NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State head men's basketball coach Robert Jones continued to bolster the Spartans' backcourt with the addition of UT Arlington transfer Bahsil Laster to the 2026-27 roster.

Laster, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound guard from Philadelphia, Pa., joins Norfolk State after spending the 2025-26 season at UT Arlington. He will enter his junior season with the Spartans.

"We are happy to add a player of Bahsil's talent this late in the process," Jones said. "With two major losses in our backcourt, Bahsil brings Philly toughness, proven production from a strong conference and the ability to consistently get paint touches. He also gives us great positional size at 6-foot-4. This is going to be a key pickup for us once he gets acclimated to the Spartan Way."

Laster appeared in 26 games with eight starts during his season at UT Arlington, averaging 7.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists across 19.5 minutes per contest. He converted 82.0 percent of his attempts from the free-throw line, finishing the year with 205 points, 77 rebounds, 33 assists and 15 steals.

The Philadelphia native produced several strong performances down the stretch, including a season-high 18 points against Abilene Christian before matching that mark against Utah Valley in the postseason. He also recorded 11 points and seven rebounds at Tarleton State and pulled down a season-best nine rebounds against Utah Tech.

Before arriving at UT Arlington, Laster began his collegiate career at Harcum College during the 2024-25 season. He averaged 14.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field, 38.4 percent from 3-point range and 82.4 percent at the free-throw line. His performance earned him recognition on the JucoRecruiting.com Fab 50 Freshman list.

Laster attended Archbishop Wood High School and returns to the East Coast after his season in Arlington. His combination of size, backcourt versatility and ability to attack the paint adds another experienced piece to Norfolk State's 2026-27 roster.