Former HBCU basketball star Shai Odom has transferred from Howard University Attended the University of Vermont after a stellar career as a Bison. Odoms was a key contributor to Kenny Blakeney’s emerging HBCU hoops power as Howard won MEAC championships in 2023 and 2024.
purpose of Odom’s transfer from Mecca is simpleAccording to a quote obtained by HBCU GameDay’s Tia Green. He wants to set himself up for the next level.
“I chose UVM to help me reach my goal of playing pro.”
Odoms has had an interesting basketball career, playing alongside many talented teammates during his time at Sierra Canyon High School. The 6’6″ forward played alongside Zaire Williams, BJ Boston Jr., Amari Bailey and Bronny James during high school. When he committed to Howard University he decided to commit to playing HBCU basketball.
When Odom debuted for the Bison he immediately made his impact felt. He appeared in 31 games with 23 starts as a freshman, averaging just under 11 points per game, while shooting 54 percent and grabbing nearly five rebounds per game.
His play ultimately led to him being named MEAC Rookie of the Year and MEAC Tournament MVP, helping Howard clinch the 2023 MEAC Championship for the first time in 31 years. He also shined in the team’s March Madness matchup against Kansas and finished the game with 15 points and eight rebounds.
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In Odeon’s sophomore season he gave the Bison much of the same production, averaging 8.4 points and 3.3 rebounds during the season. He was the star of Howard almost beat Georgia Tech last seasonScored a season-high 22 points while also adding seven rebounds, three blocks and one steal. Odom seemed to be coming into form as Howard completed its out-of-conference slate, until a back injury derailed him for 11 games.
Now Odom looks to find success with a University of Vermont team that enters the season as the three-time America East Conference champions. They finished last season with a 28–7 record, which included a 15–1 conference record and a 16–1 home record. They earned a March Madness bid but ultimately lost to fourth-ranked Duke 64–47.