Here are the latest comings and goings on the local college basketball scene
No additional entries are allowed, but there is still plenty of college basketball business left to resolve in the transfer portal.
Brown’s men, the University of Rhode Island’s men and Bryant’s men all saw noteworthy player movement over the last week. The Rams women made a coaching staff addition while bidding to contend again in the Atlantic 10 in 2024-25.
The Bears mined the Division II ranks for fresh talent while URI’s men saw four players who could have suited up in 2024-25 find homes elsewhere. The Bulldogs retained a standout and lost another to a team they upset on the road in December 2020. The Rams women brought in a replacement for Megan Shoniker, who was hired away by New Hampshire to begin her first stint as a head coach.
Here’s a more in-depth look at each development over the last week:
Brown men: Malachi Ndur, Jacob Dar
Ndur will join the William & Mary Tribe as a graduate transfer. He exhausted his eligibility with the Bears after helping them reach the Ivy Madness title game in March. Ndur closed with 12 points, six rebounds and four assists in that tight defeat against Yale.
Dar will join Brown from Emory & Henry (Va.) with two seasons of eligibility remaining. He’s a 6-foot-7-inch wing who averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 28 games with the Wasps in 2023-24. Dar is a Nebraska native who will compete for a role replacing Kalu Anya, a two-year lineup staple who transferred to Saint Louis.
Rhode Island men: Ben Hammond, Connor Dubsky, Rory Stewart, Luis Kortright
Hammond committed to Virginia Tech after asking the Rams for a release from his letter of intent and reopening his recruitment. He selected the Hokies ahead of Tennessee and a host of other high-profile suitors.
More: With college basketball's transfer portal now closed, here's the latest RI update.
Dubsky (UNC Asheville), Stewart (Florida Gulf Coast) and Kortright (Washington) have all announced commitments after entering the portal at the close of the 2023-24 season. Kortright was the only member of that trio to play meaningful minutes for URI, averaging 10 points and collecting a team-high 117 assists.
Tyson Brown (Georgia Southern), Jeremy Foumena (High Point), Zek Montgomery (Bradley) and Brandon Weston (Tennessee State) previously announced departures from the Rams after a 12-20 season. URI has added commitments from Albany guard and Rhode Island native Sebastian Thomas, Nebraska guard Jamarques Lawrence and St. John's forward Drissa Traore.
Bryant men: Rafael Pinzon, Daniel Rivera
Pinzon will return to what should be a primary role for the Bulldogs. He played in all 33 games last year and averaged 13 points despite making just four starts. Pinzon netted at least 19 points in each of his last four games and hit double figures in five of his last eight.
Rivera announced a commitment to Massachusetts and will resume what was initially a path toward the Atlantic 10. He missed all of the 2022-23 season with Saint Louis after undergoing foot surgery and will join a rival after averaging 13.3 points and 8.1 rebounds in a lone year with Bryant.
Rhode Island women: Ali Jaques
The Rams hired Jaques away from league rival George Washington, where she served as associate head coach in 2023-24. Jaques is a previous head coach at Siena and counts other stops at Seton Hall, Northwestern, Dayton, Furman, Sacred Heart and Rider.
“I've known Ali a long time and she is extremely competitive, a tireless worker and a relentless recruiter,” URI coach Tammi Reiss said in a statement. “She has had success as both an assistant coach and as a head coach, and her experience will be invaluable to our program.”
Jaques coached in a Sweet 16 with the Wildcats and the title game of the WBI with the Saints in 2014-15. She was a standout basketball and soccer player at New York University in the late 1990s, including a Division III national championship with the Violets on the hardwood in 1996-97.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island, Bryant, Brown basketball player and staff updates
