Breaking news arrived quickly and furiously on Tuesday, the busiest 24 hours for locals in the transfer portal in the previous week.
Six players declared their plans to join new college basketball schools, including one who had never played beyond the prep level.
This just exacerbated an already frantic time of player and coaching movement. No area of the state was unaffected, and some programs added talent ahead of the 2024-25 season. Georgia wing Jabri Abdur-Rahim committed to Providence College’s men’s squad, while Nebraska guard Jamarques Lawrence pledged to the University of Rhode Island’s men’s team. On Saturday, URI followed up with the announcement that former Ram Sebastian Thomas has decided to return to Kingston after a year at Albany.
Underclassman entries are swiftly approaching the NCAA’s May 1 deadline, so there will undoubtedly be more announcements in the next week.
Who is going where? Let us recap:
Rhode Island men: Tyson Brown, Ben Hammond, Kenny Johnson
One outgoing player, one lost recruit and one departing assistant coach countered Lawrence’s commitment to the Rams.
Brown has committed to Georgia Southern, where he will spend his final college season. He started 16 of his 32 appearances for URI, averaging 4.3 points and 4.1 rebounds. Brown’s standout moment was a late double-double against Fordham, which hinted at his potential.
Following a successful senior season at Virginia powerhouse Paul VI, Hammond requested a release from his word of intent. He helped them reach the finals of the Chipotle Nationals and will be a popular name again on the recruiting tour. According to ESPN, Hammond has already received offers from Providence, Virginia Tech, Iowa, Butler, Penn State, Georgia Tech, and other schools.
Brown men: Kalu Anya
The Bears could lose an expected cornerstone piece going forward. Anya joined junior forward Nana Owusu-Anane in the portal — both leaving would force a major frontcourt shakeup for Brown.
Anya is a Worcester native who started in all but one of his 31 games. He averaged 9.6 points and 7.4 rebounds while helping the Bears to the Ivy Madness title game against Yale. Anya piled up 23 points and 17 rebounds — both season highs — in an important late road win at Cornell.
Anya and Owusu-Anane both have the option of returning to Brown. Felix Kloman, Kimo Ferrari and Malachi Ndur are all in the portal and could trigger a waiver that would give them a COVID fifth year elsewhere.
Bryant men: Barry Evans
The Bulldogs picked up a commitment last week from Evans, a St. Bonaventure transfer who played with an Atlantic 10 Tournament semifinalist last season.
Evans averaged 3.3 points and 5 rebounds in 2023-24, starting in three of his 33 appearances. He finished with seven points and seven rebounds in a loss against Duquesne, a game that turned out to be his last with the Bonnies. Evans is a Baltimore native who prepped at national power Putnam Science and retains two seasons of eligibility.
Evans joins the returning Earl Timberlake in the Bryant frontcourt for 2024-25. The Bulldogs are still waiting on a host of decisions from other players in the portal. Daniel Rivera, Rafael Pinzon, Tyler Brelsford, Todd Rochelle and Greg Cantwell are still mulling their respective futures.
Bryant women: Jada Leonard
The Bulldogs continued to add via the portal with Leonard, a Saint Peter’s guard who retains two seasons of eligibility.
Leonard adds instant scoring punch and defensive toughness for Bryant. She started 53 of 58 games for the Peacocks, averaging 11.3 points and reaching 60 steals in each of her two years. Leonard is a 5-foot-8-inch Bronx native who was a 1,000-point scorer in high school.
Leonard enters along with Ali Brigham (Penn State), Mimi Rubino (Fairfield) and Maranda Nyborg (Fordham). Bryant had several open spots after Mariona Planes Fortuny, Kemari Reynolds, Megan Bodziony, Breya Busby, Lucie Castagne and Alana Scott all entered the portal. The Bulldogs finished 15-15 in Lynne-Ann Kokoski’s debut and hosted an America East quarterfinal.
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