to play basketball anymore," Sobolewski said. "She already has a job waiting for her in business."

The Bengals are busy recruiting replacements for Carlson and forwards Mackenzie Marenchin, who is in the transfer portal, and Aurora Elder, who is retiring from competition because of health issues.

The first commitment came from Australian Krystal Arnason, 6-1, who announced her allegiance to the Bengals on her social media account in February. Arnason, who has been a member of the Victorian U-20 state squad, is from Melbourne. ISU was still awaiting official paperwork from Arnason before making her commitment official.

Another social media commitment came from Maggie Hutka, a 6-0 forward who is transferring from Montana. Hutka, a native of Royce City, Texas, got lost in the shuffle of new Grizzly coach Nate Harris's five-out, three-point shooting offense. She played in 15 games, averaging nine minutes and 1.1 points for Montana this past season.

But she came to Montana after an outstanding season at Division II Colorado Christian, where she averaged 20 points and 8.5 rebounds a game as a sophomore. Hutka brings a toughness and physicality Sobolewski values in his players.

ISU also got a commitment from junior college All-American guard Skylie Barker, who averaged 14 points and 5 rebounds a game as a freshman at USU-Eastern last season. The 5-10 Barker, who also announced her commitment via social media, is originally from West Jordan, Utah.

The Bengals inked three high school players in the early recruiting period: Jazzy Wilkerson, a 6-0 guard from Woodinville, Wash.; Emma Bryant, a 5-8 guard from Spokane, Wash.; and Clare Valentine, a 6-0 guard from San Diego.

Wilkerson had a terrific high school senior season, averaging 21.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game, while breaking her team's single-season three-point record. She was named first-team All-King County in the Seattle area.

Bryant, meanwhile, was the point guard and leader for an outstanding Deer Park High School team, averaging 13 points a game. She played alongside her younger sister, Ashlyn, who averaged more than 20 points a game. Ashlyn has verbally committed to Eastern Washington, so the two sisters could meet up twice a season in Big Sky play beginning in the 2027-28 season if there are no changes in plans or portal interruptions.

Valentine didn't play in her senior year of high school, as she was recovering from a shoulder injury.

In other ISU women's basketball news, Bengal guard Alyse Aby will be reunited with former Bengal assistant coach Dora Goles after transferring to Eastern Washington for her senior season.

UPDATES ON SOME OLD FRIENDS

Former Bengal Dylan Darling was the toast of the Big Apple for a week or so in March after scoring the winning basket for St. John's in its NCAA Sweet 16 victory over Kansas in the NCAA tournament. Darling even got to throw out the first pitch at a Mets game earlier this spring.

But Johnnies coach Rick Pitino apparently recruited over Darling, bringing in European star guard Quinn Ellis this spring. While Darling told the New York media he was okay with coming off the bench at St. John's, he apparently couldn't reach agreement on a new revenue-sharing deal and has entered the transfer portal for the third time in three seasons.

On Friday, the New York Post reported Darling was transferring to Grand Canyon. The Antelopes finished 20-12 last season, 13-7 in the Mountain West Conference. It's unknown what kind of financial package Darling received, but the Post reported that he was entertaining "seven-figure offers" after entering the portal.

Idaho State coach Ryan Looney said he spoke with Darling and his dad earlier this week, and they told him there was no shortage of options for the former Big Sky MVP. Darling started 15 games for St. John's, averaging 6.9 points, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals on 39 percent shooting.

Despite his brief stay in New York, Darling will be forever remembered for driving and scoring the winning basket in St. John's buzzer-beating win over Kansas — his only basket of the day. He was the talk of national media that week, although he missed what would have been a game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds of the Johnnies' loss to Duke in the next game.

While we're talking about old friends and the transfer portal, Pocatello native Isiah Harwell, a McDonald's All-American, has transferred to Gonzaga after playing in 32 games as a true freshman at Houston this past season.

Harwell averaged 3.6 points in 13.6 minutes per game, but saw his playing time diminish as the season wore on for the Cougars, who finished 30-7 after losing to Illinois in the South Regional championship game of the NCAA tournament.

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, finished the season 31-4, losing to Texas in the second round of the NCAA tournament.