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With college basketball's transfer portal now closed, here's the latest RI update – The Providence Journal
The transfer portal has finally closed. No more college basketball players may enter.
It couldn’t come soon enough for most who follow the sport. Providence men’s coach Kim English was among folks who were a bit on edge in the final hours. Opposing coaches allegedly tampering with his players had the Friars leader hitting social media to vent a bit.
We can expect less movement as classes close and the summer schedule takes hold. The University of Rhode Island men and Bryant women picked up commitments this week while the NBA Draft picture began to take shape.
Here’s a host of updates — players, coaching staff members and more — from the past few days:
More:Here are the RI college basketball players who have entered the transfer portal
Drissa Traore, Brandon Weston, James Whitford, Christen Cunningham
The Rams started the week by adding Traore and losing Weston. They also shuffled the coaching staff with the arrival of Whitford and the departure of Cunningham.
Traore committed to URI after leaving St. John’s. He played in 28 games off the bench for the Red Storm last season, averaging 1.7 points and 1.2 rebounds. Traore slots in alongside David Fuchs and David Green in the Rams frontcourt rotation.
Weston committed to Tennessee State after entering the portal in April. He started in 10 of his 27 appearances last season, averaging 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds. Weston played in 59 games over two seasons with URI after a transfer from Seton Hall.
Whitford is the former head coach at Ball State and overlapped with Archie Miller in two seasons with Arizona from 2009-11. He takes the assistant spot vacated by Kenny Johnson, who was hired away by Georgetown. Cunningham left for Charleston and will serve as assistant coach and general manager for Chris Mack, who recruited Cunningham to play guard at Louisville in 2018-19.
Mayé Touré
Touré flipped her commitment from Maryland to Utah and will play a final college season with the Utes.
The former Rams forward averaged double-digit points in each of her last two seasons in Kingston. She entered the portal after helping URI to a pair of WNIT berths and an appearance in the Atlantic 10 tournament title game.
San Diego transfer Harsimran Kaur and incoming center Albina Syla should compete for a portion of Touré’s frontcourt minutes.
Mariona Planes Fortuny, Jana Aubà Ribas
The Bulldogs lost their lead in-the-paint option in the portal, as Planes Fortuny committed to George Washington. She was a four-year standout with Bryant, averaging at least 15.6 points in the last two seasons and at least 6.2 rebounds in each of the last three. Planes Fortuny picked up multiple all-league honors in her career from the Northeast Conference and America East.
Aubà Ribas has played at her age level for the Spain national team and adds to the Bulldogs international presence. Expected returners Silvia Gonzalez, Alejandra Ferreiros and Martina Boba are all natives of Spain. Gonzalez and Boba averaged a combined 12.5 points per game in 2023-24.
Jabri Abdur-Rahim, Wesley Cardet Jr., Christ Essandoko, Bensley Joseph
The Friars announced the official signings of their transfer class. Abdur-Rahim (Georgia), Cardet (Chicago State), Essandoko (Saint Joseph’s) and Joseph (Miami) will join Providence for the 2024-25 season. Essandoko retains three years of eligibility while Abdur-Rahim, Cardet and Joseph will finish their respective careers.
Brycen Goodine
Goodine will spend a final college season at Oklahoma after committing this week. He’s a New Bedford native who prepped at St. Andrew’s and played previously at Syracuse, Providence and Fairfield.
Goodine averaged 13.9 points and shot 46.7% from 3-point range for the Stags in 2023-24. He helped Fairfield reach the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title game and play in the postseason College Basketball Invitational.
Wesley Cardet Jr., Devin Carter, Garwey Dual, Tyler Kolek, Kino Lilly Jr.
Cardet, Carter, Dual, Kolek and Lilly were among the 195 players who have filed paperwork to be evaluated for the 2024 NBA Draft, which will be held June 26 and 27 in New York.
Individual and group workouts, interviews with team executives, feedback from agents and scouts — it’s all permissible for college players between now and the May 29 withdrawal deadline. Cardet and Lilly are expected to return to Providence and Brown, respectively. Carter and Kolek are expected to remain in the draft pool while Dual is in the transfer portal and seems likely to leave the Friars after one season.
Carter and Kolek are among 78 players invited to the Draft Combine, which will be held in Chicago from May 12 to 19. Carter is a potential first-round pick after winning Big East Player of the Year honors with Providence. Kolek, a Cumberland native and Marquette guard, is expected to hear his name called after three strong years with the Golden Eagles.
Dual has been invited to G League Elite Camp, which will be held May 11 and 12 in Chicago. He could receive a following place at the combine based on his performance there.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On X: @BillKoch25
