As summer draws near, college basketball programs are working to fill their rosters for the 2024-25 season. As of May 23, most conferences across the country still have scholarships available.
Since our last update, three former Marist basketball players have announced their commitment to new programs, with more updates on the horizon.
Graduate student forward Javon Cooley committed to Pepperdine University in Malibu, California on May 14th. The Waves play in the West Coast Conference with other schools such as Gonzaga, St. Mary’s and Santa Clara.
Pepperdine finished with a 13-20 record last season placing seventh in the WCC. Pepperdine has lost basically their entire rotation (six of eight players with 15+ MPG) after head coach Lorenzo Romar was fired with a 76-117 record over six seasons from 2018-2024. In 2021 and 2022 the Waves finished last in the WCC winning less than 10 games in both seasons.
New head coach Ed Shilling has already added six players via the transfer portal including Cooley after being hired on April 3rd.
Sophomore guard Isaiah Brickner committed to the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho on April 21. The Vandals play in the Big Sky Conference and finished last season with an 11-21 record and ninth in the conference. First-year coach Alex Pribble came to Idaho after four seasons at Seattle University.
Idaho retained a good amount of their rotation despite their leading scorer transferring in conference to Northern Colorado, and Pribble has signed four transfers including Brickner thus far.
A fifth Red Fox entered the transfer portal in senior guard Kam Farris back on April 22. After transferring to Marist from Robert Morris, Farris immediately earned a role off the bench in 2022, averaging 23.5 minutes per game while becoming the team’s third-leading scorer at 7.9 points per game.
In 2023, Farris saw his role reduced to 16 minutes a night but shot an efficient 40% from three-point range. In the MAAC tournament, Farris provided key minutes in Marist’s run to the semi-final and averaged six points over his last four games compared to 4.8 for the whole season.
Less than a month later, Farris committed to Bryant University in Smithfield, RI. The Bulldogs play in the America East Conference, finishing last season with a 20-13 record and the no. 3 seed in the conference tournament.
To mitigate these losses, Marist head coach John Dunne and staff have added three more players to the 2024-24 roster, including one Division I player, a JUCO product and a high school prospect.
Marist landed sophomore forward transfer Travis Roberts from Jacksonville State on May 2. A Maryland native, Roberts averaged 3.4 points and 11 minutes per game across two seasons. Roberts received offers from Georgetown and San Diego State out of Bishop Walsh High School. Standing at 6-6, Roberts is another athletic wing who can put the ball on the floor. With more playing time, Roberts could develop his perimeter jump shot and become an effective two-way player for the Red Foxes.
Sophomore Martin Kawa of Richard Bland College committed to Marist nine days later on May 11. At 6-4, Kawa averaged 19 points and five rebounds this past season with 44/36 shooting splits. A Virginia native, Kawa returns to Division I after transferring from UNC Asheville in 2021. Kawa is a playmaking guard with an array of moves with the ball in his hands to score. He can finish through contact and create space off the dribble. Kawa’s skillset is something Marist needed last season to complement Jadin Collins’ playmaking and Josh Pascarelli’s shooting.
On May 23, senior forward and three-star prospect Tarik Watson of Hillcrest Prep (AZ) committed to Marist. Watson is a Middletown, NY native and received interest from major programs, including Creighton and Georgetown. At 6-8, Watson adds to the Red Foxes’ frontcourt after losing sophomore center and leading scorer Max Allen II to the portal back in April.
Watson spend three years at Roselle Catholic in New Jersey before moving to Hillcrest Prep for his final season. Watson is a high-motor big with incredible bounce and finishing in the paint. He showed flashes of putting the ball on the floor and finishing in the lane too. Watson’s family has pedigree as his older brother, Akil, was a 6-9 freshman at Arizona State who transferred to UMass earlier this month.
Edited by Luke Sassa
Photo credit: Luke Sassa
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Any news on women’s side? Does not appear that have been able to close on any transfers.