Men’s and Women’s Basketball Transfer Portal Update

by npatano on May 5, 2022

Friar Sports

Friars Look to Rebuild for Next Season

Justin Bishop ’24

Sports Staff

Over the past few weeks, the Providence College men’s basketball team has seen some talented players depart, while reeling in some high caliber talent through the NCAA college basketball transfer portal. Justin Minaya ’22GS has decided not to use his sixth and final year of eligibility, he did have one remaining year due to the NCAA establishing that all student athletes have an additional year of eligibility due to COVID-19. Instead, Minaya, like Noah Horchler ’22GS, Al Durham ’22GS, and A.J. Reeves ’22, has decided to declare for the NBA Draft,hoping to earn a spot on a professional roster.

Coming to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center next year will be University of South Carolina freshman transfer Devin Carter ’25 who had a standout freshman year and was ranked as the No. 26 best transfer. Carter set the record at USC for three-point-shots made in a season by a freshman, so he will be a prime candidate to fill Reeves’ spot as the team’s go-to three-point shooter.

Next is University of Connecticut freshman transfer Corey Floyd Jr. ’26, who will still have four years left to play even after next season. Floyd was highly sought after coming out of high school but did not see the court at UConn because their coaching staff apparently thought losing was better.

After Floyd came University of Louisville graduate student transfer Noah Locke, who played three seasons at the University of Florida before transferring to Louisville and who will finish here in Friartown.

Next, Lasalle University graduate transfer Clifton Moore, who played two years at Indiana University before transferring to Lasalle, will play his final year here in Providence.

Lastly, the biggest transfer in recent years for the Friars, University of Kentucky sophomore transfer, Bryce Hopkins who played little time at Kentucky but will fit in perfectly as a three or four in the rotation. Hopkins was named 2021 Illinois Player of the Year in his last year in high school and also accumulated various summer tournament accolades.

This offseason, Friar fans could not have asked for a better transfer season from the National Coach of the Year Ed Cooley. Watching these players fit into the system with returning members Ed Croswell ’23 and Jared Bynum ’23 is going to be exciting.

On the women’s basketball team’s side, the team said goodbye to the team’s second leading scorer this past season in Alyssa Geary ’22, who transferred to Indiana University for her graduate year. Geary, who played all four years at Providence, was a consistent piece of the offense along with her defense as she finished her career with 128 blocks. They would also see Mary Baskerville ’22 leave the team after four years to head to Quinnipiac University. Baskerville averaged 10.2 points per game in her four years as a Friar. An addition to the team next year is graduate transfer from the University of Iowa, Logan Cook. The 6’1 forward played all four years at Iowa where the team was upset by Creighton University in the second round of the tournament. The team will look to bounce back from last season where they were bounced in the first round of the Big East tournament by Georgetown University.

Women’s Basketball Season Comes to an End

by npatano on March 24, 2022

Friar Sports

Friars Fall to Georgetown University in First Round of Big East Tournament

Liam Tormey ’22

Sports Co-Editor

The Friars women’s basketball season came to an end on March 4 after a 68-55 defeat to Georgetown University in the opening round of the Big East Women’s Tournament.

After being down by one at halftime, the Hoyas jumped out to a 22-0 run in the third quarter. The Friars were unable to bounce back, and their season was over.

Emily Archibald ’25 scored a career-high 21 points in the contest, shooting 7-9 from the floor and 6-8 from three-point territory. Janai Crooms ’23 added 18 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block for the Friars, but the Hoyas were able to hold on.

The Friars finished the season 11-19, 6-14 in Big East play, and ended the year on a five-game losing streak. They were 6-11 at Alumni Hall and 5-7 away from home.

Crooms completed her first year for the Friars after transferring to her home state from Michigan State University. She averaged 13.8 points with an average of 34.7 minutes per game in her first year as a Friar. Crooms also recorded six double-doubles – a team-best – and was the only player in the Big East ranked inside the top-15 in scoring and also ranked inside the top-10 in rebounding, assists, blocked shots, offensive rebounds, and defensive rebounds.

The Cranston, Rhode Island native, who is the first female to have her number retired at St. Andrew’s School, shot 43.6 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from behind the three-point arc. Along with Kylee Sheppard ’25, Crooms was awarded All-Big East Honorable Mention accolades.

Sheppard was a unanimous selection to the Big East All-Freshman Team. She only played in 19 games and started in 18 of them after missing 10 games in the beginning of her rookie season due to injuries. By the end of the year, Sheppard finished third in the team in scoring with 9.6 points per game 2.1 assists per game while second in steals averaging 1.6.

Alyssa Geary ’22 and Mary Baskerville ’22 both completed their senior season for the Friars. Geary started in all 30 games, averaging 26.4 minutes per game and 9.5 points per game. The senior shot 37.7 percent from the field while adding 4.2 rebounds a game.

Per her instagram, Geary will be using her extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 and transferring to Indiana University. She played 118 games for the Friars, a total of 2655 minutes and 854 points.

Baskerville played in 23 of the Friars’ 30 games this season. She averaged 19.0 minutes per game and finished the year averaging 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds. There is no word yet on the future of Baskerville and what she will plan to do with the extra year of eligibility.

Next year, with the return of Crooms and an entire year of Sheppard in the lineup, the Friars will have potential. They will need to make up for size with Geary leaving, but a young team under the leadership of Jim Crowley will continue to grow in the 2022-23 season.