The Providence College men’s basketball team will have a new cast of lead guards next season after an announcement on social media on Sunday that Jayden Pierre had committed to TCU through a post on his Instagram account. He’ll spend his final college season in the Big 12 with the Horned Frogs. Pierre started in 63 of his 97 games with the Friars, including all but one of his last 64. He averaged 12.3 points and 3.2 assists last season, including 23 games in double figures and a season-high eight assists in a loss at Butler. Pierre entered the transfer portal when it opened on March 24 and will join a team that finished 16-16 last year.
Providence’s men and Bryant’s men accounted for the majority of the state’s activity in college basketball’s transfer portal last week. The Friars lost Bryce Hopkins to a Big East rival St. John’s before pulling in five commitments. One of those, freshman wing Stefan Vaaks, is an overseas professional in his native Estonia. The Bulldogs introduced new coach Jamion Christian and lost a pair of cornerstones off last year’s NCAA Tournament qualifiers.
Drexel forward Cole Hargrove, Florida State guard Daquan Davis, Vanderbilt guard Jason Edwards and Central Florida guard Jaylin Sellers give Providence some roster clarity heading into next season. Barry Evans and Keyshawn Mitchell will both leave Bryant and follow multiple former staff members to VCU. Keegan Harvey pledged to Bryant after spending three seasons with George Washington and the 2020-21 campaign with Charleston.
Wednesday was a feeling unlike anything Patrick Clemmey had experienced to this point in his time at Bishop Hendricken. It was finally the senior left-hander’s turn to make his varsity debut on the pitcher’s mound. More than three years of anticipation led to this opening of the Division I season against Coventry. Four strong innings and nine strikeouts later, Clemmey was satisfied. His offense offered plenty of support in an 11-1 triumph at breezy Pepin Field, a game shortened to six frames by the 10-run mercy rule. A year on the freshman team spent primarily as a first baseman and two more lost to Tommy John surgery prevented the Vanderbilt commit from taking his place in the rotation. Clemmey did so under chilly sunshine against the Oakers and fanned the side in the top of the first, flashing the arsenal that has him headed to a national power next fall. He mixed firm fastball, slider and changeup out of a 6-foot-5-inch frame that should give most opposing hitters a fair share of trouble.
Jamion Christian, Bryant’s new head men’s basketball coach, needed less than a week to assemble his staff. The Bulldogs formally announced the hires of Harley Fuller, Brian Merritt, Bruce Shingler and Derrick Wall in a Wednesday afternoon release. Christian quickly put together a foursome tasked with extending recent success in Smithfield. Bryant is fresh off a sweep of America East regular-season and tournament titles, securing a second NCAA Tournament berth since 2022. “I love the experience from this group, which will allow us to chart a new path while continuing upon the excellent history here at Bryant,” Christian said in a statement.
